Pelvic biofeedback

[Dem74]

Hi Everyone! Does anyone know anything about pelvic biofeedback and what it tells you?

[swarke22]

Biofeedback tells you if you are holding a lot of tension in the high tone of your pelvis. They try to show you how to relax it. This is done better with diaphragmatic breathing. Hope it helps.

[Dem74 in reply to swarke22]

H...

[Dem74 in reply to swarke22]

Hi.. thank you so much for replying. Have you tried it personally? Did you find it very helpful in decreasing pain?Thanks!

[Sturat in reply to Dem74]

Hi The biofeedback process is simple. Noninvasive measuring of pelvic tension can be done. You are asked to contract and release the area in question. Feedback allows you and the therapist to monitor the results of your efforts to control the area; and learning to consciously relax and be aware of it proceeds. I have done it. It gave me some sense of control and a way to help myself. It was not curative for me but has been part of my gradual improvement. I feel it is worthwhile. Good luck.

[Dem74 in reply to Sturat]

Hi- Thank you so much for replying back to me! Very helpful and informing. So maybe I will have to give it try. It does not seem like it could be harmful- Thanks again. Good luck to you as well.

[Sturat in reply to Dem74]

Hi again—The physical therapist that does biofeedback often can do trigger point therapy internally and externally. They also can do ultrasound and some electrical therapies. They also can be more informative than an MD. You may get an hour with a PT as opposed ton10 minutes with an MD. But realistically you need more than one type of health provider to deal with pelvic pain or disfunction.

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

What do you mean when you say you need more than one type of health provider when dealing with pelvic pain dysfunction?

[Sturat in reply to kalecolbe12]

Hi. What I meant was in my fairly short experience with pelvic pain ( complicated by me being male) ; I have seen a colo-rectal surgeon-my family MD-a urologist-a pain doctor anesthesiologist-a PHD pelvic physical therapist.

I have also reviewed any literature available to me potentially helpful in my attempt to understand a condition that was destroying my life. Each one of these professionals had really limited experience and knowledge. Pelvic issues are so complex and sometimes difficult to accurately diagnose and treat that in my case a number of health providers have been consulted. None of them had the answer immediately as the conditions are often difficult or impossible to pin down objectively. So definitive treatment is not easy to apply. But I found each provider added something to my path and journey to a return to my previous life. Also I should mention that mindfulness training can also add to eventual improvement and hopefully resolution of the problematic condition,

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

Can you give more detailed info as to how and what each did for you....you can pm me or email me at [e-mail],thanks,Audrey

[Sturat in reply to kalecolbe12]

Hi. You may have more experience than me in this and as I said I am a man and a long time competitive athlete. So what I have experienced may have little relevance to others except I have suffered gravely from pelvic pain and have sought help wherever I could. I found that none of the providers could pin down definitively the cause of my rectal pain. I got a little from each one. The surgeon gave me dietary help. The PT taught me to have some control of pelvic floor tension and relaxation. The urologist suggested Cymbala for chronic pain. I studied mindfulness to reduce the pain that I was inflicting on myself by resisting and amplifying what I was feeling physically until I became sick emotionally. As you know it is hard to stay calm and tranquil when you are being tormented every day - and no help is on the horizon. At this point my symptoms are fading and nearly gone. I am not sure why. I know that I could have flares or reoccurrence but feel somewhat prepared to deal with it. That is basically all I have for now. As I have been told aging is not for cowards-I am braver than I was and that helps. Regards

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

Thanks I would like more detail about the physical therapist did to help and if the cymbalta helped you and how long this journey has been...and by the way I think you're right it takes a village to get this pain under control I'm better

[Sturat in reply to kalecolbe12]

I did Pelvic PT once or twice a week for 10 weeks. The benefit I got was learning to partially relax the pelvic floor. It was especially helpful to learn to do it while active-walking or playing tennis. This comes from biofeedback and “exercises”. That is all I got from PT. I had no obvious trigger points and did no “internal” PT. The likely one year duration diagnosis for me is levator ani. I have been on Cymbalta for over 3 months. No night and day result-but I am much improved without serious side effects from it. I am not sure if it is responsible for the improvement. At this point I will continue with it for awhile as I am grateful the suffering has stopped. Good luck to you!!

