Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
Have you heard of painful bladder syndrome sometimes it's referred to as interstitial cystitis (IC)? It can be really tricky to diagnose so it could be years before getting diagnosed properly and receiving the right treatment. Some individuals just think they are continuing to get UTI’s even though the tests are negative. What is IC exactly? Even the definition is a bit tricky. The thought is interstitial cystitis is result of the lining of the bladder not functioning properly so the acidic contents of the bladder irritate the bladder wall. The body goes into an overdrive mode stimulating an inflammatory response and increasing the chemicals that make your body experience pain. The reason this occurs is not fully understood. Some studies point to genetic reasons, others say its root is in multiple bladder infections like UTI’s. When the organs have this reactions they have an effect on the musculature of the pelvic floor coupled with the pain that is experienced which leads to overactivity and tight musculature.
When the body develops this response it can either happen over a long amount of time or quickly. It is a painful syndrome, but can fluctuate in nature. So you will go through times of feeling okay and then times of intense pain. Pain is usually worse when you have a full bladder and is in the pelvic region primarily, but can occur elsewhere. You also may experience the need to get up during the middle of the night to use the bathroom. You might feel like you have to use the restroom more often or when you have to go you REALLY have to go! Pain may get worse around the time of your period. You may have pain with intercourse and following intercourse for a few days. If you feel like you are experiencing these symptoms and haven’t been treated the best place to start would to seek an appointment with a urologist or urogynecologist. They will run some tests to verify what is going on, help to get you on the correct medications, and possibly refer you to Pelvic Physical Therapy. There are a lot great websites out there with information. Here are just a few to start finding more resources. https://www.ic-network.com/ https://www.ichelp.org/ http://www.ic-today.com/ https://pelvicpain.org/home.aspx |
AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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July 2021
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