re.lieve Solutions for Chronic Pain Wellness Roundtable

April 11, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Please join us for a series of 4 online live lectures that can help anyone, family or friend, suffering with chronic migraines, neck pain, back pain, hip pain, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, IC, IBS, fibro myalgia and more.

Learn about the empowering modern science of pain and self help techniques that, with practice and time, can retrain the brain, lower a hypersensitive nervous system resulting in decreased pain.

Lectures take place Sunday evenings, April 15th • April 22nd • April 29th • May 6th @ 8PM EST

Admission: $20 per lecture

Register here ——>www.wellnessroundtable.com/browse-lectures

Filed Under: General Physical Therapy

Let’s talk about sex-things I learned at the ‘International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health’ annual conference

March 8, 2018 by Leave a Comment

At the recent ISSWSH www.isswsh.org conference in San Diego there was a lot of talk about sex. Psychologists, physical therapists, researchers, sexual medicine doctors and a spine surgeon presented on insights and medical advances to improve women’s sex drive (hypoarousal no more!); reducing pain during/following sex; balancing hormones (estrogen is good!); post menopause in the bedroom (women in their 60-70’s have sex!) transgender information (3% of highschool students in a major US city say they are transgender). Today’s blog is about the big insights in treating vaginal pain.

Many women still think that it’s normal to have vaginal pain during and following intercourse.  Some experience vaginal burning, itching, pain and feel raw in this area 24/7 and sex increases their pain.

Women may be embarrassed, think this experience is normal, some even feel guilty so they don’t tell their doctors. Unfortunately, many doctors do not ask 3 important questions:

  1. Do you feel pain during/after intercourse?
  2. Are you happy with your sex drive?
  3. Can you achieve orgasm and if yes, are you satisfied with the quality?

 

 

Women with persistent pain can get stuck in a cycle of pain. Vaginal pain causes tension of the pelvic floor/abdominal muscles which can lead to depression, anxiety and catastrophizing behavior. If not treated effectively, they can develop a hypersensitive central nervous system and overprotective brain which worsens pain.  To break this cycle, it’s crucial to find out what type of vaginal pain she has, as each requires a completely different medical approach.

 

The following is a general information guide – see your doctor to get your specific diagnosis!

 

After taking a good history and listening to your symptoms, your doctor that specializes in sexual medicine will do a physical exam, using a Q-tip to gently press against each point of the Vestibule (see image below)

The vestibule is divided like a clock, the top portion, 9 to 3 o’clock is considered the “anterior vestibule” and contains Skenes glands.  The lower 4 to 8 o’clock are considered the “posterior vestibule” contains Bartholin glands and reflect how tense or relaxed are the pelvic floor muscles. Redness of the vestibule is not always an easy way to determine pain because it’s naturally red due to lots of blood vessels.

Complete Vestibulodynia

The whole vestibule, anterior and posterior portions are super sensitive to the Q-tip touch.

This is due to a dominance of estrogen (the pill, acne medicine, facial hair medicine all contains estrogen). These women are not getting enough androgen and testosterone, male hormones that the vestibule needs to be balanced.  Treating this type of vaginal pain is challenging because the woman on the pill has to discontinue and find alternate birth control methods. Teenagers being treated for acne will have it return, so coming off estrogen is a challenge yet once done, this type of vaginal pain will completely heal.  The time it takes to heal – in 6 months she is 50% better and in a year, she is  100% better.  While waiting for the body to balance, doing some healthy mental and physical exercises from the relieve program (link) can also help.

Inflammatory Vestibulitis.

If a woman has a history of chronic infections or if she is one of the 3-4% of American woman who is allergic to propylene glycol which is found in all vaginal gels, yeast creams, steroid creams such as the over the counter Monistat.  Woman may have been incorrectly diagnosed with a yeast infection and given creams (that contains propylene glycol) which causes more sensation of rawness, burning and cutting. What’s happening is that the inflammatory cells, called Mast cells, actually signal nerve endings to grow into the vaginal tissue which makes women feel more pain.

