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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Although still out of reach for many, gender affirming surgical procedures are becoming more accessible as more surgeons are offering these services and more insurance providers are covering some of the costs associated with these procedures. As more people undergo these surgical procedures the need for rehabilitative […]
By Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Peter was a 63 year old experiencing urinary urgency and leakage three months after having his prostate surgically removed for prostate cancer. Luckily, his surgeon referred him to a pelvic floor physical and occupational therapists. He was using at least two incontinence pads per day, but was mostly […]
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 male pelvic pain, in particular penile pain. Listed below are […]
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, , Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles It is common knowledge amongst medical professionals and researchers that it takes an average of 17 years for research evidence to reach clinical practice. In 2002 an event occurred that changed healthcare overnight for menopausal women, affecting over 50 million people at the time. […]
By Lauren Opatrny, PT, DPT, PHRC Berkeley & San Francisco *all names have been changed to maintain patient privacy Background Rachel* is a 32 year old experiencing urinary incontinence after giving birth to her baby in December 2020. When she was eight months postpartum and still experiencing incontinence, her doctor referred her to […]
By Emily Schwerdtfeger, PHRC Westlake Village May is Mental Health Awareness Month; we wanted to talk about pelvic pain and mental health! When it comes to pelvic pain, it can have a major effect on both your physical and mental health. Did you know about 20% or one in five people experience a […]
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 […]
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles & Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack What are the possible causes of clitoral pain? How can each of these things cause it? There are several possible causes of clitoral pain. This list of causes is not exhaustive, but are the most common causes of clitoral […]
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack Receiving a gynecological cancer diagnosis is wrought with emotions: fear, grief, confusion, anger, among others. Additionally, the number of medical providers that one will encounter throughout the treatment process is many. One of the important members of your interdisciplinary cancer care team is a pelvic floor physical and […]
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 […]
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 and occupational therapy can benefit women and folks with uteruses throughout the different phases of their lives. The truth is, virtually all women and people […]
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas and Jennifer Guan, DPT, PHRC Los Gatos Happy Endo Awareness Month! Tracy is a 35 year old patient who was referred to PHRC by her doctor. This is her story: “I was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis through a laparoscopy and excision surgery in 2017. […]
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles What is Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus? Like so many other pelvic pain diagnoses, Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus (VLS) is riddled with challenges in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Many people with VLS also have pelvic floor dysfunction, and as a result we have seen lots of patients […]
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 […]
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Connective tissue (CT) restrictions are defined as a dense thickening of subcutaneous tissue that’s painful upon pinch-rolling examination. Connective tissue restrictions can contribute to urinary and bowel symptoms and pelvic pain. As this post will explain, CT restrictions can be a cause and consequence of multiple […]