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

Thanks...my diagnosis is levator Ani also....I am on Flexeril which has helped a lot but I would like to try cymbalta also just to see....I do external pt of the obturator and pubococcogeus....I cant tolerate internal and sometimes I flare up but it's definitely better....i take Ibuprofen and the Flexeril and will do a sitz bath....also the excercises and breathing are important for me so yeah if it's going to get better it takes a long time with all these modalities....I have considered Botox but not sure yet

[Dem74 in reply to Sturat]

Hi- so during biofeedback, does the therapist teach you exercises that will relax specific muscles in the pelvic floor? Like for instance, if your puborectalis muscle is tight and or in spasm. Does the machine register what muscles are in spasm?So glad to hear you are feeling a little better and have less pain these days.

[Sturat in reply to Dem74]

Hi. In my experience the PT hooked me up in a way that showed the level of “pelvic floor tension”. It showed on a laptop as varying levels of tension measurable in numbers. She then had me contract and relax the area and measures were obtained. In the first sessions this was done as she taught me different maneuvers to relax or drop down the pelvic floor. I had homework with this and then more read outs of varying tension. I have no idea if specific muscles were indicated. We were after levator ani and I think their may be 3 or more muscles in this group comprising the pelvic floor. I did get some control ofwhat is generally subconscious. I hope that you put this problem behind you as their is always another challenge waiting.

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

i also wanted to ask why you didnt do internal pt....seems like you didnt need it however i was just wondering at the time why the pt decided no internal...would you have pain with it?

[Sturat in reply to kalecolbe12]

You really ask some pertinent questions. I think to some extent you have to be your own doctor and manage a vague condition like levator yourself. You know it is a diagnosis of exclusion. They seem unable to pin it down so they exclude everything else and then try to deal with the symptoms. My family doctor who is very good and thorough never heard of it in thirty years. He said I must have prostatitis which I don’t-and you certainly don’t. Any way regarding internal PT my therapist felt the severity of my symptoms didn’t merit it . She said it had limited efficacy and made some people worse. In the end I stopped PT in much more discomfort than when I started.

I don’t blame it and am glad I did it. Regarding drugs I tried tramadol-codeine-nsaids-and alcohol. None of them helped at all. I don’t think you can go too long on flexeril or Valium type benzos. You lose clarity and you need that to survive chronic pain. Cymbalta is an antidepressant that can moderate the nervous system in its interpretation of negative pain stimulus. It to me is not a drugging drug-you are not sedated. But it is not short term-you need to try it for awhile-and wean off it when stopping. I would recommend the book “ you are not your pain”-it could be helpful. I am sure you will get over this. My doctor told me that and also I would not die from it. So far he is right. Regards

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

Thankyou ..the more info I can get from informed people who have experienced it the more I feel equipped to fight itII am having a very good experience with Flexeril....I don't get drowsy or tired with the Flexeril which I like ...I feel like it just calms down my nervous system and my muscles so it's working well for me but I shall definitely try cymbalta in a week or so when I see my doctor I will ask for it...and my pt said I may not need internal work because she reaches the obturator and the puboccocogeous? from the outside pretty well..

[kalecolbe12 in reply to Sturat]

One last question...how long did it take to get where you are now?

[Sturat in reply to kalecolbe12]

Hi Again. Sounds like Flexeril is good for you. As it is a muscle relaxant it gives you a clue as to where the problem lies for you. My consciousness of having a problem was about 15/months ago. It reached a peak at about 11months when I felt my life was in jeopardy. Presently I feel that my body is my friend again and not an enemy. This is the time when I feel what I learned in PT will help me maintain my present state. Sincere best wishes for you and anyone facing challenges.

[Akabc123 in reply to swarke22]

What kind of Phycian performs biofeedback

[Dem74 in reply to Akabc123]

Hi- it is done at pelvic floor PT for me. Not sure if doctors are doing it?? I think it is more of a physical therapy tool.

[Akabc123 in reply to Dem74]

Thanks