By Stephanie Stamas
As a pelvic floor physical therapist, the number one question I get asked is, ‘How did you get into this type of therapy?’ (usually in a very confused tone) I never have a good answer for them – I don’t have a good story or personal experience. In fact, when I first heard about pelvic floor therapy I said to myself – there is NO WAY I will ever do that. But it stuck in the back of my mind and less than a month later that I was signing up for my first internal examination course. I was terrified on my way to the course, anxious about getting so up close and personal. But much to my surprise I left feeling totally empowered! I walked away from the course confident in myself as a woman and ready to dive into working with this population. When I’ve asked other therapists about their experience, I get such similar responses! Why is this?
My theory is that women know so little about their own anatomy. Growing up we’re taught that things are weird, complicated and sometimes even ugly “down there.†It’s portrayed as a forbidden zone of the body that the less you know, the better. Ladies – this is not true! How are we supposed to love ourselves and grow into the best of ourselves if we don’t even know the basics of our body? I think all this course offered me was just basic knowledge about the female body. But with that knowledge came power and confidence, and this is the confidence that I desire for all women around me.
So ladies, I’m dedicating one whole Pelvic Health 101 lecture just for you! We’re going to dive deep into the vulvovaginal anatomy, get into the nitty-gritty about hormones and periods, discuss good vulvar health tips and start feeling comfortable in our own skin! New spots have just opened up for this class so sign up here before they’re all gone!
