By Kim Buonomo, DPT, PHRC Lexington
Here at PHRC we love to celebrate our patients’ success and we are inviting you to join us for a special success story and fundraising event. We shared a little on IG Live last week, in case you missed it, you can view the video on our Instagram.
Register for the full event via this link.
We are always thrilled when our patients meet their goals, whether that is sitting in a chair without pain, or participating in a major event like the Boston Marathon. Never before has PHRC done a LIVE interview with one of our patients. We understand many people watching and reading this post may still be suffering. Our interview will provide hope that things can and do get better AND we are here to help Sue reach another goal: raising money for a wonderful charity fighting violence against women. Keep reading to see how you can help Sue reach her fundraising goal!
Sue has been a runner for many years and her love of running got her through some really dark times in her life. While running downhill in April 2020, she felt a “twinge” of pain on the right side of her lower abdomen/groin. That twinge grew with each run until November of last year when she ended up in so much pain that it was impossible for her to continue running. She describes that when the pain was at its worst, it felt like her uterus was falling out. She saw an MD and a chiropractor, and underwent several tests which did not provide her with the answers she wanted. She iced and stretched, and nothing helped until she found PHRC in December 2020.
When Sue started at PHRC Lexington, she wasn’t able to stand from a chair without pain. Sue and I worked together to improve her ability to perform basic functions like walking without pain and when she could do more activity safely, we started working toward her goals of getting back to running. Around April of 2021, a year after her initial injury, Sue decided that she was ready to train for the Boston Marathon under continued supervision by me.
In this live virtual success story, Sue and I will take you on a journey describing Sue’s path to recovery and how pelvic floor physical therapy has been instrumental in helping her achieve her goals. During this hour long event, we will:
- Talk in detail about Sue’s success with PHRC including the steps we took to get her going the distance to the finish line
- Explain how pelvic floor physical therapy is different from orthopedic physical therapy and why you may want to see a pelvic floor specialist if you are having an issue with running
- Describe some conditions that commonly affect runners which may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy and how pelvic floor physical therapy can help patients of all genders achieve their goals.
- Elaborate on Sue’s charity, the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, and explain why this is a cause that is uniquely important to both Sue and me, as a new runner myself
- We will answer some of YOUR questions about the patient’s perspective of treatment at PHRC (Leave your questions in the comments below!)
As part of Sue’s marathon participation, she will be fundraising on behalf of the Vanessa T Marcotte Foundation. Vanessa was a runner who was attacked and murdered while on a run. The foundation set up in her memory is devoted to eliminating violence against women. PHRC is proud to support Sue as she goes from sideline to finish line for such an important cause. We are asking our viewers for a $10 donation which will grant you access to this one-of-a-kind event. All proceeds will go directly to charity. You can register and donate online. After you register and donate, you will get an email from Eventbrite with a zoom link. Make sure that you have a zoom account so that you can follow the link and log in to view the event on September 8th at 4:30 EDT. Annnnd… PHRC is MATCHING all donations raised from this event!
If you have a burning question about treatment at PHRC that you would like us to answer, please drop it in the comments below or leave it on our social media and then head online to register for the event! We look forward to seeing you on September 8th to support a great cause!
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Are you unable to come see us in person? We offer virtual physical therapy appointments too!
Due to COVID-19, we understand people may prefer to utilize our services from their homes. We also understand that many people do not have access to pelvic floor physical therapy and we are here to help! The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is a multi-city company of highly trained and specialized pelvic floor physical therapists committed to helping people optimize their pelvic health and eliminate pelvic pain and dysfunction. We are here for you and ready to help, whether it is in-person or online.
Virtual sessions are available with PHRC pelvic floor physical therapists via our video platform, Zoom, or via phone. For more information and to schedule, please visit our digital healthcare page.
In addition to virtual consultation with our physical therapists, we also offer integrative health services with Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS. Jandra is a pelvic floor physical therapist who also has her Master’s degree in Integrative Health and Nutrition. She offers services such as hormone testing via the DUTCH test, comprehensive stool testing for gastrointestinal health concerns, and integrative health coaching and meal planning. For more information about her services and to schedule, please visit our Integrative Health website page.
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FAQ
What are pelvic floor muscles?
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that run from the coccyx to the pubic bone. They are part of the core, helping to support our entire body as well as providing support for the bowel, bladder and uterus. These muscles help us maintain bowel and bladder control and are involved in sexual pleasure and orgasm. The technical name of the pelvic floor muscles is the Levator Ani muscle group. The pudendal nerve, the levator ani nerve, and branches from the S2 – S4 nerve roots innervate the pelvic floor muscles. They are under voluntary and autonomic control, which is a unique feature only they possess compared to other muscle groups.
