It Controls Sex, Bowel Movements, and Even Sitting Down. It's Impossible to Get Any Help With It.

"After complications from a bladder prolapse surgery, a patient named Grace developed a hematoma, or pooling of blood, and she needed pelvic floor physical therapy to help her pelvic muscles relax after holding such a large mass of blood. Without PFPT, Grace's pelvic pain could get so severe that it was unbearable to sit down, and even after her hematoma disappeared, Grace still got flares: sudden onsets of pain that she says felt "like somebody was literally putting a vise into my vagina.""

"Even though Grace sometimes rated these flares as high as 9 out of 10 on the pain scale, her insurance company was skeptical about whether her PFPT was medically necessary, constantly demanding reevaluations that forced Grace to temporarily put her treatment on hold. During these breaks, Grace had no way to handle flares aside from making a note to bring them up with a provider later."

""but trying to get pelvic PT, you'd think I was asking for a new kidney or something." Because common knowledge about pelvic health is low, with many patients feeling uncomfortable openly discussing this area of the body, the gravity of pelvic issues often goes overlooked. "I think people can understand a torn rotator cuff," Grace says, "but they can't necessarily understand pelvic hematoma until they've had one.""

After bladder prolapse surgery, a patient named Grace developed a pelvic hematoma that required pelvic floor physical therapy to help pelvic muscles relax after holding a large mass of blood. Pelvic floor physical therapy prevented intolerable sitting pain and addressed persistent flares of sharp pelvic pain. Insurance repeatedly questioned medical necessity, demanded reevaluations, and forced treatment interruptions that worsened recovery and left Grace unable to manage flares between sessions. Low public knowledge and stigma around pelvic health make pelvic conditions less understood than common musculoskeletal injuries, creating barriers to timely, continuous care.

Read at Slate Magazine