You’re Not Imagining Your Pelvic Pain: How to Advocate for Yourself

It can be discouraging when you are feeling pain that no one else can see or understand. No matter how many times you try to explain your experience or how many tests medical providers perform, you could start to feel like you’re imagining your pain when the results are inconclusive. Thankfully, there are avenues you can explore to advocate for yourself and the pelvic pain you are experiencing.

It has only been in recent years that pelvic floor therapy has come to light. Previously, women have been told that the pain they have is all in their head or that there is nothing that can be done for them. This has led generations of women to live in discomfort with no hope.

Fortunately, at Pillar Physio – Georgetown, Texas, we treat every woman who comes to us with care. We offer a “time to listen, time to heal” approach. We give you time to teach us how your body works and what pain you are having, and then we offer a treatment plan that is unique to you. You deserve better than the runaround other healthcare providers give you.

Pelvic Pain Symptoms

Your pelvic pain is telling you that something is not quite right in your body. Listen to the symptoms you are experiencing to better understand your body’s needs.

Lower Abdominal Pain

Pelvic pain can manifest as lower abdominal pain, such as cramping, dull aches, or sharp pain. This pain occurs below the navel. If not treated, this pain can worsen over time and become more difficult to bear. Symptoms that don’t go away on their own are signs that your body needs attention.

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is often missed as a symptom of pelvic pain. Oftentimes, women believe this pain is due to sleeping wrong, pulling a muscle, or a random pain due to its location. However, this pain is one of the top indicators of pelvic floor dysfunction.

This lower back pain can feel like a dull ache or a sharp pain. It can also be intermittent or constant. Taking medications to alleviate the pain will only provide temporary relief. Until you seek pelvic floor therapy, this pain may disrupt your way of life.

Pain in the Pelvis

As obvious as this might sound, pain in the pelvis can be missed by many as a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction. This pain can radiate through to the pelvic organs, such as the uterus, ovaries, and cervix.

Providers may chalk it up to having an upset stomach. However, pain in the pelvis doesn’t go away after a bowel movement or vomiting. It can be a continuous pain or a pain that comes and goes, regardless of what you eat. Pain in the pelvis can worsen with activities such as intercourse, bowel movements, or urination.

How to Advocate for Your Pelvic Pain

When it seems like your healthcare provider isn’t listening to you, it’s time to advocate for yourself. Your family and your community need you to be at your best.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor therapy is the number one way to advocate for your pelvic pain. During therapy, your pelvic floor therapist can assess your pelvic floor, providing answers to the questions about the pain you have been experiencing. Following your assessment, a treatment plan will be created that is specific to your body’s needs and goals.

Request a referral from your doctor to see a pelvic floor therapist. Pillar Physio is accepting new patients, and we would love to help you find lasting relief from your pelvic pain.

Keep a Journal

Having a journal that documents when you started experiencing symptoms and what they have felt like can help with getting treatments. There may be a specific event that happened that triggered the pain. Having a timeline of your pain is helpful for your provider and you to discuss.

Seek Multiple Opinions

If you don’t feel like your provider is listening to you or isn’t taking your pelvic pain seriously, it’s time to ask for a second (or even a third) opinion. Your provider isn’t the end-all be-all to your healthcare, especially when they aren’t providing you with solutions. Reach out to a pelvic floor therapist to see if you can get in for an assessment, which you can then show the results to your provider if needed.

Don’t Give Up

Lastly, don’t give up! Keep pushing and advocating for your health. Living with pelvic pain and discomfort is no way to live. There are solutions. Unfortunately, you have to fight for someone to listen to you, but that is the reality for many. Don’t stop fighting.

Pelvic Pain Can Affect Other Parts of the Body

The pelvic pain you are experiencing can impact other areas of your body if left untreated. Your body will start to compensate in other areas if one part isn’t doing its job. This could lead to additional pain and discomfort. Your comfort and health are a priority; it’s time to push for a better quality of life.

Reach out to Pillar Physio today to schedule your pelvic floor assessment. Our therapists utilize a whole-body approach. We treat your pelvis in context with the rest of your body because you are more than just your pelvis. In addition, we apply a hands-on approach to treatment. This allows our therapists to address the tissues in your pelvic floor, abdomen, trunk, and extremities.

This combination allows you to experience lasting relief. Our therapists can help address the underlying causes of your pain, providing you with a solution and a journey towards healing. You deserve to feel your best.