By PHRC Admin Team Did you know that the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center offers a variety of virtual health services? Often people do not understand their symptoms until they stumble upon our website, blog, or social media channels. Some people have a diagnosis but they do not have a pelvic floor physical therapist locally to help them. …
Why Everyone In Menopause Deserves Pelvic Floor PT
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Our muscles are hormonally sensitive structures and weaken over time as we experience hormonal decline. In addition, the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction rises and the combination of these two scenarios can cause people a fair amount of grief. A recent study showed 95.3% of people with lumbopelvic pain also had …
PHRC is accepting new patients in Columbus, OH!
By PHRC Admin Team The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is excited to announce that we are now accepting new patients in our newest location in Columbus, Ohio! Let’s be real, pelvic floor physical therapy is needed everywhere. Since we opened in San Francisco in 2006 we have been honored to help patients from all over; which has now …
Causes of Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
By PHRC Admin Interstitial Cystitis/ Painful Bladder Syndrome is a treatable pelvic pain syndrome affecting roughly 12 million people in the United States alone. If it affects so many, what are the causes? We’re glad you asked! There’s many! Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Multiple studies conducted in the US and abroad show that up to 92% of people with …
Embracing Sexual Health Awareness: Chronic Pain & Intimacy
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village September marks Sexual Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of sexual health and well-being. One often overlooked aspect of sexual health is the impact of chronic pain on intimacy. Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic pain, and it can significantly affect their relationships and sex lives. In …
Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis/ Painful Bladder Syndrome
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS) is considered a chronic overlapping pain condition (COPC) and it is common, affecting up to 12 million people in the United States alone. The good news is – it’s treatable! Symptoms of IC/PBS can include, but are not limited too: Urinary urgency, frequency, and …
The Evolution of Pelvic Health: A Journey Through Time
By PHRC Admin Team Pelvic health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, yet it was often overlooked in the past. Today, we recognize the importance of this specialized field of medicine and the impact it has on millions of lives. Let’s take a trip back in time to explore how the field of pelvic health came to be. …
September Marks Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village September marks Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, an important time to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and preventive measures for several types of gynecologic cancers. Gynecologic cancers refer to several different types of cancer that affect women’s reproductive organs, including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancer. While these cancers …
Success Story: From Birth Prep to Birth Success at PHRC
By Molly Bachmann, DPT, PHRC San Francisco Suzy came to Pelvic Floor PT during her second pregnancy in hopes of addressing some recent heaviness she had felt in her vagina. She also complained of urinating every hour and waking up two to three times a night to urinate. She hoped to prepare her body for birth and postpartum as …
Misconceptions About Pelvic Health And The Truth About Them
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village When it comes to overall health, there is one area that is often overlooked or under-discussed: pelvic health. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the importance of taking care of their pelvic floor muscles, and they pay little attention to the myriad of issues that can arise from poor pelvic health. To help …
Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for a Pelvic Floor PT
By admin According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, “a trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care organizations and care teams need to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective health care services with a healing orientation.” In the image we have listed a few …
The Jaw and Foot: Connections to the Pelvic Floor
Did you know that your foot can affect your pelvic floor? Foot and ankle positioning has an effect on the pelvic floor by influencing changes in muscle activation up the legs ultimately resulting in changes with pelvic tilt positioning. There are biomechanical changes from the ground up. The connection in brain mapping of motor and sensation- the genitals and …
Fusobacterium and Endometriosis: New Insights or Media Frenzy?
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas The recent study titled “Fusobacterium infection facilitates the development of endometriosis through the phenotypic transition of endometrial fibroblasts” by Muraoka et al. has generated significant attention and frenzy in the media. The media coverage of this article has been intense, with headlines highlighting the potential breakthrough in understanding the pathogenesis of endometriosis, …
Biomechanical Evaluation for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction & PF Functions
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles To start, there are various functions we can thank our pelvic floor, but let’s get into the MAIN functions: Part of core muscles The pelvic floor supports your core muscles: transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, and the external oblique muscles. The PFM tends to act reflexively when we’re using our core …
June is Men’s Health Awareness Month
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and it’s an important reminder of the need to prioritize preventative care and wellness for all. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, men are more likely to experience serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, diabetes, suicide, substance abuse …
What to Expect at a Prepartum/Postpartum Evaluation
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles During prepartum/postpartum evaluations, a physical therapist will take an extensive medical history. Following the history, the PT will perform a thorough external and internal musculoskeletal exam. Your evaluation should include: Musculoskeletal: An assessment of structure, muscles, tissue, joints and manual evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles. We can identify problematic …
Male Pelvic Health: Erectile Dysfunction Causes & Treatments
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the leading cause of sexual dysfunction in men affecting one in five men. It is defined as the inability to achieve & maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse. There are several causes for ED. Vasculogenic, or due to an issue with blood supply, is the …
It’s National Men’s Health Week!
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles National Men’s Health Week is held each year from June 8-14, and it is a time to raise awareness about the health of men and boys. This year’s theme focuses on the importance of preventive care, early detection, and treatment of medical conditions. Men tend to avoid doctor visits, with …
A Kenyan Pelvic Health Physical Therapy School Scholarship
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack The Jackson Clinics Foundation was formed in 2012 to fund educational efforts in East Africa. To date the foundation has sent over 100 faculty members from their clinics and from around the country to teach in east and central Africa. Some of the best and brightest physical therapists in the United States have …
Common Prepartum Symptoms and Their Treatments
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles If you are expecting, plan to be in the future or know someone that is, here are some common Prepartum symptoms! Low back pain- Foot and back pain are due to hormonal and musculoskeletal changes. Studies have shown that 40% to 60% of women will experience back pain during pregnancy and …
Hormonal Prepartum Changes and Postpartum Complaints
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Hormones play a vital role in day-to-day function. They allow for the organs to communicate with each other so that we can filter toxic waste, grow muscle, sleep well . . . . and even grow a human! Let’s take a look at what happens during pregnancy: Estrogen goes up, elevating …