By Courtney Edgecomb, DPT, PHRC Los Angeles Even before gyms and group fitness classes closed for COVID-19, I was a big fan of at-home workouts. Don’t get me wrong, I love the community, atmosphere, and variety of equipment available from gyms and classes, but the price can get high and I run like the wolves to avoid traffic or parking …
Tips for Managing the Stress of COVID-19 and Your Pelvic Floor
By Morgan Conner, DPT, PHRC Los Gatos A lot has changed in the past few weeks and days. Since, the WHO has declared a pandemic for the novel coronavirus (the virus itself is called “SARS-CoV-2” and what it causes is the “Covid-19” disease),1,2 many of us have probably seen our daily routines put in a blender or chucked out the …
How to Tackle Pelvic Pain, Joseph’s Success Story
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 …
Young Men Get Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Here’s How Chris Recovered with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy!
By: Rachel Daof, DPT People often ask me what symptoms men present with that land them in pelvic floor physical therapy. The truth is, men suffer from similar issues as women when it involves their pelvic floor: bowel, bladder, sexual dysfunction, and/or pain in the pelvic region. Furthermore, it’s not only the elder male population that can experience these …
Recovery After Rectocele Repair and How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Helps
By Sigourney Cross, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek A rectocele, also known as a posterior wall prolapse, is one of the main types of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). As explained in some of our prior posts, a POP occurs when tissue and muscles can no longer support the pelvic organs and they drop down. For a review of the main types …
The 4th Trimester: Postpartum Pain is Common but not Normal, Part 2
By Courtney Edgecomb, DPT In Part 2 of my 2-part post I will cover different therapeutic strategies for postpartum pain. As a new mom, self-care and appropriate medical attention is critical to ensure you stay as healthy as possible for your little one. I am sure it is daunting to find time for yourself at the moment, but it will …
What is the Knack and why does it work to prevent urine leakage?
The saying “getting the knack of it” refers to acquiring a skill to perform a specific task. In the world of pelvic floor rehabilitation, the Knack refers to performing a pelvic floor muscle contraction prior to an increase in intra abdominal pressure. This technique is most commonly used to prevent stress urinary incontinence (SUI), such as when a person experiences …
Don’t hold your breath! What you do when you poo
By: Kim Buonomo, DPT, Lexington Don’t hold your breath! What do you do when you poo? It sounds like something from Dr. Seuss. It’s a strange question, and some of our patients don’t know how to answer it. Next time you have a bowel movement, try to think about the specifics. How are your feet positioned? Are they flat on …
Understanding Pelvic Floor Movement
By Katie Hunter, DPT Drop, push, bulge, squeeze. These words are used regularly when talking about pelvic floor function but what do they actually mean? We often talk about how the pelvic floor muscles become dysfunctional and can cause daily symptoms of pelvic pain, bladder and bowel urgency and frequency, incontinence, prolapse, and sexual dysfunction. Today, I …
Diaphragmatic breathing, pelvic pain, peeing and pooping
Diaphragmatic breathing aka deep belly breathing – how is that an exercise? Many of my patients are surprised when I prescribe and emphasize diaphragmatic breathing in their home exercise programs. Historically, they have associated physical therapy and/or exercise with strengthening, stretching or the need to get the heart rate up. However, with the pelvic floor muscles, especially for …