How to treat? If women can be seen within 6 months of symptom onset, they’ll be started on Interferon, a medicine which stops the production of mast cells.

If the woman is seen after 6 months, then treatment is more challenging. Either they use of a capsaicin crème (hot pepper component which removes “Substance P” of the nerve ending or desensitizes the nerve). Treatment is for 12 weeks of use of nightly cream – doable, but painful. Other option is surgery (vestibulectomy) to remove the affected tissue.

Congenital Neuroproliferation.

There is an increased amount of nerve fibers in the vestibule since birth.  These women could never use a tampon. A quick test is to touch your inner belly button and gently press inward. If you feel increase pain/sensitivity in your vagina, then this may be the cause for your pain. How can this be? The umbilicus shares the same embryonic tissue as the vestibule – so they are connected and have the same increased nerve fiber growth.

Treatment is surgical removal of the vestibular tissue (which healthily heals without the extra dense nerve fibers) resulting in no pain.

Overactive Pelvic Floor

Women who experience vaginal pain and have pain with the Q-tip test at the 4-8o’clock region, the posterior vestibule, with no sensitivity in the anterior vestibule. These women have overly tense pelvic floor muscles and this is the most common cause for vaginal pain.  Women can also experience symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, sensation of incomplete emptying, constipation, rectal fissures, hemorrhoids.

This condition can be effectively treated by pelvic physical therapy. Pelvic PT includes releasing tension in the muscles of the lower back, sacrum, inner thighs, pelvic floor, teaching breathing techniques to relax the pelvic floor muscle, biofeedback, use of dilators and bladder and bowel retraining exercises.

Biopsychosocial Approach for Chronic Pain

Over the last 10 years, we also are now understanding why people stay in chronic pain for months, years, even decades.  Once an injured or chronically inflamed tissue has healed, why is there pain?

 

The answer is that they have developed an overprotective brain and hypersensitive nervous system. Without being aware of their habits developed due to social norms, family history, past experiences with pain, some people learn to be in a pattern of pain. Once the tissue issue has been healed, yet there is still pain, pain is the brain’s way to protect your body.   Ongoing negative experiences like a fight with your partner, stress at work, abuse at home, loss of a pet, saying non-loving, fear-based statements to yourself all day, not having or doing something that gives you joy  (even for a few minutes) can make the brain feel you are always in danger and send pain to protect you.

 

The Doctors of Physical Therapy at EMH are well versed in helping women heal from chronic pain using the biopsychosocial approach as well as our pelvic floor physical therapy for vaginal tissue based pain.  Our e-Book, re.lieve Solutions for Chronic Pain can help you learn self-help techniques to lower chronic pain.  Here’s the link: http://emhphysicaltherapy.com/product/re-lieve-solutions/

 

In summary, women can have a healthy fulfilling sex life – to find a provider, go to isswsh.org.

 

Filed Under: Brain, Central Sensitization, EMH News, General Physical Therapy, Gynecology, Heal pain, orgasm, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, pelvic physical therapy, Sexual Dysfunction, Womens Health

Painful sex? Check out our helpful tips about what you can do to help!

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

If you’re having pain during sex, try the following tips:

You should have a consult with a pelvic floor physical therapist for training on positioning and how to use a set of vaginal dilators:

They are used to stretch the vaginal tissue, facilitate pelvic muscle relaxation and prepare for intercourse.

If you are able to have penetrative sex:

  • Practice breathing techniques or stretching prior to intercourse
  • You may want to begin with clitoral stimulation to increase natural lubrication and vaginal expansion prior to insertion
  • You can use the dilator with your partner if you feel comfortable as a way to transition from medical to sexual use of dilator. This practice can help prepare you for engaging in sexual intercourse and help you both come to understand the challenge of the healing process and develop skills for working together as a team
  • The transition from plastic dilators to a partner’s penis is often an exciting step for a couple. To make the transition, your partner has to learn a passive role, letting you control the insertion and then just resting inside the vagina for a while. In time you can expand this exercise to permit insertion by the male of his own penis, clitoral stimulation, some thrusting and experimentation with different positions.
  • Use plenty of lubricant and use one that is water soluble
  • Apply ice or frozen blue gel pack wrapped in one layer of a hand towel to relieve burning after intercourse. Frozen peas or corn in a small sealed plastic bag mold comfortably to vulvar anatomy.

