View Post

Pain in your tailbone? You are not alone: Michelle’s Success Story

In Pain, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Health by pelv_adminLeave a Comment

By Jennifer Keesee, PT, DPT, PHRC Westlake Village   Michelle is a 39 year old patient who was referred to PHRC by her pain management specialist for evaluation and treatment of tailbone pain, known as Coccydynia. Her symptoms started one year after giving birth to her second child, and had continued off and on for about three years. Michelle did …

View Post

Myofascial Trigger Points: Facts & General Information

In Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   Let’s talk Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrPs) Facts: MTrPs are contracted fibers with a muscle. MTrPs are painful when compressed. Active MTrPs cause pain and/or dysfunction whereas latent MTrPs do not currently cause pain and/or dysfunction but have the potential to. MTrPs can cause pain locally (at the spot of the …

View Post

Myofascial Trigger Points – Frequently Asked Questions & Their Answers

In Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   Over the last few week’s, we have received various inquiries about Myofascial Trigger Points. Why do they occur? What are they? How can we fix them? This week we do a deep dive and answer our most frequently asked questions!   Q: Never heard of this ! What is this …

View Post

Physical Therapy Rehab After Gender Affirming Surgeries

In Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, Transgender Health by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

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 services post operatively has increased. …

View Post

How PFPT Helped Following a Prostatectomy: Peter’s Story

In Male Pelvic Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Melinda FontaineLeave a Comment

By Peter and Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Pelvic Physical Therapy (PPT) has been a wonderfully life changing experience for me following prostate cancer treatment. It has been a nearly three year journey, and I cannot speak highly enough of the benefits of my kind, caring, and immensely skilled PPT therapist. What are these benefits? In short, marked improvement …

View Post

Success Story: How PFPT Helped Following Peter’s Prostatectomy

In Male Pelvic Pain, Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Melinda FontaineLeave a Comment

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 therapist. He was using at least two incontinence pads per day, but was mostly dry at night. He had a strong …

View Post

Penile Pain: Frequently Asked Questions and Their Answers

In Male Pelvic Pain, Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

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 some of the most common …

View Post

Postpartum Urinary Incontinence is Common: Here’s How We Can Help

In Pelvic Health, Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Health, Stress Urinary Incontinence by Lauren OpatrnyLeave a Comment

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 pelvic physical therapy. Six weeks …

View Post

Success Story: Pelvic Floor PT Helped Charli Resolve Postpartum Pain

In Female Pelvic Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Health by Jillian RamosLeave a Comment

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 …

View Post

How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Helped Megan Eliminate Rectal Pain and Bowel Dysfunction

In Female Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Pelvic Pain by Kim BuonomoLeave a Comment

By Kim Buonomo, DPT, PHRC Lexington   Introduction Megan (mid-50 year old cisgender female) started seeing me in September 2021. She had a history of bowel dysfunction since giving birth to her daughter in the late 1990’s. She described her symptoms as a pattern of alternating constipation and diarrhea, associated with bloating, hemorrhoids and abdominal discomfort. She thought for a …

View Post

Endometriosis: Frequently Asked Questions & Their Answers

In Endometriosis, pelvic floor physical therapy by Jandra MuellerLeave a Comment

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 …

View Post

Setting Up for Success after Endometriosis Excision Surgery

In Endometriosis, Pain, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by pelv_adminLeave a Comment

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 …

View Post

Endometriosis: A PT’s Journey to Diagnosis & Treatment

In Endometriosis by pelv_adminLeave a Comment

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 …

View Post

Part I: Breathing Techniques for Pelvic Floor Health

In pelvic floor yoga and pilates, Pelvic Health by Melissa Patrick1 Comment

By Melissa Patrick, PT, DPT and Jennifer Keesee, DPT   The Basics   Breathing may seem like a very simple task, but many of us breathe incorrectly. Poor breathing mechanics can affect us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Research has shown that breathing exercises can positively impact our nervous, cardiac, and musculoskeletal systems.  When we pay attention to, and learn how …

View Post

Connective Tissue Restrictions: Causes, Consequences and Treatments

In Pelvic Health by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

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 pelvic floor symptoms and syndromes. …

View Post

Dear Doctor, Your Patients are Human; An Open Letter

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Emily TranLeave a Comment

By Emily Schwerdtfeger, PHRC Westlake Village Admin Assistant A patient submitted this letter following their personal experience with patient care   An open letter to any doctor who’s ever seen a patient. To patients who have experienced something similar, I’m sorry and you didn’t deserve it.   “I understand that doctors have limited time with patients and that medicine is …

View Post

Penile Pain- A Success Story

In Male Pelvic Pain by Molly BachmannLeave a Comment

By Molly Bachmann PT, DPT, PHRC San Francisco   “Penile numbness, perineum pain, post void dribble . . . oh my!” *All names and other identifying information has been changed.   Symptom Presentation:    Frank began to have pain in his perineum seemingly out of the blue. The only connection he could make was an instance of loose stool that …

View Post

SIBO Updates plus follow up Q&A

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, SIBO by Emily TranLeave a Comment

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 …

View Post

World Physical Therapy Day- A Q&A about Pelvic Floor PTs

In pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic floor physical therapy continuing education, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by pelv_adminLeave a Comment

September 8th is World Physical Therapy Day!   To celebrate, we wanted to do a little Q&A about pelvic floor physical therapy and what it’s like to be a pelvic floor physical therapist!   What is pelvic floor physical therapy?    In a nutshell pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is the branch of physical therapy that is focused on conditions …

View Post

Pediatric Success Story: Constipation interrupting your kids’ activities?

In pediatric pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health by Melinda FontaineLeave a Comment

By Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Symptoms   Many families struggle with constipation in children. Maya is a 10 year old who likes to swim, camp, and play with her little brother. She had suffered with constipation and fecal incontinence most of her life. A year ago, an x-ray showed that she had an enlarged colon from chronic constipation, and …

View Post

Can TMS help people with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome?

In Female Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome, Female Pelvic Pain, Male Interstitial Cystitis / Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Male Pelvic Pain, pelvic floor physical therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Jason J. Kutch, PhD and Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, PHRC West Los Angeles Interstitial Cystitis/ Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS) is a pelvic pain syndrome that is characterized by urgency/frequency and pelvic pain, affecting up to 7.9 million vagina owners and roughly 10% of penis owners in the United States. It is a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there are no diagnostic …