Top gynecologist dismissed woman’s post-birth pain as 'all in your head.' A women’s health physio found the real cause in 2 minutes

More often than not, a woman's physical pain is simply waved away by doctors. Broadcaster Ashley James became just the latest victim of that dismissal after the birth of her son. Suffering from debilitating postpartum pain, she sought help from a top gynaecologist, only to be told it was "all in your head." Relief only came when she consulted a women's health physiotherapist, who identified the real cause within two minutes. James used her experience as an example to explain how women's symptoms are written off on This Morning (@thismorning) on October 14, 2026, which amassed more than 61,000 likes.

Debilitating pain after childbirth

James shared that following the birth of her son, she had been experiencing painful, persistent, sharp pain that began interfering with her day-to-day routine, leaving her convinced that something had gone wrong during recovery. Suspecting complications from her stitches or lingering scar tissue, she booked an appointment with a leading gynaecologist, hoping for clinical and immediate answers. Instead of an examination and a constructive treatment plan, the specialist dismissed her physical agony, telling her, "I'm afraid it's all in your head."

Women's health physiotherapist

James pushed back on the verdict, pointing out that even if mental stress played a part, the physical distress ruining her daily life was undeniably true. "How can I get it out of my head?" she recalled asking the doctor. Frustrated by the dead end, she turned to a women's health physiotherapist named Marta, and the contrast was stark. Within two minutes of assessing her, Marta diagnosed her with vaginismus, an involuntary pelvic floor spasm sparked by birth trauma. Through targeted physical therapy, the clinician resolved the painful spasms almost immediately, proving the issue was entirely physical.

The broader gender health gap

James shared the incident following a recent study highlighted by one of the co-hosts on how routine medical bias remains for female patients, with doctors often telling them it's "all in their heads." According to the said study, women are 74% more likely than men to have their symptoms labeled as "psychosomatic." Historical underfunding in female health research leaves doctors ill-equipped to treat women, often reducing complex issues to lazy tropes where patients are told their agony is imagined or casually handed a birth control prescription. In fact, according to a separate study by KFF, 29% of women revealed that a doctor dismissed their concerns, with 15% not believing they were telling the truth.

It is a constant battle

Women in the comments shared this thought, describing how they all have experienced something similar. @menopause_doctor noted, "I hear from women being dismissed by doctors every day. It is harrowing." At the same time, @houseofyooni revealed, "I experienced this. My son almost died from severe pneumonia after being neglected by the paediatrician, saying that it was 'all in my head,' when my maternal instincts were screaming that something was wrong with my baby…"

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