So you tried to find a pelvic floor PT and it just isn’t feasible right now. Maybe you live in a rural area with very few specialists. Maybe it costs too much money or they don’t take your insurance. Maybe there’s a global pandemic and you are sheltering in place…
There are still options to address your pelvic health!
First, you can look into virtual options. Sometimes referred to as telemedicine, telehealth, telerehab, televisits. There are a variety of “tele-” names but they all mean pretty much the same thing. You are talking to a therapist through video or over the phone. They are gathering all the information and instruct you on exercises just like a regular visit but without the physical touch portion. This may seem new and weird but it’s actually been practiced successfully with rural populations, especially veterans, for quite some time. It’s even been successful for treating some pelvic floor conditions.
The biggest barrier to telehealth in the past has been the fact that most insurance companies refused to pay for these visits. That meant that providers didn’t offer these services or that they were out-of-pocket expenses for the patient. Fortunately(?!), with the pandemic and the shelter in place orders we’ve been reimbursed for the first time for these visits. Some of the positive feedback that I heard from patients was that it was more convenient, and they didn’t need to commute and arrange for childcare. If you would like to make these changes permanent, you can reach out to your representatives to support the Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act (S.773).
If the cost of PT is limiting you, there are still other options. You can read up on conditions through blogs (like this one) and books. I am also a big fan of Pelvic Gym, from the creator of Ohnut. It’s a library of video education and exercise instructions from physical therapists, doctors, and sex therapists. They have a sliding scale – meaning that you can pay less if money is tight. And Right now, The first month is only $1! That means rather than watching Parks and Rec on Netflix (again…) You could learn SO MUCH about your pelvic floor!
My one caveat about Pelvic Gym is that it tends to be focused on people with vulvas for now but more content is always being added.
The sooner you start to learn about your pelvic floor and address your symptoms, the better off you’ll be. I strongly encourage you to talk to a gynecologist or pelvic floor PT to get a personalized examination and treatment plan as soon as you are able to.