By Jillian Cerda Ramos, PT, DPT, MFDc *all names have been changed to maintain patient privacy Introduction Pregnancy is truly a life-changing event in more ways than one: bringing a baby into this world is no easy feat, and neither is the recovery process! Just like how each pregnancy is so different, each postpartum experience can be so …
Endometriosis: Frequently Asked Questions & Their Answers
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas This past month was Endometriosis Awareness Month. It was very exciting to see how many more individuals and providers were sharing amazing information about this disease that affects such a large percentage of our population. This was not always the case, and it is a sign we are moving in the right …
Pelvic Hip Pain, A Patient Success Story
By Jillian Giannini, DPT, PHRC Pasadena, Jennifer Keesee, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village and Emily Schwerdtfeger, BA, PHRC Westlake Village “I’m the exception, right?” “It could never happen to me.” Emily is a 25 year old female that has had left hip pain for five years now. She describes her hip pain as: Achy or sharp In front of L …
Setting Up for Success after Endometriosis Excision Surgery
By Jennifer Keesee, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village & Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas Congratulations on taking the next step in your healing journey! You’ve found a great doctor and decided to proceed with endometriosis excision surgery. If you’re like me, after many years of managing endo symptoms, you’re probably excited to address the root cause. If you have …
PT Across the Lifespan: Celebrating International Women’s Day
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack As we recognize International Women’s Day in March, this is the perfect opportunity to educate our community about how pelvic floor physical therapy can benefit women and folks with uteruses throughout the different phases of their lives. The truth is, virtually all women and people with uteruses will benefit from the education, …
Endometriosis: A PT’s Journey to Diagnosis & Treatment
By Jennifer Keesee, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village March is endometriosis awareness month, and here at PHRC we want to help spread the word about this complex disease that is often hidden in plain sight. Endometriosis is a condition that affects approximately 10% of women, which also includes trans-men, and those who do not identify as a woman, but were born …
National Condom Week: History, Facts and Pointers
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack This week we’re celebrating National Condom Week; which gives us the perfect excuse to educate our community about the correct use of and important precautions to consider when using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Condoms, aka male sheath, johnny, rubber, raincoat, cock sock, or the English riding …
A Peripartum Product Guide for Pregnant Friends by a Pelvic Floor PT
What does a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist gift her pregnant friends at their baby showers? By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco Working in the medical field places one in a unique position when it comes to relationships with family and friends. Frequently I’ll receive questions about aches and pains, emails asking for advice, etc. Working in …
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Symptoms and Solutions
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, PHRC Los Angeles Did you know that the term Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) was introduced as recently as 2014? What!? Women have been going through menopause as long as we have been on the planet. Why are we talking about it? Because too many women are currently suffering with treatable symptoms because of conflicting & …
Perimenopause Facts: It Starts Earlier than You Think
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC West Los Angeles Perimenopause begins earlier than you think! Most people in their 20’s and 30’s may not think they need to know about perimenopause & that perimenopause information doesn’t apply to them. This is not true! Here are just a few of the many things you need to know. Testosterone Decline: …
SIBO Updates plus follow up Q&A
Let’s talk SIBO SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth; bacteria that is an overgrowth of the normal bacteria in your small intestine. How to test for it:⠀ A breath test is typically used either in the clinic or a take-home test is given. The test uses a solution, glucose or lactulose (but usually lactulose), that is consumed and …
Vestibulodynia Explained with Follow Up Q&A
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Do you know the difference between vulvodynia & vestibulodynia? Vulvodynia simply means pain in the vulva, which includes the clitoris, labia, mons pubis, perineum, hymen, and vestibule. Tune into our IG Live about Vestibulodynia with special guest, Doctor Irwin Goldstein at 5:30PM PST, 2/18/2021. Vestibulodynia is pain in the vestibule, a more …
Period Health 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in 6th Grade but Didn’t, Part 3 of 3
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas In our third and final post of this series we share hormonal alterations that people may experience. In case you missed it, check out Period Health 101, Part One and Period Health 101, Part Two to best understand this post! Symptoms of Hormonal Alterations Hormonal birth control Why should hormonal …
Period Health 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in 6th Grade, But Didn’t… Part 2 of 3
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas In case you missed it, here is Period Health 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in 6th Grade, But Didn’t, Part 1. What are your hormones doing throughout the various phases? To understand this, refer to the chart below. It is actually helpful in understanding the hormonal shifts throughout the various …
Period Health 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in 6th Grade but Didn’t, Part 1 of 3
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas As menstruating people, you would think that we would understand what a period is, the purpose of it, and all of the information it can give us. Unfortunately, we do not, and this is not okay. Our periods are more than a sign we are not pregnant, more than an inconvenience, more than …
The DUTCH Test: a new approach to hormone testing
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas The DUTCH test is a newer technology created by Mark Newman, MS. He has spent many years with various labs specifically on developing and testing hormones until he created his own lab, Precision Analytical Inc. and the DUTCH test is his flagship product. The name stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. …
Pregnancy Hormones 101
Pregnancy is wild. Someone is walking around growing a human being. It blows my mind every time I see a pregnant person and here at The Pelvic Health & Rehabilitation Center, we get to see a lot of pregnant people! Now a lot of things happen during pregnancy, and hormones are a big key player in the process. You may …
Success Story: How Jennifer Beat Endometriosis
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas Jennifer was referred to PHRC by her urogynecologist who diagnosed her with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). For more information on this condition, check out Melinda’s webinar on IC/PBS. She was diagnosed with IC in 2012/2013 because she had been experiencing significant cramping in her bladder, as well as urinary urgency and frequency. …
Pelvic Pain Explained: Endometriosis + Resource List
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, PHRC Encinitas At PHRC we want to do our part to help people better understand pelvic pain syndromes and more importantly, help people suffering with these diagnoses get the help they need to recover. Since knowledge is power we created 6 videos and blog posts that we hope people find useful. This week, in our sixth …
Gotta Go Right Now: Urinary Urgency Explained
By: Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek You know that feeling when you just drank the equivalent to a big gulp and you haven’t had a bathroom break in over four hours. That sensation of your body telling you to get to the bathroom ASAP is called “urgency.” In case you wonder if urgency and the frequent need to urinate …
Finding Pleasure in Something that was Always Painful: Sam’s Success Story
By: Shannon Pacella, DPT, PHRC, Lexington Sam came to the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center in the beginning of May this year, after her primary care physician recommended seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist as she reported having pain with vaginal penetration. Here’s what Sam had to say: “I am 41 years old, and spent most of my life completely …