Isn’t it time we take back our power? ~Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS
The healthcare system has historically been focused more on men than women, especially regarding women’s sexual and pelvic health. Women often receive a dismissal or are told “you’re just emotional,” or the “pain is in your head.”
At the same time, some MDs believe that women are overreacting to extremely painful conditions like sexual pain, leaking, and pelvic organ prolapse!
After treating over 15,000 women and enduring my own Doctor Road Show for my pelvic pain, I can tell you that these stories are true. The truth is that even today, the medical system marginalizes and discriminates against women when it comes to their sexual and pelvic health.
As a result, many women suffer in silence because they don’t feel like they will be believed or taken seriously by their doctors. It’s time for the healthcare system to start taking women’s sexual and pelvic health seriously.
Did you know:
– Until the 1990s women were pretty much excluded from clinical studies of drug efficacy (1, 2)
– When visiting an ER for a heart attack, women are more likely than men to die (3)
– Many traditional medical devices and implants are designed based on a man’s anatomy (4)
And that’s not all… In fact:
– A 2014 survey showed that 91% of women with chronic pain felt discriminated against by the healthcare system (5)
– Men wait an average of 49 minutes before receiving pain medicine for acute abdominal pain. Women wait 65+ minutes for it — or don’t receive it at all. (6)
– Women are less likely to be prescribed opiates for pain in the ER — despite having the same pain index scores (7)
– Women are more likely to be sedated than given pain medication (8)
– In 2016, researchers found that women suffering from chronic pain are more likely to be misdiagnosed with mental health issues and prescribed psychotropics — as doctors dismissed their legitimate concerns as “hysterics.” (9)
>> These aren’t stories from 100 years ago — this is happening right now.<<
So in this article, I’m going to shed some light on the top 8 things your gyno didnt tell you about your vagina and how to heal naturally without harmful drugs, surgeries, gadgets, or gimmicks. READ ON…..
Gyno Scenario #1 – The Numb Vagina
Woman Tells Her Doctor: “Doctor my sex life just doesn’t feel the same. I feel like I can’t feel anything down there. I feel numb and like I am just going through the motions. I have lost all interest in sex.”
Typical MD Advice:
Go home and do more Kegels that should liven things up down there or better yet relax and have a glass of wine.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
The common misconception that doctors have is that you need to do more or harder Kegel exercises to have better orgasms, leak less, or have less pain but the solution starts with taking care of yourself and re-connecting to your pelvic floor muscles.
You can’t strengthen the vaginal-pelvic floor muscles when your brain isn’t talking to them, and right now, women need guidance in reconnecting to their vaginas. Many women suffer from vaginal tension contributing to sexual dysfunction. So don’t worry about doing any particular type of Kegel at all; instead, focus on finding different kinds of mind-body practices that help you to reconnect to your pelvic floor. The Reverse Kegel is a great exercise that helps heal sexual dysfunction by bringing more circulation and lubrication to the vulva-vaginal muscles and nerves. Discover the truth about Kegels by attending my Free V-Core Secrets Workshop.
Gyno Scenario #2 – The Aging Bladder
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor this is embarrassing but as soon as I hit menopause I started leaking every time I cough, sneeze or play with my grandkids. What is happening to me?”
Typical MD Advice:
You’re aging and leaking is a normal part of going through the change. I recommend a pill and if that doesn’t work a surgery. “Leaking as you age is normal. Go home and do your Kegels”
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
Leaking and pelvic floor problems are common but not normal or acceptable. You CAN improve and end leaking by doing the right types of Kegels and Reverse Kegels to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Wearing pads and diapers can create more problems and lead to vulva skin breakdown, UTI (urinary Tract Infection), and even a strong smell (a genuine concern). So before you try any surgery or take any pill, go to the “V Core” Secrets Workshop and start learning more about strengthening your pelvic floor and bladder.
Gyno Scenario #3 – The Menopause Pooch
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor ever since I started going through menopause I look pregnant and I have a pooch that doesn’t get smaller no matter how many crunches I do.”
Typical MD Advice:
If you have a Diastasis Recti or abdominal separation this is a serious issue and you need to go see a plastic surgeon to get it corrected.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
Diastasis Recti Abdominal Separation (DRA) is a separation of the six-pack muscles (outermost layer of ab muscle) at the linea alba. The linea alba is made of fascia ( the glue that holds everything together in our bodies). The fascia of the abdominal muscles and the fascia of the pelvic floor muscles are interconnected. So a DRA could be contributing to leaking, pain, and prolapse. Doctors will convince you that the only way to fix it is with surgery but this is simply not true. Through corrective core exercises and pelvic floor self-care, a DRA can be corrected giving back your body confidence and pelvic power.
Gyno Scenario #4 – The “V” Cacti Syndrome
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor my vagina feels really dry and sex hurts. What do you think is going on?”
Typical MD Advice:
Your vaginal is dry because you’re going through menopause. Here is an estrogen pill put it in your vagina and everything should go back to normal.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You
When the pelvic floor muscles are tense, tight, and or loaded with spasms, women can experience sexual pain and dryness in the vulva area. Women need to understand that simply putting medication in their vaginas will not heal the tissues completely because the muscles are holding on to the memory of the pain because they are too tight and too weak.
To heal sexual pain and dryness women should incorporate internal and external pelvic floor massages into their pelvic floor self-care. Pelvic massages improve flexibility, balance, and power of the vaginal muscles. Pelvic massages increase circulation can go to the pelvis, healing not only the skin dryness but also relaxing the pelvic floor muscles so that intimacy is not painful.
