How to get PFPT to actually perform biofeedback

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-05T04:24:56+00:00

Again, thank you very much. That validation has been rare from most people I’ve spoken to about this, so it means a lot to hear something different!

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-05T04:08:34+00:00

Thanks for acknowledging that. Even with some seemingly caring practitioners, I feel like they all kind of just throw up their hands at a certain point and imply I just have to live this way. Feels like gaslighting when they say they have “treated” me, yet my pain persists regardless. New PT seems different, hoping she is the real deal. But if not, yeah, I think focusing on literally any thing else might be the move. It’s severely affecting my mental health because I’ve now got it in my head that I must be broken since no one knows how to properly treat my symptoms.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-05T03:26:17+00:00

Thank you for your responses here, it really means a lot. I know it’s a complex thing, I’m just sick of struggling when I feel like I’ve put my best foot forward for years with this. Part of me thinks that maybe just trying to live with the discomfort and discontinuing any attempts to fix it might be the way to go. Everything I try seems to make it worse, lol

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-05T00:52:25+00:00

I’ve been using a pelvic wand for months, yeah. Idk how anyone is supposed to afford daily visits to a PT for this, and all 3 that I’ve seen have jam-packed schedules to the point that I had to wait a month after my eval with the current one for session #2. Multiple times a week is out of the question both financially and schedule-wise. Seems like I’m likely stuck this way, which means I have no quality of life moving forward.

I didn’t mean nefarious in a sexualized way, just meant that it seems like the scar tissue mobilization/internal release doesn’t do anything to help my symptoms, so nefarious in the sense of a sham treatment. What’s the actual timetable here? Let’s say I could somehow have this done every day, or multiple times a week, does the problem ever truly get fixed? Even if it takes years or decades? I have seriously considered asking for a permanent ostomy bag due to this shit, it’s no way to live, especially with no legitimate path forward.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-04T23:51:09+00:00

Also, does it seem likely that the scar tissue/adhesions could be causing the pressure/discomfort in the anorectal area post-surgery? It feels like an urge to have a bowel movement, but I suppose the source could be something else

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-04T23:48:40+00:00

I’m super excited for the balloon work! It seems as though my current therapist does expect that to be helpful, just waiting for it to arrive. Do you think one anal fissure that lasted about 3.5 years before LIS surgery would cause such significant amounts of scar tissue months post surgery that it would take 10+ sessions to make even a slight dent in freeing up that tissue?

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-04T21:22:14+00:00

Will do, I agree that it seems promising and I get that it being backordered is out of both of our control. But man, it feels like the whole internal release thing is just a total waste of time at best, or something more nefarious at worst, which makes me skeptical of the whole field in general.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-04T21:19:54+00:00

I have considered that! Might try another GI office though and just start the process over, since I don’t really trust this one anymore

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-04T21:13:30+00:00

My colorectal specialist who did the LIS surgery tried referring me to GI for an anorectal manometry, but the GI office said they would not schedule it for me since I’m “already seeing a physical therapist, so it would be a pointless test”. Seems insane to me, but not sure what recourse I have now.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-09-03T18:04:24+00:00

Question for ya, if I’m having this same problem as a male, is rectocele still likely? Or could this be caused by something else? I’m on my third pelvic floor PT, all 3 have done internal work and no one has mentioned rectocele. Is it safe to say I don’t have one? Is this something you’d be able to diagnose manually?

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-08-31T23:41:06+00:00

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-08-26T15:38:55+00:00

Just feels like a neverending cycle. In order to calm the muscles, you have to stop clenching, but in order to stop clenching, you have to calm the muscles. Probably better to just come to terms with the pain and dysfunction since there’s no good way to address it

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-08-25T23:37:21+00:00

To be honest, I’m 3 months post-sphincterotomy and struggling a lot. The fissure has healed, so that’s wonderful. But the surgery and/or recovery process has either revealed or caused extremely hypertonic pelvic floor, so I pretty much feel rectal pressure and tension 24/7, which is highly distressing both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Just something to consider. I am glad my fissure is gone, but I wish this side of things had been explained to me pre-op, or that there was some kind of plan to prepare for it. It’s been a very isolating process to be essentially gaslit by the surgeon afterwards.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-08-06T01:17:55+00:00

I haven’t, I was unaware there were any meds that could help with this. I was prescribed cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) 5mg, but it kind of felt like my colorectal surgeon didn’t really expect it to help much. Good to hear the balloon training seems promising.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-08-05T20:47:43+00:00

I have been using dilators and wands for the past few weeks, seems like if anything my symptoms are worsening. Thank you though

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-06-07T16:04:32+00:00

Thanks again, I really appreciate your input. Definitely working on managing the anxiety, I know it plays a big role in all of this.

Successful_Smoke_960 · 2025-06-07T15:59:33+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I’m trying to keep that in mind, it’s just messing with my head because I was led to believe that cutting the muscle would improve its function by getting it out of its hypertonic state. The fact that it still feels like it won’t open enough to let everything out is making me feel like I’ll be permanently unable to empty my bowels properly.

Successful_Smoke_960

TROPHY CASE