I came to this clinic for pelvic floor therapy, while managing complex chronic pain, fibromyalgia,…read moreand ongoing issues around the thoracic area in my back, right hip and leg. I was very transparent during my evaluation about my limitations -- especially pain in my right femur and hip, and other parts of my body exacerbated by the fibromyalgia.
The young lady at the front desk was friendly and helpful in scheduling my appointments. Unfortunately though, the rest of my experience was incredibly disappointing. I just had 2 sessions in total, which were more than enough for the bad experience.
During my first session, I was in visible pain and discomfort, and I showed it and expressed it clearly. Yet, after the evaluation part, the therapist often seemed more focused on another client in the room, engaging in long conversations while giving me minimal direction. Instead of clear, personalized instructions, she silently demonstrated movements for me to copy while having a conversation back and forth with the other client -- without looking at me, speaking to me, or checking if I was doing them safely or correctly. It felt impersonal and awkward -- like I was just there in the background.
During the second session, despite my visible pain, which I expressed again verbally and physically, I was put through repetitive lower body movements and leg exercises that made things worse. By the next morning, I was in excruciating pain and, thankfully, had an appointment with my pain management doctor. He diagnosed hip bursitis, likely triggered or worsened by the session, and I had to receive an ultrasound-guided steroid injection; for which I needed to stop the sessions for that whole week.
I sent a detailed message to the therapist the day after, explaining what happened and asking for guidance. I even called the clinic to make sure the message was received. It took almost a week to get a response -- which was a two-sentence message minimizing it as "a lot of muscle soreness." She didn't acknowledge the diagnosis, the injection, or my experience.
What's especially frustrating is that this therapist claims to have fibromyalgia herself, and I expected a level of understanding and compassion. What I received instead was a rushed, impersonal, and dismissive experience -- and worse, a physical setback. At that point it was obviously clear that I needed to cancel all my future appointments in that clinic, and look for real help somewhere else.
I hope this feedback encourages the clinic to reflect on how patients with chronic pain and complex conditions are treated. Pelvic floor therapy is intimate, vulnerable, and requires individualized, attentive care. I didn't receive that here, and it left me in worse shape than when I arrived.
