Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services | Gibson gets it! | Spring/Summer 2019

Gibson gets it! 13 Speak up and feel better Pelvic therapy can benefit prenatal and postpartum women (vaginal and cesarean birth) and aid in recovery from abdominal surgery. You may also be a candidate for pelvic therapy if you experience: Pelvic pain or unusual discomfort. Involuntary leakage (incontinence) from activities such as laughing, jumping or sneezing. Urinary urgency. Tailbone pain (coccydynia). Chronic lower back pain or hip pain. Separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti). Difficulties with sexual function. Heaviness or pulling in the pelvis or dropping of the pelvic floor (prolapse). Pelvic therapy is a difficult topic to discuss with anyone, including your physician. And although pelvic health is generally used as a synonym for women’s health, men can also experience and be treated for many of the previously mentioned conditions. Nobody should endure pelvic pain or other symptoms when there is treatment available. healing various treatment options. My son, Connor, was born April 2, 2018, and he was absolutely perfect. But like the experience of many mothers, my delivery was not easy and did not go as planned. I sustained a lot of tearing, which came with unexpected pain and required a significant amount of healing. ‘I was not alone’ I still had a great deal of pain three months after giving birth. I was so grateful for the knowledge I have as a therapist. Not only did I know that this pain was not “normal,” I knew it was indeed treatable, so I began therapy with Lauren. Lauren was truly invested in my health as a new mom, and she was able to educate me and affirm that my experience was not uncommon or dramatized. What I learned on this journey was that I was not alone: I discovered a community of other moms who began sharing how their postpartum healing wasn’t perfect either. The beautiful part of pelvic therapy is that it does not require extensive and repetitive treatment—the human body is an amazing healer and oftentimes just needs the right information and environment to heal itself. After only three sessions, I was pain-free and able to return to normal activity without pain. You are not alone! Treatment is available! Talk to your primary care provider about a referral or call Gibson AreaHospital Therapy Services inGibsonCity at 217-784-2650 or in Paxton at 217-379‑2500 .