By: Kimberly Buonomo, PT, DPT, PHRC Lexington
Christina is a 75 year old patient I had the pleasure of seeing last summer. She came to me with a 30+ year history of pain which started as back pain during pregnancy. By the time she got to PHRC, her pain had spread to her pelvic floor, groin, adductors, low back, piriformis and SI joint. She also reported a feeling of hip impingement and was starting to lose sleep due to her ongoing pain.
She had seen many providers since her symptoms started including orthopedic physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and a podiatrist. She tried myofascial release, trigger point injections, stretching, corticosteroid injections, muscle relaxers, inversion table, orthotics and rolfing. Nothing really seemed to help and she couldn’t figure out why her symptoms weren’t responding to stretches or exercises and why her whole body continued to feel so tight. It wasn’t until she developed pelvic pain that she found us online.
My First Thoughts:
This patient had been in pain for so long without much relief from anything she had tried. What was being missed? Since no one had examined her pelvic floor yet, her symptoms started after a vaginal delivery, and the connective tissue techniques I used were different than what Christina had tried in the past. I was confident that we were trying something new for her, and was hopeful that we would be able to get some good findings that could lead us to the root of the problem.
Examination:
When I examined Christina, I found significant connective tissue restrictions in her abdomen near her diaphragm, and moderate connective tissue restrictions above her pubic bone and through the bony pelvis. Her internal exam showed significant restrictions of the muscles, especially her obturator internus and piriformis, which are responsible for hip external rotation and were likely influencing her back pain. I didn’t get to look at everything I wanted on day one, since we spent a good amount of the evaluation getting a thorough history of her symptoms (with 30 years of pain, we had a lot to review). During the next few sessions, I completed my assessment and found more connective tissue restrictions and hypertonus in her quadratus lumborum and adductors. Her adductors and glutes also had myofascial trigger points. For a great anatomy review, check out Shannon’s article!
Assessment:
I thought that Christina’s issues probably stemmed from the excess strain to her pelvic floor during her pregnancy, as that’s when these symptoms started. This made sense as a continued pain generator years later, as no one had examined her pelvic floor muscles internally yet, so all of her work externally was not getting to the true root of the problem. I think that many of her external findings were probably stemming from ineffective use of her glutes and compensation by using her hip external rotators.
The restrictions in connective tissue through her diaphragm and pubic bone were likely also contributing to her ongoing back and hip pain, and this restriction anteriorly is why stretching her posterior chain did not help much. We often see this “snowball effect” with patients, where you need to look at the bigger picture in order to fully appreciate where her pain was coming from. Even though her pain started as back pain, it seemed like the root of the problem was her pelvic floor and her connective tissue.
Plan:
I decided to see Christina weekly. We focused initially on manual therapy to address her restrictions, pelvic floor hypertonicity, and trigger points. As these restrictions improved, she had better mobility, especially through her diaphragm, which helped her breath more effectively. Lack of diaphragmatic breathing can limit the ability of the pelvic floor to relax, since these structures are linked like a piston. For more information on this, check out this blog post. We also worked on her motor control so that she could use her new range of motion as effectively as possible to prevent things from becoming restricted again in the future. We spent a lot of time working on education. We talked about the different factors that were contributing to her pain and created a guided (and evolving) home exercise program to get her back to her healthy lifestyle without pain. Within a month, she reported that her pain was starting to change and I was finding that her restrictions were starting to improve. On our sixth week, she told me that her pain was decreasing, even though she was doing more activity at home. We did have a discussion about her stretches around this time. It turns out that she was stretching muscles with active trigger points. This is a big no-no, as stretching or strengthening a muscle with active trigger points can further exacerbate pain. This is why we recommend that most of our patients use foam rollers, to address these tissues without overworking or exacerbating them. Steph goes over the in’s and out’s of trigger points here! By three months in, she was completely pain free for a couple of days at a time and I noted that her trigger points were significantly improved. She also had started working with another provider who performed dry needling as a complementary therapy to PT, as well as seeing a massage therapist regularly. I started seeing her every two to three weeks for symptom management and within five months of our evaluation, she was pretty much pain free for the first time in decades! At this point, she had no more trigger points and only minimal connective tissue restrictions, though her muscles, especially her adductors had some tightness, and she was back to doing everything she had wanted to do at home and taking care of her grandson!
Here’s what Christina had to say about her story:
Pain became a part of my daily life while I was pregnant and for 35 years after I delivered my daughter. I was led to believe that back pain, piriformis pain and overall lower body pain that I was experiencing were my fault, since I was told repeatedly that I was not stretching enough or not stretching the right way. I spent a fortune on deep tissue massages, physical therapists, chiropractors, foam rolling and other types of body manipulation equipment, as well as rolfing. Nothing helped. Doctors told me that I would “never be right” since I delivered my daughter at age 39.
The treatments that I received at Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center were life-changing. Back pain slowly subsided, eventually disappearing and the “piriformis syndrome” vanished. The therapist, Kim Buonomo, identified root causes of my pain areas and her hands-on treatments brought relief and healing to my body. I am extremely grateful to Kim and the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center for enabling me to walk through life pain free. I wish that I had known about pelvic floor therapy sooner.
