Women’s hormones and cycles are very sensitive and very complex to understand. Many high intensity or endurance athletes (but not all) will experience irregular or total loss of menstruation which can bring with it consequences to bone density, injury risk, and compromised fertility. Regarding athletic performance through a women’s cycle, a systematic review published in...
The scope of pelvic health physical therapy is wider than you may think. Pelvic physical therapy can help address a variety of gastrointestinal dysfunctions including: –constipation -IBS -bloating -abdominal pain -fecal incontinence -abdominophrenic dyssynergia -and more! One of the most researched and successfully treated GI dysfunctions in pelvic PT is constipation. Constipation is broken down...
Dry needling is a common physical therapy treatment intervention in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice for patients with musculoskeletal pain. It involves the insertion of a thin monofilament needle into a muscle. Dry needling has been proven effective in reducing pain, changing the status of trigger points, improving muscular blood flow, and has been suggested...
In the United States, a standard medical event like a knee replacement warrants 1-2 nights in a hospital and a rehab timeline of 3-6 weeks with a course of frequent physical therapy in that timeline. In an even more common medical event, giving birth, what do women receive? One 6 week follow up appointment. Postpartum...
Return to running is recommended beginning 3-6 months postpartum. This is due to tissue healing time frames for the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles regardless of how you delivered. It is important to consider both time frame and specific criteria for each individual (signs and symptoms and risk factors) as there is no ‘one size...
With any pelvic floor dysfunction, there is so much more to look into aside from simply the pelvic floor. The term “Kegel” was first used in 1948 by a professor of gynecology Dr. Arnold Kegel to describe a pelvic floor contraction. While it has now become a household term, there is so much more to...
Disclaimer: Acute and active UTI’s should be evaluated and treated by a physician. Physical therapy as treatment of UTI’s should be done in non-acute periods as a way of preventing future infections. In 2018 the European Association of Urology Guidelines came out with a recommendation for recurrent UTI’s to be addressed first with behavior change,...
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum and will affect about a third of Americans. While hemorrhoids typically resolve within a few weeks, they can be distressing and discomforting. Risk factors include chronic constipation and straining with bowel movements. Other research proposes it is not simply constipation, but rather high resting...
Postpartum runners potentially make up a large portion of community runners as most women participating in running events are of childbearing age. 35% of women returning to running after childbirth report running-related pain. In 2019, a group of international running experts developed guidelines for postpartum runners to safely and effectively return to running. This criteria...
Does cycling contribute to men’s pelvic floor dysfunction? There is conflicting evidence on the effect of cycling and pelvic floor dysfunction in men. As the sport becomes more popular, especially here in Boulder, it is imperative to review the current literature to understand the effect, if any, this sport has on your pelvic floor and...