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A Media Mosaic: Articles and Podcasts featuring PHRC

In Pelvic Health by Emily Tran

By PHRC Admin   Over the course of the years here at Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center, we have had numerous opportunities to collaborate with other professionals in the field. This blog is a compilation of the various articles, podcasts and resources we wanted to put in one place for you to be able to check out! Article Reviews ‘Just …

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Recovering Postpartum: Pain and Perineal Tears

In Pregnancy/Postpartum by Emily Tran

BY PHRC Admin Team All those who are pregnant and/or postpartum can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy given the crucial role these muscles play during delivery and how prevalent dysfunction is after birth. Pelvic floor physical therapy reduces the risk of pelvic organ prolapse, urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction and pelvic pain. Similar to other diagnoses we treat, many …

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How First-Line Therapies for Endometriosis Impacts Your Pelvic Health

In Endometriosis by Emily Tran

By Alexa Savitz, DPT, PHRC Pasadena   Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is mediated by estrogen and can present as cyclic/non-cyclic pelvic pain, low back pain, GI and IBS symptoms, painful sex , infertility, painful bladder symptoms, fatigue and chronic pain, to name a few. The gold standard for diagnosis is laparoscopic excision surgery with histological confirmation.    …

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Let’s Talk Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions

In Pelvic Pain by Stephanie Prendergast

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Pasadena   Pelvic pain knowledge is improving, but not as quickly as desired by suffering patients. Many of our page followers might have some or all conditions shown. Researchers and NIH now term them Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs). Imagine if these symptoms and diagnoses were interconnected. Endometriosis, diagnosed via surgery biopsy, often overlaps …

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Unboxing Menopause

In Menopause/Perimenopause by Stephanie Prendergast

It’s time for the FDA to remove the outdated and misleading boxed warning label on local vaginal estrogen. 75 million women in menopause are being held back by outdated and misleading FDA warnings on local vaginal estrogen—a proven, safe, and effective treatment for GSM symptoms like tissue thinning, painful sex, and recurrent UTIs. Despite overwhelming support from scientific studies, this …

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Dry Needling- How It’s Relevant To Pelvic Health

In Pelvic Health by Elizabeth Akincilar

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Let’s Talk Dry Needling What is dry needling? If you’ve ever found yourself asking this question, then this is the blog for you! This week we’re diving into dry needling to give you everything you need to know! From definitions, to variations, to the differences between dry needling and acupuncture- We’re covering it …

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Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: Diagnosis and Subtypes

In Interstitial Cystitis by Jandra Mueller

By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas September is Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) Awareness Month! This diagnosis deserves attention! Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), is a chronic pelvic pain condition affecting an estimated 12 million people in the United States, and a diagnosis that we see all too often. Despite its prevalence, the causes of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome …

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A Guide to Relaxing Your Pelvic Floor

In Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Cambria Oetken

By Cambria Oetken, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village   What is the Pelvic Floor? The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that form a supportive “sling” at the base of your pelvis. They help control the collection of and release of urine, feces, and gas, they support pelvic organs, and the muscles contribute to sexual function. Just …

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Success Story: Overcoming Perineal and Testicular Pain

In Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Male Pelvic Pain by Amanda Stuart

By Amanda Stuart, DPT, PHRC Los Angeles   Did you know that September is Chronic Pelvic Pain Awareness Month? Whether you have pelvic pain or need to treat pelvic pain, this blog will be following the success of one our patients and their time in pelvic floor physical therapy. Fact: Research shows that up to 16% of men suffer from …

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Understanding Pelvic Venous Disorders: A Common Cause of Pelvic Pain

In Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, pudendal neuralgia by Jandra Mueller

By Jandra Mueller, DPT, PHRC Encinitas & Guest Author Julie Baron, DPT, CSCS, PCES Having been a pelvic floor physical therapist for over twelve years, I can count on one hand the amount of times I have seen this diagnosis; yet, some sources say it is the second leading cause of chronic pelvic pain. Of the patients I have seen …

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Neuropathic Pain in Pelvis: Q&A

In Pelvic Pain, pudendal neuralgia by Emily Tran

By PHRC Team   Several different nerves that supply the pelvis can cause neuropathic pain (nerve pain). We’re going to review a bit of what is involved with neuropathic pain, how to treat neuropathic pain, and follow up with all the questions we received on the topic! The pudendal nerve is probably the most common nerve that causes neuropathic pain …

