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 …
The Link Between Pelvic Floor Muscles and Sexual Satisfaction
By PHRC Admin The human body is an intricate masterpiece, and within its depths lies a source of immense pleasure and connection: the pelvic floor muscles. Often overlooked or underestimated, these muscles play a vital role in sexual arousal and orgasm. In this blog post, we will explore the wonders of the pelvic floor muscles and how understanding and harnessing …
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 …
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 …
As The Pelvis Turns: Top Blogs of 2023
By PHRC Admin Team As we find ourselves on the cusp of a new year, it’s time to take a nostalgic walk down memory lane and revisit the top blogs of 2023. This year has been a rollercoaster ride, filled with insightful discussions, enlightening discoveries, and inspiring stories from all across the globe. So, let’s wrap up the year …
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 …
Tarlov Cysts: Everything You Need to Know
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles What are Tarlov Cysts? Tarlov cysts (a.k.a. perineural cysts) are cerebrospinal fluid-filled sacs found near the nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal canal, most commonly in the sacral spine area (the lower back and tailbone). While it is not known exactly what causes these cysts, they have …
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 …
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 …
The Evolution of Pelvic Health: A Journey Through Time
By PHRC Admin Team Pelvic health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, yet it was often overlooked in the past. Today, we recognize the importance of this specialized field of medicine and the impact it has on millions of lives. Let’s take a trip back in time to explore how the field of pelvic health came to be. …
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 …
Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for a Pelvic Floor PT
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 …
The Jaw and Foot: Connections to the Pelvic Floor
Did you know that your foot can affect your pelvic floor? Foot and ankle positioning has an effect on the pelvic floor by influencing changes in muscle activation up the legs ultimately resulting in changes with pelvic tilt positioning. There are biomechanical changes from the ground up. The connection in brain mapping of motor and sensation- the genitals and …
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 …
Navigating Mental Health: Strategies for Managing Your Mental Well-Being
By Emily Tran, PHRC Admin, Westlake Village Pelvic pain can be a source of significant stress and anxiety for individuals. Living with chronic pelvic pain can often lead to feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and even depression. It’s important to recognize the impact pelvic pain can have on mental health. Here are a few ways mental health can affect pelvic …
Iliopsoas Dysfunction: Anatomy, Symptoms and Treatments
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles and Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Optimal pelvic health and biomechanics involves the iliopsoas muscle. When this muscle is not functioning properly pelvic, hip and and back pain can become a problem. The psoas muscle portion originates from T12/L1. It is a powerful hip flexor and it helps to …
The Right Way To Poop and Improve Bowel Movements
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, DPT, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, so we felt it was most appropriate to discuss bowel mechanisms and the ‘right way’ to poop. According to a study by Shahid (et al in 2012), “constipation affects up to 28% of Americans.” More Americans suffer from constipation than die …
Success Story: Constipation and Urinary Retention Resolved
By: Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Darnell took a trip to Europe a few months ago with his spouse. They had planned a wonderful vacation, but what they didn’t plan for was Darnell not being able to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM) for nine days! He took magnesium citrate which helped him produce partial BMs. When …
What is Ischial Bursitis and How Can Pelvic Floor PT Help?
By Lauren Opatrny, PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco, CA Ischial bursitis, or ischiogluteal bursitis, is a condition where the bursa that lies between the ischial tuberosity and the gluteus maximus muscle becomes inflamed.(1) Ischial tuberosities are the bones that we sit on and are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” They provide support for the body while sitting …