My Take Home Points:
- Education- Christina’s treatment was largely impacted by the conversations that we had about her symptoms. We talked a lot about what she had tried, what she was doing at home, and how we could make things better. I think that understanding the “why” behind the “what” allowed her to see connections to her symptoms and bring up questions in our sessions that led us to changing her plan or treatment approach for the better.
- Patient involvement- Christina was always doing her own research, asking questions, and taking it upon herself to show me what she was working on. She took a very active role in her recovery and I feel that it helped her tremendously!
- Collaboration- At that time, I was not certified in dry needling. (Proud to say that I am now!) So working with providers who could provide this as an adjunct treatment was really helpful in getting her feeling better faster.
- Look at the whole picture- Despite her decades of pain throughout her pelvic girdle, no one had recommended that she see a pelvic floor physical therapist. Within our first treatment, I was able to identify dysfunction in her hip external rotators that ended up being a significant factor in her recovery! If I had just examined her back, I would have been missing a big part of the picture. I was happy that we were able to assess her thoroughly and use a different treatment approach that ended up providing a lot of pain relief for her!
If you’ve been having pelvic girdle pain and you think your pelvic floor may be involved, schedule an appointment for an evaluation with one of our offices!
Additional Resources:
What is pelvic floor physical therapy?
FAQ
What are pelvic floor muscles?
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that run from the coccyx to the pubic bone. They are part of the core, helping to support our entire body as well as providing support for the bowel, bladder and uterus. These muscles help us maintain bowel and bladder control and are involved in sexual pleasure and orgasm. The technical name of the pelvic floor muscles is the Levator Ani muscle group. The pudendal nerve, the levator ani nerve, and branches from the S2 – S4 nerve roots innervate the pelvic floor muscles. They are under voluntary and autonomic control, which is a unique feature only they possess compared to other muscle groups.
What is pelvic floor physical therapy?
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized area of physical therapy. Currently, physical therapists need advanced post-graduate education to be able to help people with pelvic floor dysfunction because pelvic floor disorders are not yet being taught in standard physical therapy curricula. The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center provides extensive training for our staff because we recognize the limitations of physical therapy education in this unique area.
What happens at pelvic floor therapy?
During an evaluation for pelvic floor dysfunction the physical therapist will take a detailed history. Following the history the physical therapist will leave the room to allow the patient to change and drape themselves. The physical therapist will return to the room and using gloved hands will perform an external and internal manual assessment of the pelvic floor and girdle muscles. The physical therapist will once again leave the room and allow the patient to dress. Following the manual examination there may also be an examination of strength, motor control, and overall biomechanics and neuromuscular control. The physical therapist will then communicate the findings to the patient and together with their patient they establish an assessment, short term and long term goals and a treatment plan. Typically people with pelvic floor dysfunction are seen one time per week for one hour for varying amounts of time based on the severity and chronicity of the disease. A home exercise program will be established and the physical therapist will help coordinate other providers on the treatment team. Typically patients are seen for 3 months to a year.
What is pudendal neuralgia and how is it treated?
Pudendal Neuralgia is a clinical diagnosis that means pain in the sensory distribution of the pudendal nerve. The pudendal nerve is a mixed nerve that exits the S2 – S4 sacral nerve roots, we have a right and left pudendal nerve and each side has three main trunks: the dorsal branch, the perineal branch, and the inferior rectal branch. The branches supply sensation to the clitoris/penis, labia/scrotum, perineum, anus, the distal ⅓ of the urethra and rectum, and the vulva and vestibule. The nerve branches also control the pelvic floor muscles. The pudendal nerve follows a tortuous path through the pelvic floor and girdle, leaving it vulnerable to compression and tension injuries at various points along its path.
Pudendal Neuralgia occurs when the nerve is unable to slide, glide and move normally and as a result, people experience pain in some or all of the above-mentioned areas. Pelvic floor physical therapy plays a crucial role in identifying the mechanical impairments that are affecting the nerve. The physical therapy treatment plan is designed to restore normal neural function. Patients with pudendal neuralgia require pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from medical management that includes pharmaceuticals and procedures such as pudendal nerve blocks or botox injections.
What is interstitial cystitis and how is it treated?
Interstitial Cystitis is a clinical diagnosis characterized by irritative bladder symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequency, and hesitancy in the absence of infection. Research has shown the majority of patients who meet the clinical definition have pelvic floor dysfunction and myalgia. Therefore, the American Urologic Association recommends pelvic floor physical therapy as first-line treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. Patients will benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from pharmacologic management or medical procedures such as bladder instillations.
Who is the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Team?
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center was founded by Elizabeth Akincilar and Stephanie Prendergast in 2006, they have been treating people with pelvic floor disorders since 2001. They were trained and mentored by a medical doctor and quickly became experts in treating pelvic floor disorders. They began creating courses and sharing their knowledge around the world. They expanded to 11 locations in the United States and developed a residency style training program for their employees with ongoing weekly mentoring. The physical therapists who work at PHRC have undergone more training than the majority of pelvic floor physical therapists and as a result offer efficient and high quality care.
