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Insurance, Hormones, and the Help You Need

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Health by Emily TranLeave a Comment

By PHRC Admin   Let us help you untangle something that should be so simple yet is not and continues to be a problem for many; accessibility to healthcare that thousands across the nation need and could benefit from. There exists a notable disparity in the healthcare sector, often overlooked. It’s the inequality faced by individuals going through menopause when …

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How Pelvic Floor PT Helps Men’s Health & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

In Male Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health by Melinda FontaineLeave a Comment

By Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Did You Know….   Pelvic floor exercises are equally effective as sildenafil (Viagra) in treating erectile dysfunction. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help incontinence, erectile dysfunction, post void dribbling, overactive bladder, premature ejaculation, and pelvic floor tension myalgia. Erectile dysfunction is associated with twice as much absenteeism, decreases in work productivity, and decreases …

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How to Tackle Pelvic Pain, Joseph’s Success Story

In Male Pelvic Pain by pelv_admin1 Comment

As physical therapists, we often refer to our patients’ last day with us as Graduation Day. I always enjoy Graduation Day because it means the patient has accomplished their goals; their symptoms have reduced, they are able to function without limitations, and they are leaving as happier, healthier individuals. To put it plainly, they don’t need me anymore. It is …

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What’s new in research and clinical care for “Prostatitis” aka male Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS)?

In Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome by Stephanie Prendergast5 Comments

By Stephanie Prendergast, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   If you are a man suffering from what feels like ‘prostatitis’, this blog and our upcoming informational event is for you.   Did you know?…   10% of men experience prostatitis-like symptoms at some point in their lives. 97% of these men do not have a prostate or bladder infection yet are …

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Make Erections Great Again

In Male Pelvic Pain by Joshua Gonzalez, MD4 Comments

  By Dr. Joshua Gonzalez   As a sexual medicine specialist, I spend a good deal of time talking about erections. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is actually a pretty common problem. Estimates of the prevalence of ED range from 9% to 40% of men by age 40, and generally increase by 10% with each decade thereafter1. ED affects approximately 30 million …

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Pelvic floor physical therapy helps men after prostatectomy

In Male Pelvic Pain, Post-Surgical Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation by Melinda Fontaine2 Comments

By Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek   What would men’s health month be without a blog about prostate cancer? One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Will this number be affected by the recent change in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s change in recommendations on screening for prostate cancer? What happens when …

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When Getting It Up Gets You Down: Erectile Dysfunction and Your Pelvic Floor

In Male Pelvic Pain by pelv_admin2 Comments

As many of us reading this blog can attest, pelvic pain can be an issue that leaves us feeling not only physically uncomfortable, but emotionally/mentally drained and isolated. Often, by the time many people get seen by a physical therapist, they have been mismanaged by other providers, leading to increased frustration among other things. Men, in particular, seem to be …

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Physical Therapy for Male Pelvic Pain: Don’t Let the Penis Come Between Us

In Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast26 Comments

  By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles The Situation Room: Why do men have to see Women’s Health Physical Therapists?   The facts:   15% of adult men worldwide suffer from pelvic pain. 1   8.2% of men will experience prostatitis-like symptoms at some point in their lives, and greater than 90% of those men will have symptoms …

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Playing with your sex hormones with Propecia use can play with your sex life

In Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

“If you “play with sex steroid hormones” using finasteride (propecia) – the goal of finasteride (propecia) is to reduce the synthesis of the sex steroid hormone – dihydrotestosterone – then you will likely “play with your sex life” – as sexual function is very much related to sex steroid hormone levels”, says sexual medicine expert and urologist Dr. Irwin Goldtsein. Propecia (aka …

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Is it still Prostatitis if my cultures are negative?

In Male Pelvic Pain by pelv_admin18 Comments

Chronic Prostatitis! It’s not something discussed at a baseball game or at a family gathering. However, it is estimated that between 2-14% of men worldwide are diagnosed with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS)1. But what exactly is CP/CPPS? According to the National Institutes of Health, CP/CPPS, also known as category III prostatitis, is characterized by pain in the pelvic …

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When should Men do Kegels?

In Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast12 Comments

  By Stephanie Prendergast When should men do Kegels? As pelvic floor PTs who treat men, this is a question we often address in our clinics. Recently, the question of men and Kegels has hit the mainstream with both the New York Times  and Dr. Oz tackling the topic, among others. So I thought it a perfect time to address …

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Pelvic Pain and Sex: Not Great Bedfellows

In Female Pelvic Pain, Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast17 Comments

By Liz Rummer Akincilar Chronic pain can put a damper on anyone’s sex life no matter the location of the pain, but pelvic pain impacts a patient’s sex life on another level. The reason for this is that the pelvic floor plays a major role in sexual functioning. For instance, if you have vulvar burning or post-ejaculatory pain, you’ll understandably …

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The Case of Male Pelvic Pain, Painful Sex

In Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast8 Comments

History Ben is a 32-year-old male whose chief complaints are: right testicle ascension and sometimes associated pain, which started after he began using the hip adductor machine at the gym. His symptoms are worse post ejaculation or with strenuous activity, such as biking or playing tennis and remain for 20 to 30 minutes. He has a history of constipation and …

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Stephanie talks to New York Times about Male Pelvic Pain Issue

In Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast1 Comment

On Sept. 12, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) posted a new rule on its website prohibiting gynecologists from treating men. A few conditions were listed as exceptions; however, pelvic pain was not one of them. So writes the New York Times in an article published Dec. 10 titled “Men with Pelvic Pain find a Path to Treatment …

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Q&A: Post-Op Pelvic Pain, Kegels for Erectile Dysfunction, Scar Tissue and More

In Female Pelvic Pain, Low-Tone Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Male Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast and Elizabeth RummerLeave a Comment

As the blog grows, we continue to get important questions from our readers. In this blog post, we’re going to tackle a handful of the recent questions that have come our way. If you have a question of your own, please take the opportunity to post it in the “comments” section of this blog. Pelvic Floor Relaxation: Beyond the Drop …