Keep in mind that intercourse isn’t always 100% comfortable. Temporary tugs and pressures are often just part of getting started. If some minor discomfort exists, try moving ahead anyway – but if obvious pain persists, don’t ignore it, stop. If you encounter unexpected difficulty, you may want to practice with the dilators some more before attempting intercourse again. Continued dilator use may be necessary from time to time, to keep the vaginal area relaxed and comfortable.

Filed Under: Chronic Pain, EMH News, General Physical Therapy, Gynecology, Heal pain, orgasm, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, pelvic physical therapy, Sexual Dysfunction Tagged With: ,

Don’t miss your chance to listen to Evelyn Hecht, PT, ATC speak about modern pain science and how she’s been using it to help heal chronic pain

January 25, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 

Follow this link to listen to Evelyn’s episode of the Healing Pain Podcast: listen to podcast here

Filed Under: Chronic Pain, EMH News, General Physical Therapy, Headache, Heal pain, Interstitial Cystitis, Lower Back Pain, Mens Health, Migraine Headache, Neck Pain, Pelvic Pain, Womens Health

Online Educational & Empowerment Course for Women Suffering with PGAD &/or Vulvodynia

December 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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A unique program designed for a small group of women (15) who suffer with PGAD and chronic vulvar pain.  From the comfort of your home, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with each other in a safe environment, using private encrypted meeting platform (Zoom.us) while learning evidence-based therapeutic solutions for both your physical and emotional healing process. Each class is 2 hours held every 2 weeks for a total of eight(8) classes over a four month time period.

Health care experts from the fields of physical therapy and social work will be teaching this one of a kind program: Evelyn Hecht, PT, ATC and Eva Margot Kant LCSW-R . Their combined 35 years of experience will help you learn effective self-help tools for your mind and body while connecting and supporting each other on your journey to health.

Evelyn Hecht, PT, ATC owner of EMH Physical Therapy has been treating women with pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction for 20 years. She and her team of Doctor of Physical Therapists will be teaching self-care techniques and exercises that can be easily implemented into your healing routine.   The DPT’s will will answer questions about physical symptoms and exercises to the best of their virtual ability.

Physical therapy topics will include

  • Breathing and Meditation
  • Symptom Tracking to identify triggers and solutions
  • Pelvic Floor stretching exercises
  • Neuroplasticity – break the pain cycle

Eva Margot Kant, LCSW-R is a compassionate sex/psychotherapist in private practice with 15 years counseling patients with chronic and sexual pain. She helps clients navigate life’s transitions, address fears and questions about chronic illness/pain.  As a group therapy facilitator, she has worked with organizations including the American Cancer Society and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Eva teaches courses on sexuality at Columbia University Graduate School of Social Work.

Talk therapy topics will include:

  • Fear
  • Avoidance
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Educating the Clinician
  • Sharing Information to Loved Ones
  • Dating/Love Relationships

Additional Experts may be incorporated into the separate groups to share information and resources.

Course Details

Length of Online Group Class: 7PM to 9PM Eastern Standard Time

Start Date: Thursday January 19, 2017

2017 Class schedule:  1/19, 2/2, 2/16, 3/2, 3/16, 3/30, 4/13, 4/27

Number of Classes:  Eight (8) classes over a 4 month period January thru April 2017

Cost: Each two hour class is $40.00 per person.  You must register and pre pay for  all 8 classes, at a cost of $320 per person one week prior to the first class.  The price of attending one personal session with a counselor or physical therapist can range between $80 to $250 per hour, depending on where you live. This program offers you access to speak to and learn from a pelvic physical therapy professional with experience treating PGAD, vulvodynia and a clinical social worker seasoned in treating sexual issues and chronic pain for a total of 16 hours at a reduced rate of $320.

