Recent findings during my physical therapy

My physical therapist just took a class on vulvodynia and now has a lot of new techniques she'd like to try on me! She feels that now she understands the disorder better, but at the same time she feels that she has so much more to learn (as do I).

At her class she learned that for some women, vulvodynia can be made worse by connective tissue disorders. She did some new evaluations on me and discovered that my bladder, uterus, and rectum do not move around in my belly like they are supposed to. What I mean by this is she should be able to find my bladder and gently move it from side to side (same thing with other organs). Instead, my organs are stationary and don't want to budge...she has known I've had abdominal issues but couldn't quite figure out what was causing it, and now we know. My connective tissue in my abdominal and pelvic area has something wrong with it, which explains why the organs are stuck in place and also the tenseness of my pelvic floor.

In the small amount of time we had at my appointment, she did a few external "hold and release" techniques on my belly to try and get my organs to move freely. Amazingly enough, when she released her hands I felt like I could breathe. I can't even describe the difference that I felt. I never really notice having shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, but I felt like my belly was moving out so much farther when I took a deep breath after she did her new techniques. I could also actually feel my organs kind of moving around in there when I breathed. It felt really good to breathe like that!

So now my physical therapist wants me to come in for 1 hour sessions so she can get to everything she wants to try on me after learning new techniques. I have a little bit of hope now, especially after feeling the difference in my belly after she tried one of the new hold and release techniques on me. I do tend to carry my stress in my abdominal and pelvic areas so hopefully we're on the right track.

As far as internal goes, it is still extremely painful to have internal therapy, but I know it is for my best interest to do continue doing it. I have laid off the dilators recently because the burning has been very intense (goodbye lovely period, I'm glad you're over with now!).

I will keep you ladies updated; I hope these new techniques may be an answer for us!

I'm really trying to stay positive, the ups and downs are so extreme that the downs dominate my feelings most of the time, unfortunately.

Also, have any of you ladies heard about or had the surgery called a vestibulectomy? My physical therapist got to watch one on video during her class and told me more about it. She said it would be an option to me, but that we need to figure out all of my muscular dysfunction first. The vestibulectomy would supposedly alleviate the burning/rawness upon insertion, but I would still have pelvic floor dysfunction as of right now.

Ultimately I'm hoping that it will all go away forever and that none of us have to deal with this anymore! Wouldn't that just be great!

Connective tissue can get stuck, fasica surrounds everything in the body so if it gets stuck somewhere it affects alot of places. Fascia also has lots of nerves in it and causes burning if it's problematic. My connective tissue problem is the opposite to yours and too loose but it does play a part in anything musculoskeletal. It's good to hear it helped your breathing, breathing and the pelvic floor are closely related as the pelvc floor should move when you breathe. I tend to grip with my abs and restrict my breathing which obviously means my pelvic floor doesn't get the movement it needs and just stays rigid. Hopefully you'll make alot of progress!

Hi Sarah - I also have a problem with connective tissue - diagnosed as 'hypermobility syndrome' - have loose joints and tend to suffer acheyness because of it - also tore a meniscus in my knee. Have you any information on how loose connective tissue manifests in vulvodynia?
I am doing a postgraduate degree in Nutrition Science and have recently been learning about 'sulphation' which is one of the key metabolic processes in your body - sulphur is an important component of connective tissue and if sulphation isn't working properly your connective tissue doesn't form properly. Of course connective tissue is directly involved in the formation of vulvas and vaginas but what's also interesting is sulphation is also part of your body's detoxification process and if you are not doing it properly all kinds of other problems can manifest. So perhaps why people with connective tissue problems have other things wrong too.

egs of problems linked with compromised sulphation:

•Allergic conditions
•Alzheimer’s disease
•Autism
•Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
•Depression
•Food sensitivity
•Hyperactivity
•Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
•Migraine
•Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
•Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
•Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)
•Parkinson’s Disease
•Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

What can you do about it? Epsom salt baths 2 or 3 times a week, a cupful of salts and about 15 mins soaking time - sulphate is absorbed better through the skin than through the gut. And B vitamins to support the manufacture of sulphur containing cysteine (which if i remember right is important in building connective tissue. And an anti inflammatory diet (lots of veg, little red meat etc) to reduce the 'demand' on the body's sulphation processes.

so that's where I'm thinking at the moment - wondering whether y probs not just the physical formation of tissues but other process affecting pain/ inflammation..as I said would be interested in what you know about the vulvodynia / connective tissue link...