Perimenopause and Menopause Therapy
Many women in the past were silent sufferers of the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. No more. Here at Garner Pelvic Health in Greensboro, NC, we help women dealing with symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms
Perimenopause may occur over a period of 7 to 14 years when there is a gradual decline of reproductive hormones in the body. Symptoms of irregular, painful, longer, or shorter periods with less or more bleeding can be noted. Additional changes occur silently, such as a gradual decline in bone density, physical stamina, weight gain, and interrupted sleep from hot flashes. Menopause is officially noted when a woman has not had her period for at least 12 months.
Fortunately, there is a great deal that we can do with FILM (Functional, Integrative, and Lifestyle Medicine) combined with pelvic PT to help – read about all the treatment options we offer below.
Here is a list of things we can address, paired with some of the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a starting point:
Change In Metabolism And Gut Health – We address lifestyle changes and consider lab work that is critical to pelvic and musculoskeletal health during menopause, such as but not limited to labs that measure hormone balance & metabolism, vitamins and minerals, blood sugar, and gut health.
Vaginal Dryness And Painful Intercourse – Let’s discuss topical lubricants and moisturizers, dietary changes, bio-identical hormone options, and other pelvic physical therapy treatments that address the microbiome and pelvic floor.
Brain Fog – We look at metabolic load, estrogen metabolism and hormone balance, as well as stress hormone levels; address sleep and stress management.
Loss of Muscle Tone, Leakage, And/Or Prolapse – This can include pelvic physical therapy and design of physical activity programming that is specific to your needs and conditions.
Relationship Health & Community Support – Consider psychologically informed physical therapy, mental health counseling referrals, or community resources as needed.
We work with a team of professionals to address your whole health, whether it includes mental health counseling or looking at whether bioidentical hormone replacement may be right for you.
Health Risks Associated With Perimenopause and Menopause
There are common risks and health issues associated with perimenopause and menopause, but there doesn’t have to be. We help by addressing:
Incontinence (Stress, Urge, Mixed, and Urgency/Frequency) – Pelvic floor rehab, including Bladder Retraining and Lumbopelvic Ultrasound Imaging
Constipation or Fecal Incontinence – Make changes to the diet; bowel retraining, optimizing gut microbiome through Lifestyle Medicine
Prolapse – Imaging Biofeedback, Pessary Fitting, and Pelvic Rehab
Sexual Dysfunction, Painful Periods, &/or Heavy Bleeding – Pelvic floor rehab, Functional and Lifestyle Medicine Treatment
Cancer of the Reproductive Organs – Regular Screenings, Self-Examination, Lifestyle Medicine Treatment
Heart Disease – Smoking Cessation, Aerobic Exercise. Stress Management, Dietary Counseling as part of Lifestyle Medicine Treatment
Osteoporosis – Weight Bearing Exercise, Lifestyle Medicine Treatment
Kypho/Scoliosis – Specialized Physical Therapy for Curvature Correction
Diabetes – Lifestyle Medicine Treatment to support long-term health
Depression – Look at contributing factors such as inflammatory biomarkers, activity level, vagal tone, and other biomarkers via Functional and Lifestyle Medicine Treatment.
Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis – Medical Therapeutic Yoga, Pilates, Thai Chi and other mind-body medicine
Some women may feel relief to not have to worry about menstruation, cramping, bleeding, or unwanted pregnancy.
Depression Associated With Perimenopause and Menopause
Depression during the transition, may come from the development of situational questions about our future, and by the gradual hormonal changes that are occurring.
We may be thinking about our meaning in life. What is my future, what should I be doing? In our middle years, there may be additional stressors such as job expectations, finances, retirement, and caregiving for a parent. What will I do when I am an empty nester?
Many women have not been educated about how their bodies are changing. Women may also experience difficulty in honoring and valuing their own, and many contributions to society.
We can take control over our futures, by knowledge, education, and self-actualization.
How We Help Women During This Time
At Garner Pelvic Health, we help you navigate the symptoms of peri-, meno-, and postmenopause through a whole-person evaluation of strength, flexibility, joint mobility, and biometric measurements. We start with a thorough medical history and an Integrative Lifestyle assessment with includes Functional Medicine screening.
We perform external and internal examinations of the pelvic floor, low back, pelvis, and hip joints, utilizing non-invasive techniques such as Rehabilitation Ultrasound Imaging.
Ways We Help Our Patients
- Perform physical exams that evaluate the entire body, including the head, neck, and jaw, because they influence pelvic health, and all joints are impacted by menopause.
- Evaluate and discuss your dietary and fluid intake, which affects the bowel and bladder.
- Analyze sleep, stress, joint movement, and breathing patterns.
- Retrain the pelvic floor and accessory muscles of the spine and hip.
- Help you work through psychological stressors with PIP (psychologically informed physical therapy).
- We are also a trauma-informed practice, so all our care is provided with knowledge of how to approach and handle trauma experiences.
- Use advanced techniques like rehab ultrasound imaging and/or pessary fitting.
- Work with our team to make appropriate referrals and make sure we find the root cause of your symptoms, which can often be hormonal or biochemical. Functional Medicine helps us determine and treat root cause.
- Provide education for self-management of bowel, bladder, and menopausal changes.
- Make appropriate referrals for additional care or lab testing. We work with an amazing team that minimizes wait times, cost, and maximizes care efficiency and compassion.
Contact Us Today
Taking care of yourself and learning to maximize your well-being is important. One can not ignore the changes in our lives as we approach our middle years. We are here to support you in your journey. Remember, each additional year in your life has promise ahead. If you’re ready to get started with therapy to help you with perimenopause or menopause symptoms, contact us today. The doctors at Garner Pelvic Health in Greensboro, NC, are happy to help you!