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Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for a Pelvic Floor PT

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health by pelv_admin5 Comments

By admin   According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, “a trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care organizations and care teams need to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective health care services with a healing orientation.” In the image we have listed a few …

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A Kenyan Pelvic Health Physical Therapy School Scholarship 

In Pelvic floor physical therapy continuing education, pelvic floor physical therapy mentoring, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack The Jackson Clinics Foundation was formed in 2012 to fund educational efforts in East Africa. To date the foundation has sent over 100 faculty members from their clinics and from around the country to teach in east and central Africa. Some of the best and brightest physical therapists in the United States have …

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Hormonal Prepartum Changes and Postpartum Complaints

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Health by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   Hormones play a vital role in day-to-day function. They allow for the organs to communicate with each other so that we can filter toxic waste, grow muscle, sleep well . . . . and even grow a human! Let’s take a look at what happens during pregnancy: Estrogen goes up, elevating …

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A Q&A About Clitoral Pain

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles & Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack   What are the possible causes of clitoral pain? How can each of these things cause it?   There are several possible causes of clitoral pain. This list of causes is not exhaustive, but are the most common causes of clitoral pain. It could be …

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Pelvic Hip Pain, A Patient Success Story

In Endometriosis, Female Pelvic Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Emily TranLeave a Comment

By Jillian Giannini, DPT, PHRC Pasadena, Jennifer Keesee, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village and Emily Schwerdtfeger, BA, PHRC Westlake Village “I’m the exception, right?” “It could never happen to me.” Emily is a 25 year old female that has had left hip pain for five years now. She describes her hip pain as:   Achy or sharp  In front of L …

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National Condom Week: History, Facts and Pointers

In Pelvic Health by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack   This week we’re celebrating National Condom Week; which gives us the perfect excuse to educate our community about the correct use of and important precautions to consider when using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.   Condoms, aka male sheath, johnny, rubber, raincoat, cock sock, or the English riding …

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Announcing Virtual Pregnancy + Postpartum Pelvic Health Services

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Health by Molly BachmannLeave a Comment

By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco   Virtual appointments are now available for those who are pregnant and postpartum! We are excited to offer this service to birthing people around the world. Whether you are pregnant and are interested in learning more about how to prepare your body for birth or need help developing a birth plan and …

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How pelvic floor physical therapy helps men with pelvic pain

In Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Male Pelvic Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Lexington In the past, when most folks in the medical community thought about pelvic pain, the assumption often was that it was due to pregnancy or labor and delivery, or something related to a woman’s menstrual cycle or reproductive organs. Thankfully, the medical community has come a long way. Within the community of medical …

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Good News! Interstitial Cystitis is treatable! A Much Needed Q&A

In Female Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome, Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, pelvic floor physical therapy by Stephanie Prendergast1 Comment

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, PHRC West Los Angeles   What is Interstitial Cystitis? IC is a pelvic pain syndrome characterized by irritated bladder symptoms. This condition is associated with painful sex, pelvic floor dysfunction, vestibulodynia, endometriosis, and gut dysbiosis. What are the symptoms? Symptoms include bladder pain, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, pain worsened with bladder filling, nocturia, and dysuria. The …

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Working on mind over bladder? Urine good company

In Female Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome, Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, pelvic floor physical therapy by Molly BachmannLeave a Comment

By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco   Urination is one of the most reliable body functions a person can have. You go about your daily routine, you receive a little message to your brain that says “Hey there! It’s me, your bladder. We’re pretty fully down here. Do you think you could empty me?” You listen to your …

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ICYMI: IG Live with Sexual Medicine Expert Rachel Rubin

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Vulvodynia by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, PHRC Los Angeles   A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Rachel Rubin on Instagram Live. I wanted to interview Rachel because of her unique background as a board-certified female urologist who completed a sexual medicine fellowship with Dr. Irwin Goldstein. Dr. Rubin is a clinician, a researcher, and a vocal educator …

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Dear Doctor, Your Patients are Human; An Open Letter

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Emily TranLeave a Comment

By Emily Schwerdtfeger, PHRC Westlake Village Admin Assistant A patient submitted this letter following their personal experience with patient care   An open letter to any doctor who’s ever seen a patient. To patients who have experienced something similar, I’m sorry and you didn’t deserve it.   “I understand that doctors have limited time with patients and that medicine is …

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Is Your Vagina Healthy? How to Tell Healthy from Unhealthy

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Health by Jandra Mueller2 Comments

By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas Here is the situation, you have irritation down there, you go to your doctor, she performs her exam and tests, she swabs you, then you get the call… your cultures came back negative. Here is what your GYN may have missed. Many women experiencing pelvic pain, urinary, and sexual dysfunction often have pelvic …

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 Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Helps Pelvic Organ Prolapse

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Pelvic Pain by Jillian GianniniLeave a Comment

By Jillian Giannini, DPT, PHRC Los Angeles Did you know that Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)is  more common than you think and that the severity or stage of the prolapse does not always correlate with symptoms? One review found that 41 – 50% of women had POP on examination, though only 3 – 5% of women report symptoms. Many people understand …

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EmBODYment

In Uncategorized by pelv_adminLeave a Comment

By Maryssa Steffen, DPT, PHRC Berkeley Have you ever noticed the relationship between your feelings and your bodily sensations? For example, have you ever noticed that gut-wrenching feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you know something is wrong, or you just got bad news? Or your heart rate suddenly increases when you get scared or nervous? …

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More on Mindfulness for Pelvic Pain Relief

In Pelvic Pain by Shannon PacellaLeave a Comment

By Shannon Pacella, DPT,  PHRC Lexington   What comes to your mind when you think about the word mindfulness? Perhaps a sense of calmness. Maybe serenity or focus or peacefulness. All of these would apply. Or maybe you have no idea what mindfulness is; if that is the case then check out this blog post first: What is Mindfulness and …

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Treating the Whole Person: Trauma-Informed Care Part 2

In Pelvic Health by Jillian GianniniLeave a Comment

By Jillian Giannini, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village Just like it was discussed in our previous post  it is not within the scope of practice for a physical therapist to treat trauma; however, educating yourself on ways to implement trauma-informed care can help you to provide a safe and conducive environment for a patient’s path to healing.    In a 2018 …

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A Second Look at Pudendal Neuralgia.

In Female Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome, Male Pudendal Neuralgia, Post-Surgical Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation by Stephanie Prendergast39 Comments

By Stephanie Prendergast, PHRC Cofounder I treated my first patient with Pudendal Neuralgia in 2002. As a young, excitable pelvic floor physical therapist, I was on a mission to help people suffering from pelvic pain and thought it would be just like what they said in PT school: stretch, strengthen, achieve goals, discharge. So when my patient began treatment for …

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Off the Press! The Pink Pill and Other News

In Female Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast3 Comments

By Stephanie Prendergast It has been an eventful few weeks in pelvic health news! We’ve summarized the top stories and included our commentary. “Pelvic pain may be common among reproductive-age women, NIH study finds.” From the National Institute of Health Article summary: Pain reports were highest for women with endometriosis, however ⅓ of those without any pelvic condition also reported …