What is pelvic floor physical therapy?
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized area of physical therapy. Currently, physical therapists need advanced post-graduate education to be able to help people with pelvic floor dysfunction because pelvic floor disorders are not yet being taught in standard physical therapy curricula. The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center provides extensive training for our staff because we recognize the limitations of physical therapy education in this unique area.
What happens at pelvic floor therapy?
During an evaluation for pelvic floor dysfunction the physical therapist will take a detailed history. Following the history the physical therapist will leave the room to allow the patient to change and drape themselves. The physical therapist will return to the room and using gloved hands will perform an external and internal manual assessment of the pelvic floor and girdle muscles. The physical therapist will once again leave the room and allow the patient to dress. Following the manual examination there may also be an examination of strength, motor control, and overall biomechanics and neuromuscular control. The physical therapist will then communicate the findings to the patient and together with their patient they establish an assessment, short term and long term goals and a treatment plan. Typically people with pelvic floor dysfunction are seen one time per week for one hour for varying amounts of time based on the severity and chronicity of the disease. A home exercise program will be established and the physical therapist will help coordinate other providers on the treatment team. Typically patients are seen for 3 months to a year.
What is pudendal neuralgia and how is it treated?
Pudendal Neuralgia is a clinical diagnosis that means pain in the sensory distribution of the pudendal nerve. The pudendal nerve is a mixed nerve that exits the S2 – S4 sacral nerve roots, we have a right and left pudendal nerve and each side has three main trunks: the dorsal branch, the perineal branch, and the inferior rectal branch. The branches supply sensation to the clitoris/penis, labia/scrotum, perineum, anus, the distal ⅓ of the urethra and rectum, and the vulva and vestibule. The nerve branches also control the pelvic floor muscles. The pudendal nerve follows a tortuous path through the pelvic floor and girdle, leaving it vulnerable to compression and tension injuries at various points along its path.
Pudendal Neuralgia occurs when the nerve is unable to slide, glide and move normally and as a result, people experience pain in some or all of the above-mentioned areas. Pelvic floor physical therapy plays a crucial role in identifying the mechanical impairments that are affecting the nerve. The physical therapy treatment plan is designed to restore normal neural function. Patients with pudendal neuralgia require pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from medical management that includes pharmaceuticals and procedures such as pudendal nerve blocks or botox injections.
What is interstitial cystitis and how is it treated?
Interstitial Cystitis is a clinical diagnosis characterized by irritative bladder symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequency, and hesitancy in the absence of infection. Research has shown the majority of patients who meet the clinical definition have pelvic floor dysfunction and myalgia. Therefore, the American Urologic Association recommends pelvic floor physical therapy as first-line treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. Patients will benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from pharmacologic management or medical procedures such as bladder instillations.
Who is the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Team?
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center was founded by Elizabeth Akincilar and Stephanie Prendergast in 2006, they have been treating people with pelvic floor disorders since 2001. They were trained and mentored by a medical doctor and quickly became experts in treating pelvic floor disorders. They began creating courses and sharing their knowledge around the world. They expanded to 11 locations in the United States and developed a residency style training program for their employees with ongoing weekly mentoring. The physical therapists who work at PHRC have undergone more training than the majority of pelvic floor physical therapists and as a result offer efficient and high quality care.
How many years of experience do we have?
Stephanie and Liz have 24 years of experience and help each and every team member become an expert in the field through their training and mentoring program.
Why PHRC versus anyone else?
PHRC is unique because of the specific focus on pelvic floor disorders and the leadership at our company. We are constantly lecturing, teaching, and staying ahead of the curve with our connections to medical experts and emerging experts. As a result, we are able to efficiently and effectively help our patients restore their pelvic health.
Do we treat men for pelvic floor therapy?
The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is unique in that the Cofounders have always treated people of all genders and therefore have trained the team members and staff the same way. Many pelvic floor physical therapists focus solely on people with vulvas, this is not the case here.
Do I need pelvic floor therapy forever?
The majority of people with pelvic floor dysfunction will undergo pelvic floor physical therapy for a set amount of time based on their goals. Every 6 -8 weeks goals will be re-established based on the physical improvements and remaining physical impairments. Most patients will achieve their goals in 3 – 6 months. If there are complicating medical or untreated comorbidities some patients will be in therapy longer.