“I just thought it was normal.” This is a phrase I hear from patients all the time. They are told by their friends, family members, or even their healthcare providers that the symptoms they are enduring are just a part of life – just deal with it.
New flash:
- Peeing yourself with (insert any activity here) after having a baby → common not normal
- Having pain with sex for months after having a baby → common not normal
- Struggling with constipation or incontinence after menopause → common not normal
- Having pain with sex when you have never had a baby → common not normal
There are many more examples but these are just a few of the most common ones I hear. It is SO important to recognize that just because a lot of people struggle with the same condition it does not mean you have to live with it. In fact, all of those conditions described above can be managed with lifestyle modifications and physical therapy in most cases.
I always tell my patients – YOU know your body best. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t, it is worth investigating, and it is NOT. IN. YOUR. HEAD. People have a tendency to feel or be labeled as “crazy” for worrying about something that does not feel normal, especially if medical testing shows that everything is “normal”. Here’s the deal – tight and weak muscles, restricted connective tissue, and chronic inflammation typically do not show up on imaging or blood work. They show up as symptoms like incontinence, pain, and gut issues.
So when and if you are told, “oh, well that’s just a part of being a woman/having a baby/getting old”, I challenge you to NOT accept that as an answer. Find providers who will LISTEN to you and will search WITH you. We are out there – I promise!
Onward & Upward,
Allison
Well + Woman 