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...
The effects of pregnancy on bone health in premenopausal women can lead to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). During early pregnancy, there is an increase in bone remodeling, which can result in a decline in BMD. The magnitude of BMD loss during pregnancy varies among studies and skeletal locations, ranging from less than 1%...
Urinary incontinence is a common (but not normal!) problem among elderly women, and it can greatly affect their quality of life. Pelvic floor muscle training is often recommended as a first-line treatment, but recent research suggests that adding weight training to the regimen can be more beneficial. A recent study conducted involved 44 elderly women...
1. Testicular pain Yes, men can benefit from pelvic physical therapy. Testicular pain is often not an issue with the testicle itself, but rather a presentation of a pelvic floor dysfunction. This may be due to pelvic floor muscle overactivity. Referral patterns of pelvic floor or even abdominal muscles can be into the testicles and...
Findings in a new study are now more than ever clearly defining the link between the brain and the gut microbiome. The study showed regular laxative use tied to increased risk of dementia. Researchers followed over 500,000 UK residents over 10 years and those that regularly used osmotic laxatives (stool softeners) or a combination of...
As many as 50% of people with chronic constipation have pelvic floor dysfunction. This dysfunction is commonly diagnosed as “pelvic floor dyssynergia,” which is a fancy way of saying the pelvic floor muscles are not coordinating correctly to have a bowel movement. When the muscles aren’t coordinated correctly, there is disruption in the signals our...
As pelvic health physical therapists, we see CrossFit athletes for various reasons at our Boulder and Lafayette clinics. CrossFit is not an activity that is detrimental to the pelvic floor, even research has shown that, so we want all our CrossFit athletes to continue doing what they love. However, there are some common pelvic floor...
Quick answer: NO. Often what is seen clinically in those who experience urine leakage with something like walking, running, or jumping movements, is that these individuals will begin to clench and contract their pelvic floor during these activities to try to prevent leakage. While that seems to make logical sense, this technique often doesn’t solve...
By now, you’ve probably heard of the “pelvic floor” as it is becoming a household term, but are you aware of how vital the pelvic floor is for our athletic success? The pelvic floor is the name given to the group of muscles, ligaments, fascia, and nerves that live in and around the bony pelvis....
Patients coming to pelvic health physical therapy often have abnormalities with the bladder or bowel habits. And often, if these habits have been around for a while, it is difficult for someone to know what is normal. So what is a ‘normal’ bladder like? Frequency -Voids aka peeing, should occur 5-8 times in 24 hours....