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Neuropathic Pelvic Pain: Beyond Pudendal Neuralgia

In Pelvic Pain, pudendal neuralgia by Stephanie Prendergast

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder PHRC Pasadena   Many people experiencing burning in their pelvis or pain while sitting may google their symptoms and quickly arrive at a diagnosis of Pudendal Neuralgia. The pudendal nerve is an important pelvic nerve, however, the ilioinguinal nerve, the obturator nerve and the genitofemoral nerves can also cause pelvic pain and should not be …

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Pelvic Health Products We Love – Part 2

In Pelvic Health, Uncategorized by Jandra Mueller

By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas   We are back with an update on so many more cool products and tools to help you along your pelvic health journey. In case you missed it, part one of this series focused on some fun tools to help with improving pleasure and sexual health. Today we will present you with tools …

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Understanding the Vaginal Microbiome and its Impact on Health

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Health by Amanda Stuart

By Amanda Stuart, PT, DPT, PHRC West Los Angeles   The vagina, like the gut, hosts its own ecosystem of microorganisms, known as the Vaginal Microbiome (VMB).  When there’s a disruption in this ecosystem (dysbiosis), it can lead to various infections affecting genital and reproductive health.  These infections may include bacterial vaginosis (BV), aerobic vaginitis (AV), cytolytic vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis …

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Common Pelvic Floor Health Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

In Bowel Dysfunction, Menopause/Perimenopause, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Pain by Elizabeth Akincilar

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack The pelvic floor plays a significant role in several crucial functions, including bowel health, sexual function, and balance. However, certain common habits and misconceptions can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. Did you know we were featured in an Insider magazine article? Let’s review these common mistakes and hopefully give you a few ways …

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Success Story! Jackie’s Postpartum Recovery at PHRC

In Pregnancy/Postpartum by Alexa Savitz

By Alexa Savitz, DPT, PHRC Pasadena   Meet Jackie! Jackie, six months postpartum, came to PHRC experiencing heaviness, pressure, muscle spasms around the rectum, and pelvic pain near her right hamstring and sit bone. She had a vacuum-assisted vaginal birth and a Grade Two Perineal Tear. Despite being ‘cleared for activity’ at her six-week check-up, her pain persisted. After consulting …

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Pelvic Health Products We Love – Updates in Products 

In Pelvic Health, Uncategorized by Jandra Mueller

By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas   Here at PHRC we regularly discover all sorts of new and cool products that are available for people’s pelvic health needs. I am amazed at some of the products available and that are being developed and am so thankful there are people that are creating these products because they are SOOO helpful! …

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6 Unexpected Reasons to See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

In Bladder Dysfunction, Bowel Dysfunction, Interstitial Cystitis, LGBQT Healthcare Rights, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health, Pregnancy/Postpartum by Stephanie Prendergast

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Pasadena   Urinary leaking during sneezing and coughing is common. Constipation affects millions of people. Irritative bladder symptoms plague women at multiple points in their life for a number of reasons, and bother men too. If one stops to think about orthopedic surgeries for broken ankles and shoulder dysfunction, why isn’t pelvic floor physical …

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Success Story! How Josh recovered from Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS)

In Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Male Pelvic Pain by Cambria Oetken

By Cambria Oetken, PHRC Westlake Village     June is Men’s Health month, and men suffer from pelvic pain too. Research shows that up to 16% of men suffer from Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) at some point in their life. However, we suspect this number is lower than the actual prevalence because it is so commonly misdiagnosed as a …

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Pride Month and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Part 2!

In LGBQT Healthcare Rights by Danae Narvaza

Pride Month and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Part 2! By Danae Narvaza PT, DPT, PHRC Encinitas Cis-gendered people who have sought help for pelvic floor dysfunction will tell you accessibility and awareness makes finding the right help harder than it should be. June marks Pride Month and to celebrate we want to shed light on another underserved population seeking help: …

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Pride Month and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy!

In LGBQT Healthcare Rights, Transgender Pelvic Health by Danae Narvaza

Pride Month and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy! By Danae Narvaza PT, DPT, PHRC Encinitas Cis-gendered people who have sought help for pelvic floor dysfunction will tell you accessibility and awareness makes finding the right help harder than it should be. June marks Pride Month and to celebrate we want to shed light on another underserved population seeking help: the transgender …