This is an ever expanding list of books, blogs, and organizations to help educate and treat those with pelvic floor dysfunction

Why didn't I or my doctor know about Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

You're right. That stinks. Unfortunately, the world in general and the US in particular has been slow to find treatments for these conditions. Chronic pain, especially chronic pelvic pain, is still a new field of study. Many physicians are uncomfortable and unsure when treating these patients with pelvic pain syndromes.* Often patients are diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain only after long periods of testing or medical intervention. Especially here in the United States, where preventative care is slow to get support, we are behind the curve with treatment for these populations.
For example, in France, women are prescribed 10-20 sessions of Physical Therapy to rehabilitate the muscles of the pelvic floor after birth.
This program is paid for by French social security and was started in 1985! (we've got some serious catching up to do)
If your doctor is unaware of the power of pelvic floor physical therapy, check out the resources below to educate yourself and your doctor about pelvic floor PT! We need more research and we need to do better. 
*McGowan, L., et al. (2010). Is Chronic Pelvic Pain A Comfortable Diagnosis for Primary Care Practitioners: A qualitative study. BMC Fam Pract, 11(7)
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Books (& one great film)
  • Pelvic Pain Explained - by Stephanie Prendergast, PT & Elizabeth Akincilar, PT 
    • Great information and easy to read. Lots of further resources listed at the end of the book. Written by two San Francisco based PTs!
  • A Headache In The Pelvis - by Rodney Anderson, MD & David Wise, PhD
    • Really wonderful resource but with more focus on male diagnoses, specifically chronic prostatitis. This book is long and jumps around a lot, but provides excellent descriptions of the connection between the physical, emotional, and psychological components of chronic pelvic pain. 
  • Heal Pelvic Pain - by Amy Stein, PT
    • Good examples of exercises and treatment programs for pelvic pain.
  • Why Pelvic Pain Hurts - by Adriaan Louw, PT, Sandra Hilton, PT, & Carolyn Vandyken, PT
    • A very cool resource for nerding out about the nervous system, how pain works, and where pelvic organs and muscles can refer pain. 
  • Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind To Yourself - by Kristen Neff, PhD
    • For so many of us, we are our own worst critics. It can be surprising how much this constant negative feedback and stress can create physical strain and tension in the body. This book is an excellent resource if you have a sneaking suspicion that negative self talk may be affecting your life.
  • The Vagina Bible - by Dr. Jennifer Gunter,  MD
    • A comprehensive resource for everything vulva and vagina. This book is written in an accessible and empowering way, with great summary sections at the end of each chapter. 
  • Taking Charge of Your Fertility - by Toni Weschler, MPH
    • This book should be taught in every Sex Ed class. If you are considering getting pregnant, this book is for you. If you have questions about your cycle, this book is for you. This book covers pre-conception all the way through menopause. This book is BIG but don't let that stop you. Read the sections that apply to you! 
  • Expecting Better - by Emily Oster
    • This is THE book I recommend to pregnant women. There is so much misinformation and fear surrounding pregnancy. This book, written by an economist, does an excellent job assessing and summarizing the research on pregnancy topics, so that you can make informed choices for yourself. It's an engaging read that will give you more peace of mind and confidence during your pregnancy. 
  • Tightly Wound - by Shelby Hadden & Sebastian Bisbal
  • A short animated film that tells one woman's story of her personal experience with vaginismus. This film does a great job of delving into the emotional side of pelvic pain, including the feelings of isolation, shame, fear, and depression that are often associated with many pelvic pain conditions. 

