HELP FOR
INTIMATE PAIN PHYSICAL THERAPY ENABLED ONE PATIENT TO OVERCOME AN EMBARRASSING CONDITION—FAST.
J
ess*, 21, had a very personal problem: She experienced pain every time she had intercourse. Rather than suffer in silence, she mentioned it to her gynecologist, who referred Jess to the Pelvic Health Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton. Located in the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, the program provides treatment for bladder, bowel and pelvic floor conditions. Rachna Mehta, DPT, CIMT, OCS, PRPC, a physical therapist who’s an expert in pelvic rehabilitation, saw Jess, who’s a junior in RACHNA MEHTA, DPT, CIMT, OCS, PRPC college, in November Healthy Together
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2019. As the two spoke, Dr. Mehta realized the young woman’s problems extended beyond painful sex. “Jess had a history of bed-wetting as a child,” she recalls. “She became continent at age 12, but she still wet her bed about one to three times a month.” Jess also experienced the urge to urinate frequently—some days, every 30 minutes and one to two times per night. Dr. Mehta evaluated Jess’s pelvic and abdominal muscles. She found that Jess had moderate pain and spasms in her hip, lower abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles. “Problems with the pelvic floor muscles can lead to pain during intercourse as well as the need to urinate frequently,” says Dr. Mehta.
HANDS-ON HEALING Dr. Mehta decided Jess could benefit from abdominal massage. “Using handson, manual therapy techniques, we
worked on her abdominal muscles,” she says. “We released the fascia, the tissue that covers the muscles. If the abdominal muscles are in spasm, then the bladder can’t relax and the patient feels the frequent urge to urinate.” Dr. Mehta also used specialized techniques to relax the muscles surrounding the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. In addition, Dr. Mehta helped Jess modify her diet to avoid bladder irritants, which lead to frequent urination. Caffeine, carbonated beverages, tea and spicy foods can be problematic, she says. Dr. Mehta also encouraged Jess to “retrain” her bladder to stop her frequent bathroom trips. “She recommended urinating every two to three hours,” says Jess. Jess also learned how to perform hip stretches, squats and yoga poses, which
Summer 2020
7/29/20 2:39 PM
