From Botox to PT: One Patient’s Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Journey
We are so grateful to our client Erica for continuing to share her pelvic floor journey with our community. Below is her personal update on pelvic floor physical therapy, five months after her Botox treatment with Dr. Babb. Her words are unedited and shared with her permission.
It’s been 5 months since I received my pelvic floor Botox treatment with Dr. Babb. Receiving my diagnosis and a treatment plan was life-changing. Despite the newfound hope it brought, I also knew that getting Botox wouldn’t be the end of my journey.
Botox can work wonders for pelvic pain, but it’s not usually a permanent fix on its own. The window in which the Botox is active gives the pelvic muscles a better starting point for physical therapy, but effective PT is the catalyst for long-term results.
Pelvic floor physical therapy isn’t something most people know very much about. It’s easy to imagine physical therapy for things like back pain, joint replacements, and sports injuries, but for most people, PT for pelvic pain brings up a lot of questions.
The first part of my PT journey involved building awareness of my pelvic floor muscles, which proved challenging. I had to pay a lot of attention to what my muscles were doing throughout the day. Was I clenching them in stressful situations? Sitting in ways that reduced blood flow? Using the bathroom too frequently or not enough? I also began various breathing and stretching exercises to help me learn to relax my muscles on command. This was the hardest part for me.
Once my awareness and coordination improved, I began the new journey of internal work with dilators and manual therapy. Just like any muscle that is tight, massage therapy under the care of a qualified physical therapist can work wonders.
Targeting other muscle groups can also help the pelvic floor. For example, the hip and pelvic floor muscles work together. If your hips are weak, your pelvic floor might try to compensate. My physical therapy has involved exercising and stretching various muscle groups to help lighten the load on my pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor physical therapy is not simple, but it is highly effective. It requires consistent appointments and diligence with at-home exercises. I wish I could say that my pain is gone completely, but I still have a road ahead. I can say however, that I am continuing to improve as I attend physical therapy, even though the Botox has worn off. My ability to maintain hope through my continued pain is so much easier when I am seeing results, and physical therapy has made all the difference.
Accessing Specialized Pelvic Pain Treatment Through The Aziza Project
Your contributions to our Travel & Medical Expense fund ensure that we can continue to offer hope to people suffering from complex gynecologic pain. The Aziza Project is a project of Visions Made Viable, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in California, making your donation tax-deductible. Donate to our Medical Expenses Fund today.
*Name changed to protect patient privacy
