Ketamine Infusion for Pelvic Pain. What is it?

By Pelvic Guru | May 20, 2016 |

The topic of Ketamine infusions can elicit some strong concerns. Some clinicians are familiar with a type of infusion known as “Ketamine comas,” in which people are placed in a medical coma and stay in an ICU for treatment. This is often viewed as quite extreme, and risky; and leaves many wondering the efficacy of such a treatment when the patient is not actively participating in recovery from a brain/pain connection. For clarification, the coma is not the only protocol available. Ketamine infusions can involve: 1. Outpatient “awake” protocol 2. Low-dose inpatient protocol 3. Ketamine coma. (In addition, there are now physicians who prescribe compounded ointments with Ketamine as one of the medications. This is not the same as an infusion. There’s not enough data at this time about efficacy and safety of this approach with topicals.) Our guest blogger, Dr. Allison Wells, MD, is sharing information about the outpatient procedure. ~ Tracy Sher of Pelvic Guru

Does Sleep Really Matter for Chronic Pelvic Pain?

By Pelvic Guru | March 11, 2015 |

Does sleep really matter for chronic pelvic pain? Guest post by Jessica Reale, PT, DPT, WCS Did you know that most people will spend about 22 years of their lives sleeping? Sleep is one of the most basic human needs and is at the very base of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs right next to…

The 5 Things We Wish You Knew About Pudendal Neuralgia

By Pelvic Guru | January 10, 2015 |

The 5 Things We Wish PTs, MDs, and Patients Knew About Pudendal Neuralgia and Pudendal Nerve Entrapment Tracy Sher, MPT, CSCS and Loretta J. Robertson, PT, MS Why is the diagnosis of Pudendal Neuralgia confused with Pudendal Nerve Entrapment? Why are there so many misdiagnoses with pudendal symptoms? Its complex. We are both pelvic physical…

What IS Pelvic Physical Therapy and Why Doesn’t EVERYONE Know About It?

By Pelvic Guru | December 28, 2013 |

True story – During graduate school (Northwestern shout out) for physical therapy over 15 years ago, I distinctly remember turning to a friend in class and stating emphatically, “Mark my words, I will NEVER EVER do what the therapist is doing in that video. NEVER. Why are we even seeing this in class?”. You may wonder…

Vaginal Dilator Guide for Patients. Dilators and the Brain? Pain, Fear, and Anxiety

By Pelvic Guru | August 30, 2013 |

There are different reasons to use vaginal dilators. This particular post focuses on providing dilator information for women facing fear, anxiety, and/or pain with regard to vaginal touch, finger insertion, gynecology exams, use of tampons, and intercourse. My quest to find valuable, comprehensive resources for a guide for dilator use fell short. This is particularly…

10 Common Misconceptions About Pelvic Physical Therapy

By Pelvic Guru | August 5, 2013 |

Have you ever heard of pelvic physical therapy before? Many have not, but this specialty can be a crucial part of someone’s complete medical care – for women, men, and even children. As one my patients recently said, “I had no idea this sort of thing exists, but I’m sure glad I found it because…

The Ultimate Pelvic Anatomy Resource

By Pelvic Guru | January 12, 2013 |

Pelvic Guru 2012: Most Popular Posts

By Pelvic Guru | December 25, 2012 |

If you have an interest in pelvic health, you’ll likely want to bookmark this post for reference! What an exciting year for Pelvic Guru! I started Pelvic Guru in mid-2012 with the goal of providing good information, injected with humor at times, regarding anything related to pelvic health. The amount of support and engagement on…

Desire Love and Intimacy, But Can’t Have Intercourse?

By Pelvic Guru | April 22, 2012 |

Desire Love and Intimacy, But Can’t Have Intercourse?

It is with great passion and sincere hope that I share this website link with you. There are so many patients we touch every day who crave love and intimacy, but feel isolated and alone because they cannot tolerate having full sexual intercourse. This happens to both men and women. For example- Some male patients have severely painful ejaculations or pain with any touch to the genitals; while women may not be able to tolerate vaginal penetration at all due to pain or adhesions/scarring from gyn radiation therapy. This is real, but we can help. If an individual’s goal is to have full sexual intercourse, then we want to aim treatment at achieving this. However, just remember that it may not be an end goal OR it just may not be realistic for that individual. Here’s another option.

This will continue to be a hot topic we will further explore in additional postings.

Here’s another link for the ABC story featuring this website: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cancer-survivor-creates-website-sex-love/story?id=14285437&page=2#.T5S3UO33DPA

Did You Know Physical Therapists Treat Chronic Pelvic Pain? Beyond Kegels!

By Pelvic Guru | April 8, 2012 |

When I, or one of my colleagues, say “I’m a pelvic physical therapist,” the usual reaction (if other than bewilderment) is “oh, so you help people with Kegels, huh?”. We then feel a surge of obligation and simultaneous delight for the opportunity to share the full array of services that we offer. Pelvic Physical Therapists…