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Helping those with pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction or pregnancy and post-partum issues find lasting relief.
21 Episodes
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Tailbone pain is a common symptom and is integrally related to the pelvic floor.All muscles of the pelvic floor attach at the tailbone. When these are tight and irritated they can radiate or refer pain to the tailbone itself. The vast majority of the time there’s nothing wrong with the tailbone itself. It’s actually a pelvic floor issue masquerading as a tailbone problem.Because of all the attachment to the pelvic floor, a hard fall on the tailbone or injury during childbirt...
In the third trimester the ‘sixpack’ abdominal muscles separate to allow room for the baby to grow. Within the first three months postpartum, in about half of women these muscles come back together properly. In the other half a separation remains, known as a diastasis recti.We hear about this often as an aesthetic issue. It can create a ‘mommy pooch’ or it still might look like you’re pregnant. And while that’s a totally fine reason to seek care, the issue goes much de...
The answer will surprise you! The myth that acidity in the body or bladder is responsible for IC symptoms is one of the most harmful out there.In this 'sode we go through why the pH of urine has no effect on symptoms, how 'acid in' does not equal 'acid out', and what we should be doing instead. We hope this 'sode helps to free you from 'food jail' and you can become more confident in what you eat!The Myth: Ingesting acidic foods or beverages makes urine more acidic, irritati...
There's a wide variety of expertise when it comes to pelvic floor physical therapy. Unfortunately many patients have to go to several different ones before finding a true expert.You might think that finding a pelvic PT who has a lot of experience means you'll be getting great care. But that's not necessarily the case.In this 'sode we discuss why experience doesn't necessarily equal quality. In fact, sometimes more experienced therapists are still using outdated techniques th...
Incontinence is certainly common. More than half of people have incontinence after a baby, it can accompany pelvic pain, prolapse, low back pain or following a surgery. But it’s never normal, and never something you have to live with.Sometimes this is normalized - we joke about it with friends, or hear about it from our mothers. But we often don’t recognize the profound effect of incontinence on our lives.We often abstain from exercising (which has life-long health effects)....
For many people (almost 90% of those diagnosed with IC) tight muscles in the pelvic floor irritate the nerves running through the area. One of the most important of these is the pudendal nerve. So what symptoms might be caused by pudendal nerve irritation? One is urethral burning or pain. One branch of the pudendal runs right to the urethra, so it is often responsible for urethral pain or burning.The pudendal can also be the cause of urinary urgency and frequency. ...
Have you heard or been told you 'just need to Kegel'? Here's why that's never the answer to pelvic health issues.Kegels (or the voluntary squeezing of the pelvic floor muscles) are often one of the only areas of pelvic health we’ve heard about. It’s often surprising to people to learn Kegels are often ineffective, antiquated and can cause flares or actually exacerbate symptoms. Here’s why they are rarely used at all at PelvicSanity.1) The majority of people with p...
Why do most specialty pelvic health clinics see patients for a full hour, 1:1 with the therapist?Ultimately it’s so we have time to ‘find the why’ for actual relief. If you aren’t working with a qualified pelvic PT to ‘find the why’, one of three things happens:You don’t improve at allYou see little, temporary improvements that don't 'stick' Symptoms do improve, but end up cropping up somewhere elseFor most patients in pelvic floor physical therapy, internal evaluation and treatmen...
If you (or someone you know) has had a C-section, make sure to listen to this full 'sode! As anyone who has had one will attest, a C-section is a major surgery. And in the US, almost 1 in 3 give birth via a C-section. But we are so cavalier about recovery!After every other major surgery you are immediately referred to physical therapy to aid in the recovery. Make sure the wound heals correctly. Ensure the scar moves smoothly. Get back your range of motion a...
With recent evidence Elmiron can cause long-term eye damage, many people with IC are reconsidering their use of the drug. In this ‘sode we dive into the evidence for Elmiron’s efficacy and safety to help you make an informed decision.Elmiron remains the only FDA-approved oral medication specifically for IC and many urologists prescribe it automatically because of this.However, it’s unclear how much of a positive effect Elmiron has. There have been five randomized, controlled trial...