While Online Educational & Empowerment Course for Women with PGAD &/or Vulvodynia  does not substitute for individualized therapy, the evidence-based strategies, techniques and support you will gain without leaving the comfort of your home is a one of kind opportunity.

Online Educational & Empowerment Course for Women with PGAD &/or Vulvodynia welcomes a maximum of 15 attendees.

To Register: contact Cindy or Star at (212) 288-2242. Payment is accepted by check, no credit cards. Write check to “Evelyn Hecht, PT” in the amount of $320 and mail to following address:

Evelyn Hecht, PT,1317 Third Avenue,9th Floor, New York, NY 10021

Payment in full is due by January 12, 2017.

Space is limited, so please Sign Up Today

This course will only be conducted with a registration of 15 women.  If the course is cancelled, all monies will be refunded.

For additional questions, please email: info@emhphysicaltherapy.com or call  (212) 288-2242

 

 

Filed Under: General Physical Therapy, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, Sexual Dysfunction, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Pregnant Physical Therapist’s Top Tips for Your Healthy Pregnancy

November 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Navigating the pregnancy literature on proper posture, exercise and sleeping alignment can be overwhelming and the guidelines presented are often not a “one size fits all”. Afterall, everyone’s pregnancy is unique. Below you will find some quick and easy tips that I utilized and found helpful throughout my pregnancy that kept me fit, aligned and pain free throughout my work day as a physical therapist at EMH.

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Filed Under: Children's Health, General Physical Therapy, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Rewire Me” The Source for Your Healing Journey

November 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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I am fascinated by how the body and mind work together to heal from pain and injury.  To learn more about healing and how physical therapists can help patients be committed to their healing process, I interviewed my good friend Rose Caiola, founder of Rewire Me, a company with a wealth of resources, writings and teachers in fields of physical, spiritual and emotional health, all thoroughly researched and curated by Rose and her team at Rewire Me.

Here are some of the gems I gleaned from our interview:

Evelyn: Why did you start Rewire Me?

Rose: Rewire Me evolved from life lessons I’ve learned from age 13 onward, meeting various teachers and mentors who helped me on my life’s healing journey. Connecting with these teachers proved more beneficial than trying to “fix things on my own.”

Many people feel alone when dealing with life’s challenges and don’t know how to ask for help or even where to look for guidance. One method or teacher may not resonate for every person, so I thought “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a site with a range of authentic experts, teachers, and healers?” People can seek and access these teachers’ wisdom through writings, books and classes to help them on their healing journey”.

Rewire Me’s website includes a range of experts on topics such as relationships, parenting, physical health, spiritual growth,  dealing with illness and loss –  incorporating all aspects of life.

E: How can people with physical pain start their healing process?

R: The first step is to acknowledge that there is something wrong. Many people don’t want to acknowledge that they are feeling pain, so they bury it or pretend it is not there. Once you acknowledge there is a problem, then you can reach out to a friend, call a medical professional, research on professional medical websites like WebMD and go on to Rewire Me to find teachers who may inspire them.
People may reject acknowledging pain or injury due to fear of the unknown.  Others may feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness, especially if they are used to being in charge or control.  Pain can make a person feel out of control. In essence what this really translates into is, ‘I don’t feel worthy enough to have somebody help me. I don’t love myself enough to get the help I need.’

E: How can one rewire fear-based thinking that stumps taking positive action?

R: Set a little time in the morning before you have to start your day. Sit up, feet on the floor to ground yourself and spend 5 minutes focusing on your breath, feeling and focusing your attention to the breath moving in and out, at whatever pace. This centers you to the present.

After the 5 minutes of quiet breath, ask “What do I want to happen today so I can achieve good health, or be successful as a parent or attain a work goal”

Envision your hero, or person of history who inspires you, for example, Amelia Earhart. What would it feel to be like her? Envision and embody the emotion of Amelia‘s courage, risk taking, forward thinking. How do you think she felt when she was flying solo in the starry night sky?

E: How can we help patients stay motivated and the course of treatment; to understand that their home program as physical therapy is not a “quick fix?”

