Don't I get Dinner First?

This is not hoodoo medicine. There are people who specialize in this. Everyone knows that PT is an important component in managing the spasticity that often comes along with this lovely disease. Spasticity manifests itself differently in different muscles different ways in different people. But it’s a common thread among ms patients.

I have been seeing a physical therapist for-wait for it-a spastic pelvic floor. It’s weird because it’s isolated on my left side. I had been getting nerve blocks in my ganglion impar (when people say you are getting on my last nerve, this is the one they're talking about) because I had surgery down there, the spine people attributed my pain to scar tissue enveloping the puedendal nerve, so a block of that nerve should help. And it did. But I knew it had to be ms related. I've experienced spasticity for a long time in other muscles, and you know what you know.

I happened to see a different practitioner at the spine place, and I was back to schedule another block. She asked me if I ever considered pelvic floor PT. I had, but didn’t know if anybody locally did that. She gave me the name of a woman who was trained in it. So i called. And I did.

I've had a couple of kids in a teaching hospital, and in the name of science if my doctor asked if I minded if residents and med students could use my nether regions for an anatomy lesson I said sure. I drew the line at the custodian, though, although one might have slipped through.

PT on your pelvic floor is like any PT. Isolate the muscles, identify the weakness, and do specific exercises to strengthen what needs to be stronger. Identify those muscles that are working overtime and learn how to relax them. Straight up PT, or maybe straight down PT. I have been twice and I am really pleased that it’s working. I cancelled my block because my pain was much more tolerable.

When we were done I met my husband in the waiting room. How do you feel he asked. Completely violated, I said. But in a good way.