How Somatic Pelvic PT Can Help Vulvodynia
Pelvic physical therapy can help many different issues. One major issue it addresses is pelvic pain. Vulvodynia is a type of pelvic pain that often occurs at the vulva (think opening of the vagina) and can often become a barrier to pleasurable intercourse. Sex should not be painful unless you want it to be.
Vulvodynia is usually associated with a burning sensation and can be both provoked and unprovoked. It can sometimes be diagnosed as vestibulodynia if the pain is more specifically at the vestibule, which is smooth tissue between the labia minora.
This distinction is important as the vestibule is kept happy and healthy through appropriate amounts of estrogen and testosterone. If there is not enough blood flow to bring the hormones to this tissue, it can get irritated. Over-recruited pelvic floor muscles can decrease blood flow and contribute to this issue.
Folks who are on oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) may also need to consider this when experiencing vestibulodynia. OCPs also decrease levels of estrogen and testosterone and have been linked to causing pelvic pain for some individuals.
If the vestibulodynia is not hormonally mediated, it is possible that it is neuroproliferative. This essentially means that the nervous system has learned over time to be more alert and more sensitive in this area to protect against real or perceived threat.
One example of what can cause neuroproliferative vestibulodynia is a history of chronic infection. If you have been experiencing chronic UTIs, yeast infections, BV, and STIs, it is possible that you are no longer positive for infection but still feeling similar pain.
The body is smart and wired to protect you. When you experience repeated threats to tissue, the nervous system puts down more fibers that are sensitive to pain stimulus so it can track sensations and protect you. Overtime, even when the true threat is no longer there, the body can still have an increased sensitivity and an encoded memory of pain.
This is where a somatic approach to pelvic PT can help. Somatics emphasizes working with the nervous system first. Tissue holding and pain patterns often do not change unless a new experience with safety at that specific tissue is felt repeatedly.
At Bodyful, your felt sense of safety is the number one priority. It allows for a collaborative healing environment and sustainable results. When working with fascia and pelvic floor muscles, it is essential that the nervous system is regulated as this is what allows the tissue to shift.
Vulvodynia often shifts with a combination of gentle, nervous system informed, and specific manual therapy techniques, as well as individualized and somatic movement. The Bodyful method includes looking at not just the pelvic floor muscles, but also the fascia of the abdomen and diaphragm, as well as the deep glutes and their coordination patterns.
If all you have been prescribed is dilators and kegels, it is not enough to support you on your journey with vulvodynia. Your body has a unique story and deserves the time, attention to detail, and safety in order to slowly peel back the layers of how and why your body is expressing itself with this pain pattern.
Your story matters. Your beliefs matter. Your nervous system matters.
Bodyful sees results with this evidenced based approach. We are here to help when you are ready.
Book a discovery call with us here.
Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness is located in Oakland, CA and is serving the greater Bay Area population.