How many years of experience do we have?
Stephanie and Liz have 24 years of experience and help each and every team member become an expert in the field through their training and mentoring program.
Why PHRC versus anyone else?
PHRC is unique because of the specific focus on pelvic floor disorders and the leadership at our company. We are constantly lecturing, teaching, and staying ahead of the curve with our connections to medical experts and emerging experts. As a result, we are able to efficiently and effectively help our patients restore their pelvic health.
Do we treat men for pelvic floor therapy?
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is unique in that the Cofounders have always treated people of all genders and therefore have trained the team members and staff the same way. Many pelvic floor physical therapists focus solely on people with vulvas, this is not the case here.
Do I need pelvic floor therapy forever?
The majority of people with pelvic floor dysfunction will undergo pelvic floor physical therapy for a set amount of time based on their goals. Every 6 -8 weeks goals will be re-established based on the physical improvements and remaining physical impairments. Most patients will achieve their goals in 3 – 6 months. If there are complicating medical or untreated comorbidities some patients will be in therapy longer.
Comments
Awesome,and hopeful story!
Hi,
I could really use your help and expertise. I ‘ve had pelvic pain and dysfuction for over a decade. It all comes from a hypertonic pelvic floor. A tight Obturator Internuswas mentioned also.
June2006- issues began with urinary frequency and burning. Doctors were dis-interested and clueless but said I had IC.. I began reseaching non -stop.
I could not find a PT with the right knowledge to help me… As time went by I gradually developed mild bone pain (in 2009).
Pain worsened between 2010-2011 sit bones hurt if I sat.
June 2011- my doctor sent me for nerve section surgery of the PCFN and Inferior cluneal nerves with Dr Lee Dellon. ( Big mistake!!)
Sept 2011- pain moved to anal rectal area (worst pain area! and I could now not sit at all!
Tried various blocks ,procedures etc, to no avail. My life became very limited.
Fall 2014, I met a PT who was experienced in treating pelvic floor pain She found many trigger points which she worked on and re-assured me I didn’t have IC or PN..! ( I was so fearful of PN and still am. She said I had severe PFD with hypertonic muscles in the levator ani area.
2015 – summer 2018. I made progress, was active again, due to her care, treatment and support.
However things began to plateau. I took a break for awhile and tried another PT group, but their work was not internal and didn’t help at all. I stopped after several months.
2019.. My good PT moved farther away and is harder to get to ( I must be driven by family members when possible, but I am booked to see her soon.
My pain is off he charts! ( cannot sit.) or lie on anything but memory foam bed (on ice) and anal area throbs all the time. My hips sometimes hurt when i wake up in the AM but it passes.. I also have bowel dysfunction issues and still my urinary issues due to tight pelvic floor.
I would love to see you for an evaluation..
I assume Boston would be your closest office. I live in NJ.
Thank you!
This gives me hope as I’ve been dealing with what I suspect is Pundendal Neuralgia for some time now.
Deep nerve pain in the pelvic region from itching to striking pain that takes my breath away.
Gone to many doctors who want to medicate and wonderful practicioners who have done their best to help.
I would love if you all were in my area.
Thanks for all you do.
Congratulations to Christina and those who worked with her!
I was curious as to her pelvic pain. Was it Pudendal Neuralgia the issue?
I’ve had horrible chronic pain from this condition and also have seen many practitioners.
I’m on the Central Coast of California and no where near your offices. So weekly visits are not an option.
Thank you for all you do to help those in pain.
Looking forward to being pain free myself.
Where are you and how can I refer a Canadian patient to you?
Wow, what a great story! Gives us all much needed hope!
7 years ago, tore right hamstring off bone. Have been diagnosed with pudendal neuralgia by dr Antolak last April in Minneapolis and plan to see dr Conway in New Hampshire soon. Have seen dozens of doctors and healthcare providers. Also seeing pelvic floor PT.
Also pulled pectineous muscle. That
Spot very painful for almost 7 years..
What kind of physio for that? Or chiropractor?suggested by hip PT.
I really value your posts
Andy 78 male. Was active mountain biking, skiing w water kayaking, gym …
What’ do Re pectineous??
Andy Thank you Toronto 416 605-1510
I would like to mention something that I have not heard anyone talk about with respect to pelvic floor dysfunction. I had suffered with pelvic floor problems for 7 years before I even knew what I had. My doctors insisted that men do not get pelvic floor disorders. I eventually got to a therapist who was absolutely wonderful but I had great results from the stretches I was doing at times and then the same stretches caused considerable discomfort, high blood pressure, insomnia, and stomach upset. I zeroed in on my diet as the culprit but couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I started removing certain foods from my diet and eventually came up with a list of foods that were problematic: dairy, broccoli, tortilla chips, cabbage, and legumes. I realized that all these foods were known to cause gas. Gas caused pressure on my pelvic floor muscles and caused them to get tense which in turn trapped the gas. If you have the same problem I had try eliminating foods in your diet that cause gas. Pills don’t work on this because the gas is still trapped in your digestive tract.