Anyone Have Pain After Hitting Their Abdomen Or Poking Themselves Really Hard By Mistake? | MyEndometriosisTeam

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Anyone Have Pain After Hitting Their Abdomen Or Poking Themselves Really Hard By Mistake?
A MyEndometriosisTeam Member asked a question 💭

Has anyone ever bumped their abdomen into something, or accidentally poked yourself in the gut and then had pain? I'm trying to determine whether I've strained my ab or if it is my cyst acting up. I second guess myself a lot because I spent 4 months thinking my endo and cyst was an ab strain that wouldn't heal. However, this pain seems deep (not surface level), and I have to press hard on my stomach to feel it, as opposed to just pressing on the surface level muscle. It hurts when I'm biking… read more

posted August 19, 2020
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A MyEndometriosisTeam Member

Feelings don't have to be rational. They're you're feelings and it comes from your experiences. They happen and doing what you can to release them will help you in the long run. But I don't want you to feel any guilt or shame about it at all. It's so common for EndoWarriors to feel that way. We go through enough without being told those feelings are invalid! So I hope you give yourself permission to feel that and work to release it, maybe by seeing a counselor.

Absolutely, a pelvic floor physical therapist should do more than just dilation! Mine does a lot of internal manipulation and taught me various exercises that help release the spasms. My husband was willing to learn, so he does the same for me at home. But yes, it's much more involved than just dilation. I think you need a different pelvic floor physical therapist.

Sadly, that happens a lot, where EndoWarriors are referred to therapists who aren't so highly trained. Ask if they have the Women's Health physical therapy certification. If not, they haven't been properly trained. Also ask how many EndoWarriors they see. And you should NEVER be left alone in a room to work on something yourself. The therapist needs to spend at least 45 minutes hands on at each session, except the first where they might spend more time taking your history.

I forget where you live, but the best thing is to Google "pelvic floor physical therapy" and your city/state. Then you have to call around and ask the above questions. Often, websites aren't updated with the therapists who work at each office, in my experience.

posted August 21, 2020
A MyEndometriosisTeam Member

Indeed, hopefully your current physical therapy can at least help figure out if your IT band is tight, your hips or whatever! My pelvic floor physical therapist started by releasing tight hamstrings and other muscles in the low back. It's all connected and running is a high impact sport. Not to say EndoWarriors can't do it, obviously, but we need to do so with proper body mechanics. Which you can't do if the pelvic floor is messed up!

I completely relate to tuning out the pelvic pain. My pelvic floor physical therapist said so many EndoWarriors do that. She said I had one of the worse cases of dissociating that she'd seen. I would cry so much when she worked on me the first few times, and it wasn't from physical pain. She said that happens too; it releases years of pent up emotion when you're trying to move those muscles. So I'll just share that so you're ready in case.

posted August 20, 2020
A MyEndometriosisTeam Member

I bet you it is. Especially if you've already been diagnosed with vaginismus, you probably have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction from the endo aggravating that and vice verse. Did you call your doctor? Given how long it's been going on, it's hopefully nothing serious, but still a good idea to let them weigh in.

I would search your area for a pelvic floor physical therapist. I think that could help a lot with both issues. I had so many muscles that were bound up or doing the wrong thing from years of pain. My diaphragm was tight and I was told I'd been breathing incorrectly for years! I'm still going through physical therapy, but things are so much better than they were.

posted August 20, 2020
A MyEndometriosisTeam Member

So, yes, I had that but that was before my hysterectomy, when the adenomyosis pain was terrible. I never had any large ovarian cysts, so I can't speak to that type of pain. I cannot bike at all; it triggers pelvic floor pain for me. I wonder if it could be Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, which is the pelvic floor spasms/pain I get. I wonder too if you might have a hernia? It's common for EndoWarriors to have that. Obviously, give your doctor a call. I hope you feel better.

Dr. Sallie Sarrel is a pelvic floor physical therapist, who also has endo. Some of the links are old, so if there's something you can't read, just go to the page and search her name and a word or two from the title. She's got a few articles on hernias.

https://salliesarrel.com

posted August 19, 2020 (edited)
A MyEndometriosisTeam Member

Yes, when I went to physical therapy and lied flat on my back, I couldn't even raise my legs to 45 degrees. That's how tight my hamstrings were. I'd also have to roll out my IT band daily. I had swollen hips, which plagued me during my last year on my college track team. These are all things I have improved on, but still have a long way to go.

I completely agree that proper body mechanics are essential. I am also curious if my incredibly short stride is a result of wound up muscles in my pelvis. I really want to go back to pelvic floor physical therapy, but I am trying to limit doctor appointments during the pandemic. Maybe it is worth it though, to take the risk and go in? One of my biggest questions is whether a pelvic floor physical therapist should be doing more treatment than just dilation therapy. Like, providing some ways to actually relax the entire pelvic area, rather than just using dilators, which I could do by myself if I actually put my mind to it. Especially since I have endometriosis too. I am going to have to do some research into pelvic floor physical therapists who have a more holistic approach that focuses on how pelvic issues influence body mechanics.

I appreciate you commenting on how much emotion is tied up in trying to get pelvic muscles to work right, especially when you have dissociated from them for so long. That has definitely been my experience. I don't really know how to articulate my feelings, because they aren't really rational. My emotions surrounding pelvic physical therapy come from a mixture of pain, memories of pain, and subconscious rejection of that part of my body due to the pain I associated with it.

Thanks so much for your help!

posted August 21, 2020 (edited)

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