Re-establishing Intimacy
“I started physical therapy with Michelle because I was having pain during intercourse. When my doctor suggested physical therapy, I was concerned that it would be another dead end with no results. My first appointment with Michelle I felt welcomed and safe. Michelle also took the time to speak to me about the anatomy of the pelvic floor muscles. I felt very comfortable and was more confident that PT was really going to help me. I looked forward to coming to PT. Most of all, I noticed a difference in how my body felt. I noticed a difference in how less the pain was becoming and how much control I had over my own recovery. Michelle also taught me things I could do at home to help increase the effectiveness of the PT. I started to feel like a woman and gained self confidence in myself. I loved working with Michelle. Especially with such embarrassing and sensitive issues, she always understood. She is very knowledgeable and comforting. We worked together to reach the same goals. I would highly recommend physical therapy with Michelle, she is a woman who understands ‘women’ issues and any woman could gain from her expertise.” –D. L.
“I thought my OB/GYN doctor was crazy for sending me to a PT for the pain I was having. I was very, very skeptical and cautious. I did my best to try and keep an open mind. I have to admit I felt like the most intimate part of my life was now an open book!!
"It took several weeks of hard work and feeling very uncomfortable at times, but I definitely improved and as a result my whole life had been changed by Michelle. Finally after months and months, my husband and I could have a 'normal' life together which I never thought would happen again.” --D. K.
Oftentimes, women who confide that they are having pain during intimacy, find lots of testing, very few answers and little hope. The same thing can happen when they express concerns about lack of sensation and climax. Both of these problems often have very concrete causes. Michelle, at Shellhaas Physical Therapy, has spent her professional career learning about and treating these causes:
“The amazing thing, that I find, about working with these clients, is that nine times out of ten, I can put my finger directly on the structure that is causing their pain—or give them a tangible reason that they aren’t experiencing as much pleasure as they could be. From there, we move forward with education, self-care and hands-on treatment to remedy the cause of their problem.
“All of the sudden, they have not only an explanation for something that has been plaguing their health and intimate lives, but a plan to get them back to ‘normal’. In the end, we’ve re-established, in some cases initiated the intimate life they have always wanted with their partner. I’ve even had clients who’d never been able to consummate their marriage, not only have ‘normal’ sex, but have enough of it to get pregnant!
“In the end, couples are able to enjoy the intimacy that comes from having an active sex life, rather than worrying about the impact of their less-than-satisfactory sex life on their relationship.
"I am honored to be able to participate in that process.”
Michelle L. Shellhaas, PT, DPT, CYT
Owner, Shellhaas Physical Therapy
"Physical Therapy Between the Navel and the Knees"