Meet Sarah, a new mom grappling with the challenges of her evolving sex life. Like many new parents, she finds herself facing painful intercourse and a decrease in sexual desire just three months after welcoming her baby. Unfortunately, this struggle is not uncommon. Up to 88% of new parents report sexual well-being issues, yet less...
Endometriosis is a challenging and often debilitating condition where endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterus, leading to severe pelvic pain and discomfort. People suffering from endometriosis often face not just physical pain but also emotional and psychological stress. While traditional treatments focus on hormonal therapies and surgery, a growing body of research suggests that physical...
Low back pain is the most common condition seen by primary care physicians and Physical Therapists. Although prevalent, low back pain can be a challenge to treat due to the different presentations of patients with this condition. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we accurately identify the presentation type with a...
A recent article published in February 2024 explores the correlation between urinary incontinence and the need for total hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries. The study, conducted by Jacob S. Budin and colleagues, investigates whether urinary incontinence acts as an independent risk factor for these surgeries. The researchers analyzed data from patients who underwent arthroplasty procedures...
What is GSM? Genitourinary syndrome of menopause is a relatively new term that describes various signs and symptoms associated with menopause. These include genital symptoms (vaginal dryness, burning, and irritation), sexual symptoms (dryness, pain, discomfort, and impaired function), and urinary symptoms (urgency, dysuria, and recurrent UTIs). During menopause, the production of estrogen and progesterone decreases....
What is Biofeedback for the Pelvic Floor? Our Boulder and Lafayette clinics now offer surface EMG biofeedback for pelvic muscle training! Biofeedback for the pelvic floor, or specifically surface EMG (sEMG), is a device that senses muscle activity at the pelvic floor muscles via external electrodes. You can then visually view on the device when...
A common question we discuss in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics regards Kegels. First and foremost, Kegels are not always appropriate and are definitely not always enough in treating pelvic floor dysfunctions! Gone are the days of doing only Kegels on a table in a room. For all the reasons Kegels...
A new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in October 2023 shows aerobic activity can be just as effective as medication for erectile dysfunction. The systematic review evaluated the effects of aerobic activity on erectile function and found men who participated in aerobic activity, such as cycling, running or walking, had better erectile...
While the evidence has been clear that moderate intensity exercise is safe and beneficial in pregnancy, little has been researched on the safety of high intensity (>90% heart rate max) exercise in pregnancy. A new study in May 2023 has shed some new light on the matter and found vigorous exercise to be safe for...
Vaginal dilators are tools that help stretch and expand the vaginal introitus (or opening) and surrounding tissues. Dilators come in many shapes, sizes, and material types but all utilize the underlying strategy of desensitizing and stretching the tissue gradually and progressively. Most often dilators are prescribed for conditions that cause pain with vaginal penetration. Common...