Continues here (recommended):The Pelvic Floor Paradox
By Leon Chaitow, ND, DO
When I started writing this periodic column, I mentioned that every now and then, a "wow-factor" enters my life; synchronistic events and pieces of information coincide to illuminate what was previously foggy.
As the fog lifts, simultaneous thoughts often occur. The first thought is, "It's obvious why I didn't see it before" coupled with "Is there evidence to support this?" As I hope you will agree at the end of this short article, "it" is obvious, and there is abundant evidence. So what is "it" and what is "the problem?"
The Problem
Let's start with a clinical fact I have been aware of, but have been unable to explain. In recent years, more and more of my younger female patients have reported symptoms ranging from variable to acute pelvic pain to stress incontinence, interstitial (i.e., nonbacterial) cystitis, vestibulitis and painful intercourse (dyspareunia). Many of these patients had seen appropriate experts in genitourinary medicine and/or physical medicine, and most had been prescribed what can best be described as "toning" (Kegel-type) exercises for presumed laxity in their pelvic floor muscles, along with various forms of medication.
Now, clearly, the patients I was seeing were the ones in whom such treatment had failed. However, because the practitioners prescribing these methods continued to do so, I must assume they worked for many. But they had not worked for those distressed (mainly) young ladies consulting me, whose lives were in turmoil because of considerable and sometimes constant pain in a very intimate part of their anatomy. All too often, these women were socially incapacitated due to their incontinence; with many unable to have normal relationships. And most of these women were no older than their early 20s.
Structural evaluation often revealed very well-toned musculature. Many had a history involving athletics, gymnastics or dance, and it also was common to have a report of emphasis on Pilates toning exercises with insufficient emphasis on flexibility. Frequently, there was extreme shortness of some of the muscles attaching to the pelvis, particularly the adductors, hip flexors and the ("core stability") abdominals.
In the United Kingdom, my license as a doctor of osteopathy allows me to conduct internal examination and treatment with informed consent, but this was not part of my usual assessment protocol - until recently, that is.
Nowadays, with a clinical chaperone or member of the patient's family present, such examinations are always suggested (and sometimes declined) in such cases.
What changed my approach? Evidence that the problems in most of these unfortunate patients was not reduced tone, but increased and excessive tone, together with the wonderful work of (mainly U.S.-based) medical and manual therapy practitioners who rediscovered something demonstrated many years ago - that trigger points can cause all of these symptoms, and that the trigger points and the symptoms frequently can be removed manually.
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/a ... p?id=13515