Gyno Scenario #5 – Loose Tissue Symptoms
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor my vagina feels so loose and wide down there.”
Typical MD Advice:
You will need to get surgery to tighten things down there. Kegels will not be enough to reverse this. Here is the name of a good surgeon. Let me know how it goes.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
The truth is that your pelvic muscles can tighten, tone, and restore their shape by doing Kegels, Reverse Kegels, pelvic massages, core work, and fascia work. A woman often feels that her pelvic floor is too loose because the fascia/pelvic floor muscles are too weak. Fascia is the glue that holds us together. It is made out of collagen, and the vagina is a neuromuscular tube made out of the fascia. To restore the looseness, you have to massage the fascia restore the fascia, and at the same time, you do a set of Kegels to restore the tone of the vagina.
Gyno Scenario #6 – The Itchy Vagina
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“My vagina is itchy and burns all the time. I feel stop scratching and it’s raw down there.”
Typical MD Advice:
It sounds to me like you have a yeast infection let me take a culture and in the meantime, I like you to start these antibiotics and call me in a day or two when I have your results.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
First of all, never take an antibiotic unless you absolutely know that you have a yeast or bladder infection. Many times women who experience vulva burning and itching down there that is persistent can be due to the fact that the pelvic floor muscles are simply too tight squeezing down on the nerves and on the muscles and infection. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve treated women who thought they had a yeast infection to pee antibiotics of Diflucan and ended up with no infection. instead, these women suffer from public floor tension and this tension needs to be resolved in order for this itchy burning feeling to go away in the way to resolve this is pelvic floor massage has reverse Kegels and doing other different types of bodywork.
Gyno Scenario #7 – The Bathroom Slave Syndrome
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor, I’m getting up to pee 3 times a night and during the day I feel like I live in the bathroom.”
Typical MD Advice:
I am not sure what’s going on here with your bladder but I think we should do some additional tests let’s get a urodynamics test done on you and any other kind of workout that we can do to find out what’s going on with your bladder.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
Women who go to the bathroom frequently or leak when they feel like they have to go to the suffer from Urge/Urge incontinence. Urge incontinence can be caused by trigger points (spasms) inside the vagina or trigger points external to the vagina throughout the pelvis and legs. Urge incontinence can also be caused by pelvic floor muscles that are too tight. No matter what is going on you can train your bladder back to health naturally by retraining your bladder, hydrating, and avoiding bladder irritants.
Scenario #8 – Something is Falling Out of me…Help
Woman Tells Her Doctor:
“Doctor, I feel like something is inside my vagina and when I stand for too long I feel my organs low in my pelvis.”
Typical MD Advice:
I think you have a pelvic organ prolapse and the only way to solve this is to get surgery ASAP.
The Truth Your GYNO Didnt Tell You:
A pelvic organ prolapse is many times is caused by instability in the pelvis contributing to tight, weak pelvic floor muscles and frozen fascia. When women start to do Kegels, core, and bodywork much of the pressure that is felt in the pelvis due to drop organs start to disappear. Before any woman goes under the knife it is important to focus on conservative therapy like Kegels, reverse Kegels, Fascia work, and internal massages. Healing your pelvic organ prolapse is possible.
Join me at my V Core Secrets Workshop to discover simple exercises that will help you to heal your prolapse naturally. Click here to get a seat now!
Celebrating Feminine Wisdom
Don’t be afraid of your feminine power and wisdom.
It’s time to step up and claim what’s rightfully yours: a life free of pelvic problems.
If you’ve ever suffered from prolapse, pain with intercourse, or if you’ve been leaking just a little bit every time you cough or sneeze, I’ve created a free masterclass just for you.
In The NEW V-Core Pelvic Power Workshop: Stop Leaking, Heal Prolapse, and Relieve Intimacy Pain In The Comfort Of Your Own Home, I’m teaching my secret methods to tap into your feminine power and live the life you’ve been dreaming of.
I’ll show you everything you need to know so that:
- You can walk out of the house with confidence — knowing you won’t have to stop and find a bathroom every 5 minutes.
- You can get rid of the pain and pressure you feel — and wear your favorite jeans again!
- You can enjoy intimacy with your partner
- You can actually heal your prolapse instead of enduring surgery
- You can throw all of those pantyliners in the garbage
We’ll be going deep into my most powerful lessons and you’ll walk away knowing more about your lady parts and how they work than most women on the planet.
But more than that, you’ll get a blueprint for success, an easy-to-follow plan that lays out the steps you need to take to find your happiness again.
I can’t wait to see you there!
References:
- “Examining Gender Bias in Medical Care | Cedars-Sinai.” https://www.cedars-sinai.org/research/news/cedars-science/2019/examining-gender-bias-in-medical-care.html.
- “Gender Bias in Medicine – SAGE Journals – SAGE Publications.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2217/17455057.4.3.237.
- “Patient–physician gender concordance and increased … – PNAS.” https://www.pnas.org/content/115/34/8569.
- “Evaluating sex differences in medical device clinical trials – NCBI.” 29 Feb. 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22378695.
- The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in … – SSRN.” 27 Feb. 2003, https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=383803.
- “Women in Pain Report Significant Gender ….” 12 Sep. 2014, http://nationalpainreport.com/women-in-pain-report-significant-gender-bias-8824696.html.
- “How much time is acceptable to spend waiting in the ER for ….” https://www.nwhn.org/much-time-acceptable-spend-waiting-er-women-often-find-pain-circumstances-seen-exaggerated-doctors/.
- “Gender disparity in analgesic treatment of emergency … – NCBI.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18439195.
- “The influence of gender on the frequency of pain and sedative ….” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00289259.