Blogs
  • Jessica Reale, PT blog: https://jessicarealept.com/
    • This is a treasure trove of information. Jessica Reale is a highly regarded physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor dysfunction in Georgia. She is active in APTA's Section on Women's Health and a Herman & Wallace faculty member. Her blog is easy to read, supportive, and chock full of info about pelvic floor disorders and treatments, as well as recent research.
  • Pelvic Guru: https://pelvicguru.com/
    • Started by Tracy Sher, a pioneer of pelvic floor physical therapy. A wonderful resource, including a blog, directory of practitioners, and a really cool section on pelvic floor anatomy. 
  • As The Pelvis Turns: https://www.pelvicpainrehab.com/blog/
    • The blog for Pelvic Health & Rehabilitation Center in the Bay Area, which was started by the writers of Pelvic Pain Explained (see books section). This blog is more technical but includes a lot of interesting current research. 
  • Tamra Wroblesky, PT blog: http://sky-circles.blogspot.com/
    • This blog is no longer actively updated but still definitely worth reading. Tamra struggled with pelvic pain for over 7 years and her blog is a great friend to anyone who has dealt with the back and forth nature of recovery and relapse common to these conditions. Start from the beginning to get the full story. Spoiler alert: her experience led her to decide to become a pelvic floor physical therapist and she now has her own clinic in New Jersey!

Organizations
  • The National Vulvodynia Association: https://www.nva.org/what-is-vulvodynia/
    • A great resource for those with vulvar pain. Includes tips for vulvar self care, research, and a newsletter
  • The National Association for Continence: https://www.nafc.org/
    • A really beautifully designed, easy to navigate website. Check out their blog, it's great! There's even an article on The Best Bathroom Finder Apps!
  • APTA Section on Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthapta.org/
    • The American Physical Therapist Association's pelvic floor PT section. A great resource for practitioners and patients alike, with a very long directory of pelvic floor practitioners. (It has a blog too; everybody's doing it!)
  • Herman & Wallace: https://hermanwallace.com/
    • An excellent resource for practitioners and the source of many of the continuing education courses we need to get more pelvic floor physical therapists out there! (You were concerned that they may not have a blog, I know. Don't worry, I checked. They do)
  • Through the Looking Glass: https://www.lookingglass.org/

Meditation

Meditation and relaxation strategies are powerful tools to help with pelvic pain and chronic pelvic floor muscle hyperactivity
  • Carolyn McManus: https://carolynmcmanus.com/guided-meditations-free-downloads/
    • This website includes four free guided meditations that are just ten minutes each. Carolyn has a very soothing, lovely voice. This is great for those who find that guided meditation helps them avoid distraction while meditating. 
  • Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/
    • This website and app combo has tons of free meditation options to try and connects you with meditation teachers as well. You can search meditations based on the amount of time you have, by topics like sleep or self-esteem, or by teacher. Or, you can choose to set a timer and meditate on your own. They also let you pick what bell sound you would like to notify you of the end of the meditation. There are a surprising number of bell sounds to choose from...
  • Calm.com: https://www.calm.com/
    •  Most of this is paid content, but there are some free pearls here and wow is this a pretty website. I feel relaxed just looking at it. Available as an app as well of course. App includes relaxing music options too.
  • Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
    • Another website and app meditation combo. This guy's got a great accent and the app includes cute videos explaining the exercises and process of meditation. Free and purchasable content included. 

Resources for Moms

The postpartum period comes with a lot of new challenges. Here are some resources I've collected from my many wonderful postpartum clients!
  • Golden Gate Mothers Group - https://www.ggmg.org/
    • a San Francisco based resource for moms. This group has an annual membership fee, but includes a bunch of resources. You can get access to their forums to ask other moms questions, join playgroups, learn about events in your area, check out their blog, or get discounts from local businesses.
  • Main Street Mamas - http://www.mainstreetmamas.com/
    • Another great forum based resource for mothers, centered around Facebook groups in San Francisco and the East Bay. This group requires invitation by a member or being approved by one of the moderators. Per their website, the group has opened a storefront in San Francisco at the Stonestown Galleria and hosts classes and groups there!
  • Buy Nothing SF Families 
    • A series of Facebook groups for baby, kid, and family related free items. These groups are hyper local, depending on neighborhood, so look to see if there's one in your area!
  • Peanut - https://www.peanut-app.io/
    • ​An iPhone app best explained as the "Tinder for Moms". New moms can feel isolated and lonely, but this app allows you to search for other moms in your area who are interested in talking, meeting up, or having group play dates. It works just like Tinder: you set up a profile, look through other profiles to find moms who share your likes and values, and then get connected if you both match.  
  • Through the Looking Glass -  https://www.lookingglass.org/