It’s human nature to get excited by the latest and greatest treatments, from outer space to muscle tone pelvic pain, we’re captivated by scientific advancements. But this enthusiasm has a dark side, causing many clinics and patients to exchange simple and effective strategies for flashy new treatments that come with a hashtag.

Dr. Rachel Worman is a licensed physical therapist (PT) who has experience in acute care physical therapy and extensive dual training, clinical and teaching experience in musculoskeletal and pelvic health physical therapy. After 13 years of clinical practice, Dr. Rachel earned her PhD with a focus on pelvic health outcome measures and male pelvic health.

We cover topics such as:

1:15 What to call it? Hypertonic pelvic floor, overactive pelvic floor, tight or non-relaxing pelvic floor muscles?

8:55 How and who treats pelvic floor dysfunction

10:30 Educating patients with pelvic pain and choice of language

16:37 Uncertainty and the biopsychosocial model

17:40 Pain and hypertonicity

20:00 ICS and reasoning scale

36:00 EMG biofeedback for pelvic floor physical therapists

45:00 Internal and manual therapy for male pelvic pain

51:30 Psychosexual measures and sleep, hormonal, or musculoskeletal factors

55:00 Bridging research with clinicians on social media

Pelvic floor physical therapists and patients have to be mindful of the influence that media (including social media and speakers at conferences) has on trending treatment ideas and how common it is for a 10-second video on social media to hijack a patient’s treatment plan, simply because it wasn’t a good fit.

There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment strategy for pelvic pain, which is why there many treatment strategies. Through critical evaluation, clinicians must determine the most appropriate and effective treatment strategy, or combination of strategies, for that single patient. Dr. Rachel shares how important it is for clinicians to be flexible, individualized, and science-based, and to avoid getting caught up in clinical habits of using one hallmark treatment for all patients.

In such a difficult field, where all the measures we have for tone are problematic, these  generalizations and trending treatment ideas, while good for marketing, ultimately delays effective treatment and harms patients. It’s necessary to prioritize the knowledge of evidence-based practices and personalized care to ensure optimal outcomes for patients.

RESOURCES:

Free sex and pelvic pain resources https://drsusieg.com/resources-for-pelvic-pain-in-men

Online Pelvic Pain Relief Program for Men https://drsusieg.com/pelvic-pain-in-men-online-program

Research paper on resting pelvic floor muscle activity https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/102/7/pzac059/6585840?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false#no-access-message

CONNECT WITH RACHEL WORMAN:

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachel_Worman

Instagram: @pelvic.fiiit.facts

Twitter: @rachel_worman

CONNECT WITH ME (DR. SUSIE):

Website: https://drsusieg.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.susieg/

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Disclaimer:

This information is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding treatment, medications/supplements, or any medical diagnoses. This information is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way to substitute the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.

#tightmuscles #pelvicpain #pelvicfloorphysicalthearpy