By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, PHRC Pasadena Here at PHRC we help people recover from irritative bladder symptoms with pelvic floor physical and occupational therapy. Bladder symptoms plague millions of people on a daily basis and anyone suffering can explain how much the symptoms compromise their quality of life. Multiple terms and diagnoses have been used to describe bladder symptoms …
Recovering Postpartum: Pain and Perineal Tears
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 …
Let’s Talk Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions
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 …
Unboxing Menopause
It’s time for the FDA to remove the outdated and misleading boxed warning label on local vaginal estrogen. 75 million women in menopause are being held back by outdated and misleading FDA warnings on local vaginal estrogen—a proven, safe, and effective treatment for GSM symptoms like tissue thinning, painful sex, and recurrent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 …
Neuropathic Pelvic Pain: Beyond Pudendal Neuralgia
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 …
6 Unexpected Reasons to See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
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 …
Recognizing Pelvic Pain Awareness Month
Recognizing Pelvic Pain Awareness Month By PHRC TEAM May is recognized worldwide as Pelvic Pain Awareness Month, an observance that aims to raise awareness about pelvic pain and encourage education, research, and advocacy. Despite the prevalence of this condition, it often remains underdiagnosed and undertreated due to lack of awareness and understanding. The entire team at the Pelvic Health and …
Stephanie Prendergast is accepting new patients in Pasadena!
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Dear Patients and Colleagues, Change is a constant part of life, and after ten rewarding years in West LA I have made the decision to transition to PHRC’s Pasadena location. I started to fall in love with Pasadena when I opened this location in 2022, though I never imagined we would move …
You Are Invited to a Vulvar Pain Educational Fundraiser!
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center cordially invites you to an exclusive fundraising and educational event in honor of Pelvic Pain Awareness Month! We extend our heartfelt invitation to join us in lending support to two vital nonprofit organizations that rely on your generous contributions to sustain their impactful initiatives. One of these organizations is Tight Lipped, a dedicated patient …
Dealing with Clitoral Phimosis
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Clitoral phimosis, while not widely discussed, is a condition that affects many worldwide. It’s characterized by the formation of adhesions or scar tissue that covers the clitoris, causing discomfort, pain, and sexual dysfunction. Understanding and managing this condition can significantly improve the quality of life for those affected. Contact Us What is …
Menoposium LIVE | Chicago!
Join Let’s Talk Menopause on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 for our second annual half-day, IN-PERSON menoposium – this year in Chicago! Learn from leading experts how perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause can impact your body, mood, sleep, sexual/urinary health, and long-term health. Discover strategies for navigating these changes, including menopause hormone therapy. This Menoposium will dive into symptoms of and …
Insurance, Hormones, and the Help You Need
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 …
Article Review: Birth Control Pills Linked With Depression
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; …
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 …
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 …
Why Everyone In Menopause Deserves Pelvic Floor PT
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Our muscles are hormonally sensitive structures and weaken over time as we experience hormonal decline. In addition, the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction rises and the combination of these two scenarios can cause people a fair amount of grief. A recent study showed 95.3% of people with lumbopelvic pain also had …
Symptoms of PFD & the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles As people age, circulating hormones decline and pelvic floor dysfunction rises. The combination of these changes can cause unnecessary suffering and distress. The unfortunate news is that most people do not realize their symptoms may be related to hormonal deficiencies & musculoskeletal issues. However, the good news is both scenarios …
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 …
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 …