In pelvic physical therapy you’re dealing with dysfunctional tissue, reduced blood flow, increased inflammation and in an area the body is wired to pay close attention to. But pelvic physical therapy should never hurt. We can’t treat pain with more pain. And the idea of ‘no pain, no gain’ not only isn’t true, it’s actively harmful.Now, it can be uncomfortable, but there’s a major distinction. You shouldn’t be trying to ‘bear’ treatment. The discomfort should ease...
In short, yes! There's a reason every other surgery - foot, ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, back, elbow, hand, and many more - automatically results in you going to physical therapy to recover.Physical therapists are the experts in guiding recovery. Making sure you continue to move well. Guiding your body's healing response. Ensuring scar tissue doesn't stick or 'adhere' and create problems.And with the exception of pelvic and abdominal surgeries, you'll automatically be r...
Not everyone with IC experiences the same condition. Symptoms vary. The way they manifest is different. Some people respond to certain medications while others don’t.This led researchers to propose several different types of systems to break IC into sub-categories called ‘phenotypes’. The entire point of a phenotype is it needs to be 1) easily identifiable and 2) able to guide your treatment options.Early attempts to phenotype IC failed these criteria. There rema...
In short, our answer is ‘yes’. With all of the physical challenges of pregnancy, delivery and the early post-partum period, we believe everyone should get pelvic floor physical therapy. But let’s dive into why that is!First, let’s recognize in America we are significantly behind the rest of the world with this. In many places in the developed world pelvic floor physical therapy is automatically prescribed to every single person after having a baby.Here’s why this is so impor...
It’s a question we get asked at PelvicSanity all the time - ‘how long before I’m better?’The answer? It depends. But let’s dive deeper and discuss some of the factors that make pelvic floor physical therapy so complex and what you can expect. We’ll also give you some takeaways to think about when you’re in pelvic PT.One of the reasons we don’t know is there are so many variables that affect how long it takes to improve with pelvic floor dysfunction. These include both ...
Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause a wide range of symptoms, include many types of pain, bowel issues, urinary/bladder issues and sexual dysfunction.Many times patients feel like there’s so many different things wrong, when in reality it’s all stemming from the pelvic floor. By addressing and treating the underlying problem, we can make a substantial difference in these symptoms. Issues the pelvic floor can cause include:Pelvic Pain, including pain in the genitals, deep groin pain...
One of the most common questions we get asked is whether your symptoms are truly IC or are they pelvic floor dysfunction. It’s important to know that ‘IC’ is a description of symptoms. It just means you’re experiencing pain you perceive to be coming from the bladder and urinary urgency/frequency. But it tells us nothing about the ‘why’ of your symptoms or what treatments to try.It’s also important to realize that IC is not a bladder condition. It’s a pelvic pain condit...
We know going to pelvic physical therapy can feel intimidating. It may be a reason you’ve put off seeking care. So we want to pull back the curtain and help you understand exactly what will happen at your initial pelvic physical therapy visit.Ultimately, we want you to know two things about your first pelvic floor physical therapy appointment:You should feel completely comfortable at every stage, understand what’s going on (and why) and agree together on whether you’ll do an inter...
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a scary and incredibly misunderstood diagnosis. You may have also heard terms like ‘painful bladder syndrome’ or ‘bladder pain syndrome’ as well. We want to shed some light on what IC is, how it’s diagnosed and what you can do about it!Definition of IC: Interstitial cystitis is defined by the presence of two symptoms in the absence of any other explanation (like a UTI or bladder cancer). It’s:Pain or pressure we perceive to be related to t...
All pelvic PTs - like any other provider - are not the same! There’s a wide variety of experience and expertise when it comes to pelvic floor physical therapy. So how do you find the right physical therapist for you?Find a pelvic physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health and isn’t ‘dabbling’ in the field. Here’s a list of how to find a great pelvic physical therapist:True specialty health practice. You don’t want someone who is ‘dabbling’ in pelvic health, or...
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