What is ‘persistent pelvic pain?’

Other than being one of the most common things pelvic physiotherapists treat? It’s a catch-all term for any pain that is chronic, debilitating and, well, downright disappointing. It’s often related to conditions like PCOS, Interstitial Cystitis or Endometriosis, but it can have other causes (including a literal pain in the ass!), and affects all genders. Despite the stereotype of pelvic physios, usually the fix is not just to do a million kegels. (In fact, they can sometimes make things worse!)

When you’re experiencing pain, you often lose confidence--maybe you’re scared to move a certain way in case it triggers a flare-up, or you avoid intimate situations. As a pelvic physio, it’s my job to work you to find freedom from that fear.

That’s why an appointment with me doesn’t start with me aggressively going in and targeting a painful area. I’ve had so many patients who’ve seen other health care professionals where that’s happened--and nothing has worked. Pelvic pain is often a combination of tissue dysfunction and your central nervous system--and when you’ve been in pain for a while, your nerves are usually “overcharged,” like a radio playing static. We need to take that down a few notches, and work together to “downregulate” (basically chill the F out!) your central nervous system before we can start tackling the physical mechanics of managing your pain.

Life with persistent pain is incredibly hard--but it doesn’t have to be that way. As a physio, nothing makes me happier than hearing a client say they’ve gone weeks without pain since we started working together. If you’re struggling with chronic pain--in your back, your abdomen, anywhere “down there”-- finding freedom without surgical intervention may actually be possible. I’d love to work with you to get there.