R: Well, one I think is to have faith in the healing process. So that might become their mantra. ‘Today I’m going to do what I can to heal myself.’ ‘Today I’m going to take that first step.’ ‘Today I’m going to do my physical therapy exercises.’ Not worrying about tomorrow, not thinking about anything else, but having faith that they can overcome. When and if they come up to a crossroad or a flare up, don’t give up. Tell yourself “It’s okay.” Acknowledge that it’s painful and that you’ve hit a rock or a wall. Figure out how you can go around the wall instead of letting yourself get stuck. Avoid the “Oh poor me.’ ‘This always happens to me.’ ‘This is my life.’ If you keep repeating that story, you’re never going to get anywhere. Replace them with positive statements. The brain and body are listening!

The second thing to do is Practice. Practice your home exercises, self care techniques, say your positive affirmations out loud.  With practice different parts of our brain light up and those neural networks become bonded over time, overriding faulty pain patterns. If you play a sport you have to practice to compete well.  But, if you don’t practice, you won’t play as well. My kids are on sports teams and if they don’t practice, they get benched. They’ll say: “Why did the coach do that? I’m so angry…the coach hasn’t put me in play for the last 3 games!” Well, if you don’t practice, why would that coach put you in the game? It’s the same with committing and doing your home program, practice allows your body to change for the better.

Third, Schedule the 2-3 times a day in your calendar where you know you can do your physical therapy exercises. They don’t take long, right?

E: No. People wouldn’t do them otherwise, so we keep them short and manageable.

R: That’s great, so patients start to feel better, get stronger and over time they’ll see the many benefits of committing to their treatment.

E: Yes!  You’ve used the term “healing journey.” What does that means to you?

R: A healing journey means learning to love myself. Learning to forgive myself, including what happened in my past.  Incorporating growth and love from others and building this Rewire Me community is all about healing. Healing your heart. Healing your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being

Check out Rewireme.com to be inspired and continue on your healing journey!

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Filed Under: EMH News, General Physical Therapy, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chronic Pain and sexuality: How Eva Margot Kant, LCSW-R helps people navigate these issues

October 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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(Image courtesy of Eva Margo Kant, LCSW-R)

The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines chronic pain as pain lasting more than 3 months and it affects more than 100 million Americans today.  As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I help patients with both acute and chronic pain, more specifically pelvic pain, on a daily basis. Due to the private nature of pelvic floor issues, sexual dysfunction, or bowel and bladder complaints it can be difficult for patients to feel comfortable talking about their symptoms.

The famous quote, “no man is an island,” rings true for healthcare providers who treat chronic pain as multiple specialists working together is more effective than one. I recently met with Eva Margot Kant, LCSW-R  with 12+ years of experience helping people deepen their self-esteem, navigate life’s transitions, and address fears and questions about chronic illness/pain which includes topics of sexuality and sensuality. Eva taught me some great perspectives on how she helps people heal their emotional/sexual wounds and how they can be a source of chronic pain.

Eva runs workshops about sex and disability, sex and aging and trains medical students how to talk about sex with their patients. Her goal is to help people “unpack their feelings” that are attached to physical pain and anxiety. Anxiety increases the output of the limbic system, the emotional flight or fight, and memory areas of our brain which results in pain.

Eva believes that “understanding how the body works is the key to understanding you”.  Her job is to help people understand what their sexuality is to them and to own how they view and understand it.  Eva believes that “the body always remembers.” She likened the reflexive blink of an eye that’s about to be poked to the feeling a woman with sexual pain feels if her partner demonstrates affection. The woman may fear that any show of affection may lead to sex which is painful for her, so she avoids this.

Eva’s goal is to help patients learn if some physical reflexive tightening may be due to thoughts involving shame, guilt, or embarrassment.  She helps clients decide when to disclose to a new partner about their chronic condition. She stressed the importance of self-care with their partner and to feel emotionally safe. People who have chronic pain/illness may go thru life as if they are “holding their breath.” Often times Eva finds that partners want to help, they just don’t know how. Demystifying chronic pain/illness allows partners to be supportive and an active participant in healing.

