Heaviness or deep ache when upright
It builds with standing, long walks, stairs or carrying, and eases when you lie down.
Postpartum pelvic pain can feel like heaviness when standing, sharp pain at the pubic bone, or a tailbone ache when you sit to feed. It’s a symptom with more than one possible source, so the first step is finding which ones are yours.
Pregnancy and birth change how the breathing muscles, abdominal wall, pelvic floor and hips work together. The pelvic floor and deep hip muscles often tighten to protect healing tissue. Perineal or cesarean scars can become tender and stiff. Lack of sleep and constant lifting can make all of it more sensitive.
My tool is dry needling, a form of acupuncture, aimed at the pelvic floor, hips, abdominal wall and scar areas. After birth, a guarding levator ani and obturator internus can press on the pudendal nerve. Needling those muscles aims to give that nerve space.
Most people have been told to rest, give it time and do Kegels, and some have tried pelvic floor PT. Imaging is often normal because it doesn’t show muscle tone or tender tissue. Kegels build strength, but a pelvic floor that is already tight may need to relax first. If PT is what you’ve had so far, dry needling wasn’t part of it, because New York bars PTs and chiropractors from doing it.
I ask about your delivery, how sitting, feeding and lifting feel, and what eases the pain. Then the exam:
I work alongside your OB, midwife and pelvic floor PT. If something I find points back to one of them, I’ll let you know and share the details.
Some discomfort is common during recovery, but pain that lasts, worsens or limits your day is worth assessing. Seek urgent medical care for fever, foul-smelling discharge, or heavy or worsening bleeding. The same applies to new leg swelling, shortness of breath, or numbness or weakness that is quickly worsening. Saddle numbness or new loss of bladder or bowel control also needs urgent care.
Not usually. Most postpartum pelvic pain involves muscle and nerve sources that don’t show on imaging. If your history suggests a medical complication, I’ll let you know and suggest checking in with your OB.
Sometimes, but not by default. If your pelvic floor is already tight and guarding, strengthening it first can add to the pain. It often needs to relax and coordinate before it’s strengthened, and a pelvic floor PT can guide that part.
It can be appropriate once your medical recovery is stable. I base the decision on your exam, how far along healing is, and how sensitive the tissue is. I avoid any area that is still healing.
I needle the pelvic floor, hip, abdominal and scar areas that reproduce your pain. Usually it’s a mix of these, since several areas tend to be involved after birth. Releasing the levator ani and obturator internus also eases the squeeze on the pudendal nerve.
That usually points to an irritated nerve, often squeezed by muscles around the pelvis or hip. I map where you feel it and which positions trigger it, then treat the surrounding muscle.
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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