Health Blog

Book Review: Vagina Problems: Endometriosis, Painful Sex, and Other Taboo Topics by Lara Parker

In this emotional tell-all, Lara Parker dives into what it’s really like to live with pelvic pain. Lara is a Deputy Director for Buzzfeed, the online news and entertainment website. In this industry, it’s important to keep a fast pace which is hard to maintain when...

Dyspareunia vs. Vaginismus: What’s the Difference and How Can Pelvic PT Help?

One of the most common diagnoses we treat at our clinic is dyspareunia or pain with intercourse. A related diagnosis and one that can co-exist with dyspareunia is vaginismus. While dyspareunia is a symptom (pain), vaginismus represents the inability to have vaginal...

How Much Fiber Should We Consume Per Day?

It seems that the older we get, the busier our lives become. When time is of the essence, it’s so much easier to grab a snack or a meal on the go and not think as much about the nutritional benefits. If we take into consideration our busy lifestyles, our food choices,...

Pudendal Neuralgia

Across all genders, we all have two pudendal nerves - one that serves the right side of the pelvis and one that serves the left. This nerve, when irritated, is hard to ignore. The pudendal nerve supplies sensory and motor signals to the perineum and genitals. More...

Fecal Incontinence, Self Help & Physical Therapy Interventions

Let’s settle in and get comfortable with talking about poop. As pelvic floor physical therapists, we talk, among other things, about peeing and pooping all day long. Our goal is to normalize these discussions because while many people experience bowel dysfunction,...

Postpartum Return to Running & Exercise – Myths, Facts & Exercises – Part 2

Now that we’ve cleared up some of the popular myths about returning to running post-partum, let’s discuss some early exercises you can begin to do to work on pelvic floor strength, core strength, lower extremity strength and over all mobility. IMPORTANT NOTE: These...

Postpartum Return to Running & Exercise – Myths, Facts & Exercises – Part 1

At Pelvic Therapy Specialists we work with a variety of patients who experience low back, hip, and pelvic dysfunction. A large subgroup of our patients includes post-partum women who are eager to get back into exercise. Living in such an active area creates additional...

What is Diastasis Recti? Myths, Tests & Self Help for Moms

Have you been pregnant or are you currently pregnant? The big buzz term around pregnancy is “diastasis recti.” This term describes the separation of your abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis or “six-pack” muscle) during and following pregnancy.

Tailbone Pain & Healing Coccydynia

Does that pesky “little” tailbone hurt when you sit for prolonged periods of time? Do you experience a deep ache around your tailbone? Is your tailbone sensitive to touch and painful with intercourse, bowel movements, and menstrual cycles? You could be suffering from...

Pregnancy and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Are you expecting? Did you know that pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) can be a great way to prepare your pelvic floor and vaginal tissues for delivery? It can also decrease your chances of becoming incontinent postnatally! As your body goes through so many drastic...

Low Back Pain & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Are They Connected?

Experts have estimated that as many as 80% of the American population suffer from low back pain (LBP). This diagnosis is one of the most commonly treated diagnoses within the physical therapy world. So, what does low back pain have to do with pelvic floor dysfunction...

Pro Tip: How to Relax Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

When we experience pelvic/perineal pain that can include but is not limited to pain with sitting, pain with penetrative or non-penetrative intercourse, pain with urination or defecation, or any generalized pain in the space between pubic bone and tailbone, the most...

Hormones & the Female Reproductive System – Part 2

The verdict is still out on this, however there have been promising results of managing our hormone levels through diet and mindfulness practice. As a follow-up blog from our last entry, let’s recap on the predominant hormones within our bodies: 1) Estrogen: known as...

Pro Tip: Toilet Positioning

You may have thought that as long as things are flowing and going, you have no issues when it comes to proper toilet positioning. We aren’t here to interrupt this process, however those of you who are experiencing any of the following, we have some quick tips to help...

Hormones & the Female Reproductive System – Part 1

Oh the joys of having a female reproductive system, am I right? With a fully functioning, uninhibited reproductive system, females have the joy of menstruating every month. So, what happens? What does it all mean? And what role do our hormones have on our cycle?...

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – What is it?

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is also known as Stein-Levental Syndrome. In women of reproductive age, it happens to be one of the most common endocrinopathies with an estimated prevalence of 3-15% of all women. PCOS is the result of excessive androgen synthesis...

Vulvar Care – Part II.

Just like young girls are often told to wash and clean their vulvar tissue (see part I), they’re often NOT told to examine their own tissue. Examining your own vulvar tissue should be as normal and routine as self-breast examinations. There are various conditions that...

Vulvar Care – Part I.

I was always told as a young girl to make sure I washed “my privates” when bathing. To be clear, and to also use the proper anatomical terms, this means cleaning my vulvar tissue. A woman’s vulva is the externally visualized skin tissue between your legs and between...

Discomfort with physical intimacy or sitting? It may be Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia is pain of the vulva that has been going on for at least 3 months, without a clear cause or objective physical findings to explain the symptoms. The pain may be spontaneous, or provoked by touch. In addition to experiencing pain with vaginal penetration,...

Endometriosis – Can Pelvic Floor PT Help?

5.5 million reproductive-aged women in the United States have received an endometriosis diagnosis, which is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. This diagnosis is associated with severe and chronic pelvic pain that is typically...

Let’s Get Slippery

Let’s talk about lubricant! Many of us don’t think too much about the substance that can make intercourse much more enjoyable. While lubricant may be able to reduce painful sex, you should be aware that it can also disrupt the vaginal pH and microbiome. The same can...

Stop the Leakage!

There are so many ads nowadays that target men and women who have urinary incontinence. It’s definitely a common issue, but what really starts to aggravate me is when it is normalized. To be clear, it is never normal to leak urine. At any age. Another common myth we...

Prostatitis: What Is It & Can Pelvic PT Help?

Hydration for the Win!

hydrated and drink water throughout the day.Every. Single. Day. Water is so important for so many reasons, including keeping our bladder and bowelsfunctioning efficiently. If we aren’t drinking enough water, we can start to feel...

Going to the Bathroom Often?

Do your friends and family comment on how often you go to the bathroom? Do you tend to always run to the bathroom right before you leave to go somewhere, evenif you just went in the last hour (or less)? Are you unable to get a restful night’s sleep because you are...

Feeling the Burn When You Urinate?

Burning with urination, frequent/urgent sensations to urinate, discoloration of urine,and change in mental function/clarity are all common symptoms of a urinary tractinfection (UTI). UTIs occur among both women and men and therefore this blog post isfor everyone! The...