By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Welcome 2023, goodbye 2022! 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 Pasadena opened in January 2022, …
How Pelvic Floor Physical and Occupational Therapy can help with Low Anterior Resection Surgery?
By Lauren Opatrny, PT, DPT San Francisco, CA What is Low Anterior Resection Surgery? Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States (1), and low anterior resection (LAR) is the preferred surgical treatment for rectal cancer. During this procedure, the part of the rectum with cancer will be removed, and the remaining part …
Latchkey Incontinence; Why Does it Happen? Part 2
By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, Birth Doula, PHRC San Francisco How does your brain know when it is time to empty the bladder? As the bladder begins to fill with liquid, receptors within the walls of the bladder perceive stretch. When the receptors perceive that the bladder is full with about two cups of fluid, the detrusor muscle (the …
Latchkey Incontinence; What is It and How Does PFPT Help? Part 1
By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, Birth Doula, PHRC San Francisco, CA Have you ever pulled into the driveway after a long day and suddenly had the urge to urinate? Like Five-Alarm Bell, clear the driveway sprinting to the bathroom to make it in time? You are not alone! You might have even heard of this term before, Latchkey incontinence. …
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center’s 2022 Return to Kenya!
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack, Kim Buonomo, DPT, PHRC Lexington, Molly Bachmann, DPT, PHRC San Francisco The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center recently returned from their second trip to Nairobi, Kenya to teach a pelvic health course to a second cohort of physical and occupational therapistss. We taught the first cohort of physical and occupational therapistss in February …
Prostatectomy: Facts, Complications and How Pelvic Floor PT Can Help
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Let’s Talk Prostatectomy Facts Although prostatectomy is a very effective surgical intervention for prostate cancer, there are some common symptoms that can occur following surgery that each person undergoing this procedure should be aware of. In fact, only 22% of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were sufficiently counseled on the …
Pain Interventions for Labor and Birth With a Partner
By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, Birth Doula When it comes to pain management during labor, most of us think of medical interventions such as an epidural or pain medication. Did you know that there are things that your doula, support person, midwife, partner or even OB can do to decrease pain? When I’m working with patients to help them prepare …
Diastasis Recti: Causes and Treatment
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Diastasis recti can be caused by various reasons, some of which can affect one person more than the next. The integrity of our connective tissue is genetic. However, external factors also play a role in who may develop a DR. It is important to note a few things about each cause: …
Diastasis Recti : What is It & Who Can it Affect?
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Some people with diastasis recti (DR) also report urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and myofascial pelvic pain. HOWEVER, it is not the presence of diastasis alone that leads to these things. Longer term problems from unresolved DR can (but don’t always) include: back pain poor posture pelvic floor dysfunction …
Birth Control: Reviewing Your Options and Their Differences
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack In a post-Roe world, conversations and questions about birth control options are on the rise. Currently, everyone still has a constitutional right to contraceptives. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy, including oral medications, implantable devices, injectable medications, barrier methods, surgical interventions, fertility awareness, and abstinence. There are advantages and disadvantages for …
Pelvic Neuralgias: General Info, Causes, and Treatment
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles When considering neuropathic pain in the pelvis most people think of the pudendal nerve, but there are several other pelvic nerves that can also contribute to pelvic pain! The genitofemoral nerve supplies a portion of the genitals as well as the front of the thigh. This nerve is sometimes confused with …
Clitoral Pain: Causes and Treatment
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles There are a number of treatable causes of clitoral pain, yet often patients are misdiagnosed and this distressing symptom can persist. Hormonal deficiencies associated with birth control pills, acne medications, and age can lead to thinning of hormonally sensitive structures, such as the clitoris and clitoral hood. This can lead …
Success Story: How André Recovered from Groin Pain
By Jennifer Guan, PT, DPT PHRC Los Gatos André Fenri* is a 28 year old male who was referred to PHRC by his urologist. André reports that three months prior to his initial evaluation, he developed pressure and pain on the left side in his groin region. He reports that he had gone skateboarding prior and his MD suspected …
Pelvic Pain 101: Definition + Resource List
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles “Can you please define to us what exactly is pelvic pain when sitting. Over the bladder? In the groin? On the labia? Rectum? Sit bone? Like period cramps? What is the most common definition? I’d love for this to be a post or a question for all. I keep wondering …
PHRC is going back to Nairobi, Kenya!
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack PHRC is going back to Nairobi, Kenya! The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is returning to Nairobi, Kenya to teach a pelvic health course to a second cohort of physical and occupational therapistss in October 2022. We taught the first cohort of physical and occupational therapistss in February 2020 and unfortunately …
IPPS Post-Conference Specialty Course
By Amy Stein, MPT, DPT, BCB-PFD, IF & Karen Brandon, DSc, PT, WCS This year we are excited to present a post-conference course dedicated to physical and occupational therapy clinical skills and treatment planning for complex endometriosis cases. This workshop is in-person and virtual. We are so excited to have an all-star group of presenters, an expert panel, and case dissection round …
Are Oral Birth Control Pills a Cause Of Or Solution For Pelvic Pain?
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC West Los Angeles A frequent question from social media: “I have Vestibulodynia and painful bladder syndrome. I am almost symptom free except for near or during my period. My hormone levels are fine. My urologist prescribed testosterone cream because he found atrophy. At the same time I have another doctor telling me that …
Pudendal Neuralgia Frequently Asked Questions- Answered
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Over the last couple of years PHRC has shared many YouTube videos and educational material on Instagram educating our viewers and readers about pelvic health. We have received an overwhelming response to several of our posts discussing pudendal neuralgia. Listed below are some of the most common questions we’ve received and our answers. …
How Denise Reduced Prolapse Symptoms with Therapeutic Yoga at PHRC
By Melissa Patrick, PT, DPT, RYT Denise is an active 61 year old woman who enjoys spending time outside walking her dog, going to Zumba class and practicing yoga. When I met Denise, I could tell that she was energetic and lively but that her primary complaints of vaginal pressure were putting a damper on her lifestyle. I am happy …
Solutions for Menopausal Women with GSM and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT , Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Most people have not heard of term “Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause” (GSM). One key reason is that the term did not exist until 2014, when leadership societies recognized that menopausal women were suffering from many more symptoms than just ‘vaginal atrophy’ and vaginal dryness. The expanded GSM term more …
How Alexandra Recovered from Pudendal Neuralgia at PHRC
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Why do my sitz bones hurt with sitting, but not when sitting on the toilet? Alexandria’s Success Story with Highs and Lows throughout the Healing Process The History of Alexandria’s Pain and How She Found PHRC Alexandria is a 62-year-old female who showed up to PHRC with eight out …