I began having pelvic pain in college with my first severe episode occuring on a job interview! In a cold sweat and with severe pain, I couldn’t make myself walk to leave. A kind lady at the office took me to the only place I could lie down-a storage closet-I was so humiliated! When I could get on my feet, she urged me to go to the ER and I suffered even more humiliation when the ER doctor sarcastically asked “Honey, don’t you know what period cramps are?”

I saw a female gynecologist, thinking she would be more sympathetic. After the world’s quickest exam, she simply said my exam seemed normal and she was perplexed. No real diagnosis, no other testing or explanation of what she thought was wrong with me. So, off to another doctor who stood with his hand on the door knob, obviously interested in getting to the next patient, not in understanding how this was affecting my life (I was trying to finish college and working 2 jobs).

Moving on to physical therapy school at Emory, I continued to have problems. After a terrifying night of nearly unbearable pain, my instructor insisted I go to the clinic. After seemingly endless pelvic exams, I was hospitalized and diagnosed with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Again, no one really had an answer as to why this happened or what to do about it other than to put me on birth control.

After returning to Knoxville I finally found a wonderful doctor who seemed to understand my symptoms and gave me a diagnosis-endometriosis. He explained what it was, did laparoscopic clean out and experimented with the right hormones to control my horrible periods and pain. I was subsequently diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) as well. I was already treating lots of pregnant women but I wanted to give hope to those with more chronic problems so I began to explore the complications of pelvic pain and it, indeed has become my passion.

After attending the International Pelvic Pain Society meeting last fall, and seeing the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic, I am more determined than ever to help find ways to manage the pain and dysfunction associated with diagnoses like PCOS, endometriosis and others. If you can identify with this story, please make an appointment to find out how physical therapy can help you!

Patti Green, MPT, OCS, CMPT, Certified Pelvic Specialist
Kramer Physical Therapy

Photo by: Ian Schneider