What’s it like seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist?

A few months ago, I was getting some social media posts ready to spread the word about the physiotherapy services Sarah Parker offers at The Village. I sat down with Sarah to talk about the symptoms that most often prompt people to come to see her. We were talking about leaks, pelvic girdle pain, a weird feeling like you have a tampon in but you don’t, and more. It was really useful to learn about the wide range of problems that people are putting up with, as well as the different ways they describe them. 

A couple of weeks later I started to feel a heavy, dragging feeling in my vagina when I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Wait a minute! This was one of the symptoms Sarah had mentioned! 

I’m so glad we had that talk, because – even as someone who works with her – I might not have realised that this symptom was something she could help with. I started occasionally feeling it at other times during the day, so it was definitely time to make an appointment.

Before meeting Sarah, I’d always associated physiotherapy with characters in film learning to walk again, with sporting injuries, with gyms. Her approach is so different from that. The word ‘holistic’ gets thrown around a lot so that I feel its meaning is a bit diluted. But it definitely describes a session with Sarah.

At my appointment Sarah asked about my symptom and how long it had been going on for. But we also ended up talking about feet, diet, breathing, sex, body image, mental health and more. We laughed and I cried and she supported me.

I’ve had difficult experiences with internal examinations in the past so I was reluctant to have one this time when she suggested it. Sarah really listened to my concerns and although she again gently offered to do one later in the session, I felt welcome and comfortable to make the choice not to.

She did give me a fascial release belly rub and lymph massage and I left the appointment feeling really good.

Sarah sent me a follow up email with links to things we had discussed, as well as access to her community with videos of the exercises she had recommended. I’ve always been rubbish at doing my homework so I’ll be honest: I did some of the exercises a few times but definitely not as consistently as I feel I should.

But you know what? By the next week that weird dragging feeling was about 80% gone. I think the exercises I did do and getting a new perspective on my breathing really helped. And – as Sarah pointed out when I told her – I did something. I didn’t just put up with pain, I didn’t put off booking. I prioritised myself, I made a choice, I took some action.

Two weeks later I went to the trampoline park with my son. Luckily I’ve never had problems with leaks so I wasn’t worried about that, but it was so nice just to enjoy bouncing and having fun without any feelings of heaviness and discomfort!