Eva’s upcoming book and course work, called “The Holy Trilogy of Sex (c),” guides patients and their partners in sensuality, sexuality, and intimacy; none of which are possible without communication, sensation, and connection. She encourages partners to engage in body mapping: offering each other a “menu” of intimate ideas that can promote togetherness without causing more pain.

As a Pelvic Physical Therapist, I invite my patient’s partner to a session to observe, learn, and understand what my patient is experiencing and teach the partner ways they can help. I work on the physical aspect of pain with my manual, movement and exercise therapies while Eva addresses on the mental and emotional aspects of chronic pain which leads to a more efficient outcome.

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EMH Team; Jennifer Jurewicz, Tova Laufer & Charissa Morrisroe with Eva Margot Kant, LCSW-R

If you have chronic pelvic pain consider receiving both physical and talk therapy to get your life back on track.  Consider visiting us at EMH Physical Therapy and Eva Margot Kant, LCSW-R if you are in the NYC area. Your pelvic floor with thank you!

Resources:
http://evamkantlcsw.com/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm

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Filed Under: General Physical Therapy, Incontinence, Mens Health, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy, Sexual Dysfunction, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EMH Physical Therapy Goes To Chicago for The International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS) Conference on Chronic Pelvic Pain

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

                                     

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screen-shot-2016-10-07-at-11-40-39-amAt EMH Physical Therapy, we support an interdisciplinary approach to treating our patients. We are in constant communication with primary care physicians, urologists, psychologists, gynecologists and other healthcare providers to make sure all our patients have a strong team working for them. 

A team based approach to medical care has been shown to prevent medical errors (1), improve patient-centered outcomes and chronic disease management (2-4). 

This week the EMH team are packing our bags and headed to Chicago to attend the International Pain Society’s annual fall meeting on chronic pelvic pain where we’ll hear practitioners of various disciplines discuss advances and techniques in treating pelvic pain. Some topics we’re excited about exploring include the “mind-body” connection, psychosocial aspects of pelvic pain, cancer and pelvic pain, cystitis, hormone treatments, vulvodynia and more. 

The International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS) was established in 1996 with the goals of educating health professionals on how to diagnose and manage chronic pelvic pain and to bring hope to men and women who suffer from this pain by raising public awareness (5). 

Their website, pelvicpain.org, contains articles which can help to educate patients on a wide variety of conditions and find healthcare providers. We are excited to share the information we learn at IPPS conference with all of you when we return to New York City next week! Stay tuned.

P.S. We’ll be active on Instagram, @emhpysicaltherapy, and Twitter, @EMHPH, while we’re away, so keep up with us there!

Resources:

1. IOM (Institute of Medicine) To err is human. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1999.

2. Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K. Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness: The chronic care model, part 2. Journal of the American Medical Association.2002;288(15):1909–1914.

3. Ponte P, Conlin G, Conway J, et al. Making patient-centered care come alive: Achieving full integration of the patient’s perspective. Journal of Nursing Administration. 2003;33(2):82–90.

4. Wagner EH, Austin BT, Davis C, Hindmarsh M, Schaefer J, Bonomi A. Improving chronic illness care: Translating evidence into action. Health Affairs. 2001;20(6):64–78.

5. International Pelvic Pain Society. Pelvicpain.org

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Filed Under: EMH News, General Physical Therapy, Incontinence, Mens Health, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy, Sexual Dysfunction, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Pelvic Physical Therapist’s Approach to PGAD: Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder

October 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment

image1

What’s your first reaction to this image? Laugh? Sigh and Roll your eyes at the tasteless joke?  Did you think: “How can anyone REALLY have this?”

What if you were experiencing sexual arousal or multiple orgasms on a daily basis, for hours at a time, day or night, with no one medication or method to relieve symptoms on a consistent basis?

What if you had the guts to talk to your doctor about the embarrassing (or what may even feel like devastating) symptoms and find out that your doctor either never heard about PGAD, or worse was a medical professional that did not believe you?

This is the suffering that people with PGAD or PSAS, Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder or Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome, experience and continue to endure. Sadly, the condition has even led some patients end their own lives as recently as a few months ago in 2016.

