Having Pain with Well-Woman, Annual, or Pelvic Exams? Watch This!

Read the article I wrote about painful pelvic exams: https://www.pelvicempowerment.com/pain-with-pelvic-exams/ Need a pelvic provider in your area? Search here: https://pelvicrehab.com ? Check meowt on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelvicempowerment/ Pelvic medical exams, whether performed by a gynecologist or pelvic pain specialist, can be scary. Especially when these exams are physically or emotionally painful. Healthcare can be difficult to navigate, as there is often an imbalance of power between the healthcare provider and the patient. My intention in making this video is to empower you with words and tools to use before, during, and after these exams for less physical and emotional pain. In summary: 1. You are in charge of your body. 2. There are medications, like muscle relaxants and topical lidocaine, that may decrease pain with these exams. Talk to your doctor about whether or not they would be appropriate for you to use before your appointment. 3. A smaller speculum exists, called a child’s or “pediatric” speculum. You can ask your doctor to use it instead of the adult speculum. 4. You can ask your doctor which tests are necessary for you annually, and which tests can be done less often. Ask specifically about pap-smears and STD-testing to decrease the amount of time your doctor uses a speculum. Don't forget, you can also ask your doctor to use one finger instead of two for the manual exam. 5. After your exam, take care of yourself! Finally, if you are having painful pelvic exams and you aren’t seeing a pelvic physical therapist... Check us out! Often a painful pelvic exam does not occur in isolation. Perhaps you also experience pain with periods, or tampon use, or penetrative sex, or tight clothing, or pelvic pain in general. Pelvic physical therapy can be a wonderful option for women with any of these symptoms.