Deep pelvic ache when sitting or driving
It often builds after 20 to 60 minutes and can linger for hours or into the next day.
Surgery may have gone well, yet sitting, bowel movements, a full bladder or sex still hurt. The ache can feel deep and bruised, and it can last into the next day. This kind of pain is a symptom with more than one possible source, and the endometriosis itself is only one of them.
After months or years of pain, the pelvic floor and hip muscles often learn to stay tight to protect the area. Scar tissue can stop the layers of tissue from sliding easily. Nearby nerves can become sensitive, so ordinary pressure and stretch register as pain.
I work alongside your surgeon and gynecologist, who manage the endometriosis. For the pain itself, I use dry needling, a form of acupuncture, on its muscle and nerve sources. Tight obturator internus and levator ani muscles can crowd the pudendal nerve, and releasing them gives the nerve room again. Years of pain can also leave the spinal cord turning signals up. To settle that, I needle at T10 to L1 and S2 to S4, which serve the pelvis. I also use electroacupuncture, fine needles with a gentle current, to help influence hormonal signaling and the nervous system’s control of the pelvic organs. Custom herbal formulas can support circulation, hormones and immune function.
Most people have had surgery, hormonal treatment and pain medication, and sometimes pelvic floor PT. Surgery removes lesions, but it doesn’t relax muscles that have guarded for years. Medication can lower the pain without changing how scars move or how sensitive the nerves are. Needling is also a different tool from PT, since New York doesn’t allow physical therapists or chiropractors to dry needle.
I ask what your surgery found, what sets the pain off, and how long it takes to settle. Then the exam:
I work alongside gynecology, your surgical team and pelvic floor PT. When something I find seems worth raising with them, I’ll tell you and pass my findings along.
Removing endometriosis doesn’t automatically relax muscles that have been guarding for years. Scar tissue and sensitive nerves can also keep pain going. These can be treated alongside the care your surgeon provides.
That’s a question for your surgeon and gynecologist, since recurrence needs their evaluation. My exam looks at the muscle and nerve sources of your pain. If something I see seems worth their attention, I’ll tell you.
Yes, I needle the pelvic floor muscles, though never internally. All my work here is external, including the hip and abdominal muscles tied to the pelvic floor. When internal work would help, I refer to a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Dry needling releases the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles pressing on the pudendal and ilioinguinal nerves. Needling at the spine helps when pain has spread more widely. Electroacupuncture and custom herbal formulas support the hormonal and circulation side. Most plans combine these, because endometriosis pain rarely has one source.
I time and adjust treatment around your surgeon’s restrictions and your stage of recovery. I avoid areas that are still healing. The aim is comfort and easier movement, without pushing tissue before it’s ready.
Contact your surgical team promptly for fever, changes in bleeding, or new numbness, tingling or weakness. Keep your surgeon and gynecologist updated as symptoms change. Pelvic floor PT can also help with strengthening and returning to exercise.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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118 W. 72nd St, Rear Lobby, New York, NY 10023
Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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