Beyond Exercise: A Digital Solution That Spurs Functional Pelvic Wellness

What Our 12-Week PelvicSense Study Participants Taught Us

To assist practitioners who care for women with Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD), Endometriosis, and Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD and those individuals who suffer from these diagnoses, we are thrilled to share insights from our recent 12-week participant survey. While we prepare to release the complete quantitative data and manuscript of our medical research study, the qualitative feedback is too powerful not to share immediately.

About the Study: Structure and Access

To ensure the scientific validity of our data, vetted participants in all three cohorts first completed several validated questionnaires that assessed pain catastrophization, sexual function, and quality of life status. They were then given free 3-month access to the online (web & app) pelvic healing home program. 

Critically, participants were also instructed to continue their usual care with their physicians and/or physical therapists throughout the 12 weeks.

This design enables us to appreciate the program's profound impact as an evidence-based, concurrent tool that complements—rather than replaces—traditional medical care.

The message from our participants, spanning these diverse diagnoses, is consistent: chronic pelvic healing is not a single fix; it's a journey of integrated mind and body work.

Our participants confirm the immense value of the PelvicSense biopsychosocial model, which emphasizes the concurrent use of three Core Components: Learn, Rewire, and Move.

It's Not Just Exercise, It's Empowerment

We asked our participants to identify which components of the program were most helpful to them on their journey. The overwhelming answer was that all three are necessary and work "hand-in-hand" to drive change, regardless of their specific diagnosis. This cohesiveness is the foundation of true healing.

Here is the powerful three-part narrative our participants shared, explaining how they moved from chronic pelvic distress/pain to confident self-management:

1. The Learn Component: Overcoming Fear with Knowledge

For many of our users, chronic pain is defined by fear, avoidance, and worry, especially with sensitive conditions like PVD, Endometriosis, and PGAD. The education modules are designed to offer knowledge and hope. Teaching pain neuroscience provides evidence that healing is possible, it directly addresses the brain's "danger alarm," and enables our brain and body to learn new, healthy patterns for pelvic wellness.

As one participant noted, the module was "incredibly important to understand the why of the pain." This intellectual clarity provided the essential emotional groundwork, giving them the "belief in healing" needed to move past fear and start changing their relationship with their body.

2. The Rewire Component: Calming the Nervous System

If the Learn module provides the map, the Rewire module provides the tools to navigate the stress. Chronic pelvic pain keeps the nervous /immune system in a constant state of "upregulation"—a fight-or-flight mode that perpetuates tension and pain sensitivity, which is common across all three conditions studied.

The guided audios with soothing music proved to be profoundly transformative. Participants described them as "very effective," "calming," and "powerful and impactful" for easing anxiety and stress. The simple act of consistently using the Rewire audios allowed users to achieve a "more normal at ease state," creating the physiological space for healing to occur.

3. The Move Component: Restoring Body Trust

Once the nervous system achieves a calmer state, the immune system can produce more anti-inflammatory molecules, and the mind receives assurance that the body can move safely and gently. The Move module's gentle, progressive exercises were seen as the "most tangible thing"—the physical proof of their progress.

Crucially, the body exercises felt "comfortable, non-threatening," paramount for chronic pelvic pain sufferers. The exercises were not just about stretching and strengthening muscles; they were about teaching the brain that movement is safe. This foundational, trust-building movement practice, combined with breathing, completes the healing cycle, empowering users to feel confident about their physical well-being.

The Power of Alliance Across Conditions

The most impactful takeaway from the survey is that the three components are not a menu of options; they are an integrated formula. Whether managing pain, urgency/frequency, inflammation or distressful non-sexual arousal, the success lies in the alliance—as one participant noted, "all three components are necessary" and work "hand-in-hand." This integrated approach empowers individuals managing complex, overlapping pelvic conditions to find a way towards profound, lasting relief. 

We look forward to sharing the quantitative data on pain reduction, anxiety relief, and functional improvement across the PVD, Endometriosis, and PGAD cohorts very soon!