Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain includes endometriosis, adenomyosis, bladder pain, painful sex and other new or chronic pelvic pain. Pelvic pain can often result in overactive and painful pelvic floor muscles. When pelvic floor muscles become overactive, they act like an amplifier, significantly worsening your pain.
Sometimes increased pelvic floor tension and pain can also lead to symptoms in other areas of the pelvis including the bladder, bowel, perineum and other areas. This may include bladder urgency, difficulty emptying your bladder or bowel, genital pain, back pain and more.
If you have pelvic pain and other pelvic symptoms a pelvic floor physio may be able to help you
Your pelvic floor physio will start by taking a comprehensive history of your pain to determine your current symptoms and potential contributors to your pain. Your physio will then, with your consent, assess your pelvic floor and provide treatment accordingly. This will typically involve an internal vaginal examination, or less commonly a rectal examination.
If you have concerns about a vaginal (or rectal) exam…
Please speak with your physiotherapist during your appointment if you have any concerns with a vaginal or rectal examination. An internal examination gives your physiotherapist much more information about your pain, its potential causes and more effective treatment methods. This also allows your physio to better understand the deep muscles of your pelvis. However if you are uncomfortable with this there are other ways your physio may be able to help you.