What  is PGAD?

Persistant Genital Arousal Disorder, a “monster sexual dysfunction”, as coined by Irwin Goldstein, MD (1) is a condition characterized by 6+ months symptoms of high levels of genital sexual arousal in the absence of desire (2). Genital arousal does not dissipate, with orgasm nor by medication alone.

PGAD sufferers describe their symptoms as intrusive, unwelcome, unpleasant and sometimes painful. Multiple, frequent disturbing orgasms (not pleasurable) occur spontaneously, at work, home, school and create tremendous embarrassment and anxiety, which eventually can lead to depression, frustration, and social withdrawal. It causes major stress for personal relationships. Seventy five percent (75%) of women with PGAD report moderate to high distress levels and report feelings of shame, isolation and suicidal thoughts (3).

PGAD: Subset of Chronic Pelvic/Abdominal Pain

PGAD has similar qualities, fluctuations, flares like and is starting to be viewed as a subset of chronic pelvic/abdominal pain.

Chronic pelvic/abdominal pain diagnosis is also made after 6 months of pain, burning, stabbing, cramping  + other symptoms involving 1 or more “private “areas: bladder (urinary frequency and bladder pain) bowel, (IBS) reproductive organs (endometriosis, vulvodynia), groin, buttocks and pelvic floor muscle pain.

As chronic pain takes 6 months to develop, the tissues that were involved at the initial onset of insult or trauma  may not be the main or only source currently producing chronic symptoms.  Rather, a highly sensitive brain/nervous system that is persistently on High Alert, “Danger-Danger!” mode perpetuates the symptoms.

PGAD Research

PGAD alone has not been researched extensively. We do not know the cause, the amount of women and men with symptoms, nor do we have effective, evidence based treatment – yet. With the push of some PGAD “warriors” and a relatively young organization, International Society of the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), www.isswsh.org, research on PGAD is now being conducted. ISSWSH will have their annual conference in February 2017 where the PGAD Significant Interest Group will present state of the art research as well as testimonials from sufferers.

PAIN comes from the BRAIN

Chronic pain research has made amazing strides in the last 10 years due to the ability to incorporate MRI studies of the brain in all sorts of pain research. Our brain’s main job is to protect us. For example, we don’t keep our hand on the hot stove, or step down further onto the nail under our foot as the brain instantly weighs information coming from sensory nerves and makes a decision on how to react – i.e. PROTECT.  Pain is the brain’s response to incoming nerve reports.

Research shows hundreds of areas in our brain “light up,” or simultaneously become active when experiencing pain, including areas in the brain that process Sensation, Movement, Emotions and Memory. This knowledge helps us understand how a certain movement, emotion or even noise & light can lead to a pain reaction, especially if the brain is persistently on the faulty “Danger-Danger!” mode.

“Neuroplascity” is the ability for the brain to make new neural connections throughout our whole lifetime, to adjust, to change.

How can we help our brain change from being on a highly sensitive “Danger Danger!” mode to a more functional mode?

PGAD TREATMENT Step 1: EDUCATE yourself about Pain & Know your Triggers

Once medical diseases have been ruled out, the first step of effective treatment of PGAD is to change the brain from high alert to a healthy functional mode, by educating yourself on the science of pain (stay with me!)  and to write down all of your possible triggers for symptoms. Lorimer Moseley’s and David Butler’s Explain Pain (www.noigroup.com) and pain educational website www.retrainpain.org are great resources for pain/PGAD sufferers and their loved ones.

Write down all the actions (riding in a car, walking up stairs, showing affection to partner, etc.) and write down what fears/thoughts (not knowing the “cause” of pain, not being able to work, loss of partner, inability to care for children etc.) that stimulates PGAD symptoms (4).

Describe each symptom related to the trigger and rate the intensity of symptom on scale of 0-10. This will give you and your medical team a baseline to measure and monitor progress.  You have to be an active participant in your healing because each person’s cause of symptoms and how your brain reacts with pain/PGAD symptoms is unique.

