I would have never thought Pelvic Floor Therapy would help decrease my hip pain by SO much
When I first met my physical therapist Anastasia, approx two years ago, I came into physical therapy for horrible hip pain. It was so bad I was using a cane. (even when I was going from my bedroom to my bathroom.) Once I saw Anastasia, she got me off of it within a few weeks by working on strengthening my transverse abdominals. Over the period of more than a year, we made significant progress but it felt like I had reached a plateau with my level of improvement. It wasn’t until I saw her at a clinic this past winter that I saw large improvements in my hip pain. Within only 3 sessions, I noticed a SIGNIFICANT decrease of pain.
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WHAT IS PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY? The way I’ve explained it to friends is by first talking about knots, or trigger points in your back, or leg that you might get out with a roller, or massage. People also get knots in their pelvic floor. Some of the treatment/release can be done externally, but sometimes the only way to get them out is internally. I had, and still have tight knots in my pelvic floor, which is the main contributor to my hip pain. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀
To get proper relief, a therapist, or doctor may use their fingertips to press on the painful points, applying sustained pressure into the myofascial connective tissue. The person performing the therapy will insert a lubricated & gloved finger into the vagina, and for men, this can be performed through the rectum. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
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After being worked on for 20+ minutes, we did Kegel excercises to strengthen the pelvic floor after releasing the triggerpoints and fascia. I use a lacrosse ball after to loosen up the OUTSIDE of my hip right after this (to even out the muscles).⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
In order to work my kegel excercises at home, I use the Elvie Trainer. In therapy, I learned the proper technique in how to do a kegel. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ Once I felt confident I knew what I was doing and for maintenance purposes, I started to work on myself at home with a special tool to help release the knots (more on this in another post coming soon), followed by doing kegel exercises using elvie to then strengthen by pelvic floor. The stretching and massage has to be paired with strengthening. Just like working out any other muscle! ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀The elvie is a high tech tool that is inserted into the vagina. You download an app on your phone and pair it to the elvie trainer. The elvie app has more details on how to use the tool and guides you through different pelvic floor exercises. For example, as seen in the 4th photo (swipe right) one must life and hold their pelvic floor above the line. In the 5th photo, the exercise consists of pulsing. One must contract their pelvic floor, and when doing so, aiming at the dotted target. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ I really like this tool because it makes these exercises interactive and more exciting to do. You can also track your workouts and progress. There are many other reasons one might consider Pelvic Floor Therapy including :
🔹painful sex or pain with tampon usage, ⠀pain when going to the bathroom⠀, after giving birth ⠀, incontinence and more. ⠀ ⠀⠀
