By PHRC Admin Depression, a common and serious medical illness, affects how we feel, think, and handle daily activities. In recent years, there’s been growing concern over the potential link between hormonal birth control and depression. Join us for a review of an article linking Oral contraceptives (OCPs) to depression! We thank Fiona Riddle for writing on this topic; …
10 Tips to Decrease Your Pelvic Pain
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Pelvic pain can significantly impact your quality of life, but there are steps you can take to decrease or minimize this discomfort. In this blog, we will discuss 10 tips that can help alleviate pelvic pain and promote overall pelvic health. Put a stool under your feet when having a bowel …
An Unsettling Reality Exposed by “The Retrievals” Podcast
By PHRC Admin & Co-Author Cecilia Plaza, J.D Have you listened to The Retrievals podcast series? In a world where pain is subjective, women often find themselves marginalized, dismissed, and even ignored when it comes to their own experiences of pain. This issue has recently been brought to light through a thought-provoking podcast called “The Retrievals,” hosted by Susan …
Vulvodynia: Do’s, Don’ts, + Symptom Management
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles The diagnosis of Vulvodynia can be confusing, scary, and overwhelming. Studies show that vulvar pain affects as many as 1 in 3 women at some point during their lives and the medical community is finally getting better at diagnosing and treating it! ‘Vulvodynia’ simply means pain in the vulva. We consider …
Dermatomes: Let’s Get Into It
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles At PHRC we love anatomy! As physical therapists we have advanced training in the neuromuscular systems of our body. Knowing where things come from and where things go help make us expert diagnosticians and treatment providers! Here is insight into which nerve roots are responsible for sensation in our pelvis. As …
Understanding Chronic Pain: A Journey Through Unseen Struggles
By PHRC Admin In a world where we’re accustomed to physical discomfort being temporary, it’s hard to imagine what living with chronic pain feels like. It’s not just an ongoing ache or discomfort. It’s a complex, multifaceted experience that can seep into every aspect of life, making even the simplest tasks daunting. Explaining chronic pain to someone who hasn’t experienced …
Clitoral Pain: Unmasking Common Culprits
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles The sole purpose of the clitoris is to be a source of pleasure. For anyone who has experienced provoked or unprovoked clitoral pain their experience can be the opposite and very alarming. There are a number of reasons why people may have clitoral pain and there are also solutions. However like …
Everyday Activities Supported by Pelvic Floor Muscles
The Unsung Heroes: Everyday Activities Supported by Pelvic Floor Muscles By PHRC Admin While often overlooked, the pelvic floor muscles are unsung heroes that play a vital role in supporting everyday activities. These muscles, located at the base of the pelvis, provide structural support to our internal organs and facilitate essential functions. In this blog post, we will explore …
2024: The Year of the (Pelvic Floor) Dragon
By PHRC Admin Welcome 2024, goodbye 2023! It’s been another year full of changes for Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center. With the start of the new year, we would like to acknowledge all of the changes that have occurred both virtually and in person. Last year….. PHRC Walnut Creek moved into a bigger, better space! PHRC Ohio opened …
Demystifying Pelvic Floor Disorders
By PHRC Admin Pelvic floor disorders are a group of medical conditions that affect millions worldwide. Despite their prevalence, these disorders often remain undiagnosed and untreated due to lack of awareness and social stigma. In this blog post, we will summarize key information from an article by Today’s Woman that our cofounder, Stephanie Prendergast was interviewed for. We …
Success Story: Exploring the Clinical Presentation of CPPS
By Lauren Rogne, PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco The case of the mysterious pelvic pain – Exploring the clinical presentation of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) Background Ben is a 35 year old with sudden onset of urinary tract-like infection symptoms, including urinary frequency, urgency, pain and burning. He visited his doctor, and his urinalysis came back negative …
Updated 2023 Virtual Services
By PHRC Admin Team Did you know that the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center offers a variety of virtual health services? Often people do not understand their symptoms until they stumble upon our website, blog, or social media channels. Some people have a diagnosis but they do not have a pelvic floor physical therapist locally to help them. …
PHRC is accepting new patients in Columbus, OH!
By PHRC Admin Team The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is excited to announce that we are now accepting new patients in our newest location in Columbus, Ohio! Let’s be real, pelvic floor physical therapy is needed everywhere. Since we opened in San Francisco in 2006 we have been honored to help patients from all over; which has now …
Embracing Sexual Health Awareness: Chronic Pain & Intimacy
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village September marks Sexual Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of sexual health and well-being. One often overlooked aspect of sexual health is the impact of chronic pain on intimacy. Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic pain, and it can significantly affect their relationships and sex lives. In …
Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis/ Painful Bladder Syndrome
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS) is considered a chronic overlapping pain condition (COPC) and it is common, affecting up to 12 million people in the United States alone. The good news is – it’s treatable! Symptoms of IC/PBS can include, but are not limited too: Urinary urgency, frequency, and …
Misconceptions About Pelvic Health And The Truth About Them
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village When it comes to overall health, there is one area that is often overlooked or under-discussed: pelvic health. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the importance of taking care of their pelvic floor muscles, and they pay little attention to the myriad of issues that can arise from poor pelvic health. To help …
Dyspareunia: Symptoms and Associated Conditions
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles What is dyspareunia? A high number of people with a vagina suffer from painful versus pleasurable sex, including before, during or after sexual encounters. Superficial dyspareunia refers to pain at the opening of the vagina, whereas deep dyspareunia refers to feelings like something is being ‘hot’ or painful, deeper inside. …
Biomechanical Evaluation for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction & PF Functions
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles To start, there are various functions we can thank our pelvic floor, but let’s get into the MAIN functions: Part of core muscles The pelvic floor supports your core muscles: transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, and the external oblique muscles. The PFM tends to act reflexively when we’re using our core …
What to Expect at a Prepartum/Postpartum Evaluation
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles During prepartum/postpartum evaluations, a physical therapist will take an extensive medical history. Following the history, the PT will perform a thorough external and internal musculoskeletal exam. Your evaluation should include: Musculoskeletal: An assessment of structure, muscles, tissue, joints and manual evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles. We can identify problematic …
It’s National Men’s Health Week!
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles National Men’s Health Week is held each year from June 8-14, and it is a time to raise awareness about the health of men and boys. This year’s theme focuses on the importance of preventive care, early detection, and treatment of medical conditions. Men tend to avoid doctor visits, with …
A Kenyan Pelvic Health Physical Therapy School Scholarship
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 …