PGAD TREATMENT Step 2: Find your T-E-A-M

Find your team of practitioners who understand PGAD and who will work with you. A Medical Doctor and a Pelvic Physical Therapist is a good start.

  1. MD/DO – for prescription medicine, trigger point injections, superficial nerve blocks, botox – treatments to  give the faulty nerves/brain activity a break
  2. Pelvic Physical Therapist – who is up-to-date with the recent pain research information, provides manual treatment and offers paced, gradual movement/exercise therapies to pelvic floor, abdomen, pudendal nerve and viscera – see below for more details
  3. Psychotherapist – to  address any possible childhood traumas/abuse issues that over 50% of PGAD sufferers experienced, as these experiences may be held (remembered) in their genital region  (see EMH Physical Therapy’s blog on Somatic Experiencing (http://www.emhphysicaltherapy.com/what-is-somatic-experiencing-and-how-does-it-heal-traumachronic-pain/1450/). Therapy can help manage the depression and anxiety that accompanies PGAD.
  4. Acupuncturist – to help lower the “high alert” brain/nervous system, releasing the “fight or flight” pattern or stimulating the sluggish, depressed pattern

PGAD TREATMENT Step 3:  Pelvic Physical Therapy

Physical therapy treatments are individualized as no patient is alike in their presentation – their symptoms of PGAD /pain may be similar, but the causes are different. Education about brain/nervous system and motivating patients to become active partners in their healing process has the best outcome.

There is no one “magic bullet,” no 1 medication or 1 technique for symptom relief. Receiving regular pelvic PT treatments plus doing a daily exercise/movement program (the brain loves movement!) is part of PGAD therapy. Treatments can include:

Manual Therapy – incorporating movement and awareness for both the external & internal muscles of the pelvis, abdominals, hips, fascia and skin; calming  the “fight or flight” reaction allows for improved blood flow, oxygenation and balances the nervous system.

  • strain / counterstain
  • myofascial release
  • connective tissue massage (aka skin rolling)
  • trigger point release
  • pudendal nerve glides
  • visceral mobilization

Biofeedback – to promote awareness of pelvic floor muscle tension and teach coordination training.

Breath and Meditation – deep diaphragmatic breath expands the front, sides, back of the ribs & abdominal cavity, relaxes the pelvic floor muscles, massages the internal organs and improves oxygenation to tissues. A simple 5 minute meditation where one focuses on the sensation of slow inhalation and exhalation calms the brain.

Desensitization Techniques:  Strategies to lower the high alert nervous system as used in treating Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, is applied to our PGAD patients with promising results.

Stretching and Stabilization Exercises to lengthen and strengthen, stimulate the core stabilizers, soften the pelvic floor. Cardiovascular exercises to improve general blood flow are performed daily at home. Exercises are paced and applied gradually as the patient reports responses in their symptoms.

Modalities such as TENS, Low Level Laser and use of dilators can also be used as part of our treatment.

Final Thoughts

PGAD, like chronic pelvic pain is complex and requires patience by both the patient and the practitioner. Results are best if patient and practitioner work consistently together and the patient performs daily home/self care exercises, paying attention to responses and slowly increasing the pace and challenge of the new movement. Neuroplasticity takes persistence and develops over time.

Further research in measuring the efficacy of all the treatment techniques mentioned above and the importance of a concurrent multi-specialty approach to PGAD still needs to be done. My team and I at EMH Physical Therapy will continue to help patients heal from PGAD.

References

1 Goldstein I. Persistent genital arousal disorder- update on the monster sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 2013;10:2357-2358

2 Jackowich R, Pink L,Gordon A, Pukall  C. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder: A Review of Its Conceptualizations, Potential Origins, Impact and Treatment. Sex Med Rev 2016;1-14

3 Leiblum SR, Brown C, Wan J, et al. Persistent sexual arousal  syndrome: a descriptive study. J Sex Med 2005; 2:331-337

4 Butler D,Moseley L, Explain Pain, Noigroup Publications Adelaide, Australia 2013

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Filed Under: General Physical Therapy, Mens Health, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Pain, Sexual Dysfunction, Womens Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,