The penis is a pretty amazing part of the body. It has some important jobs: an out-post for urine (check), a delivery system for semen and potential future children (check-check), and a pleasure center for partner and solo intimacy (check, check, check!). Keeping the penis in healthy working condition is a high priority for lots […]
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Constipation, dyssynergia, and your pelvic floor muscles Your “gut reaction” might actually be telling you something about your pelvic floor muscle function. If you do not have regular bowel movements or have pain or difficulty emptying your bowels you could be one of the 20% of folks who experience constipation. In fact, during Roman times, […]
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Endometriosis Basics What it is: Endometriosis occurs when endometrium-like tissue is found outside of the uterus. This may include areas of the pelvis- near/ around/ attached to the bowel and bladder, ligaments, and elsewhere in the peritoneum. Endometriosis may even be found in more outlying areas of the upper abdominal cavity. Why it matters: Endometriosis […]
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Perineal tearing and episiotomy (an incision in the perineum made by your doctor) are a common occurrence in vaginal delivery. In fact, it is reported that up to 85% of women will have some degree of perineal trauma during vaginal delivery (1-3). The body’s natural response is to form a scar where the tissues have […]
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It’s no secret that I’m a fan of yoga and that I apply yoga principles and postures in my own life as well as with my patients. And I double down that yoga asana is for everyone who is interested- whether in the broad spectrum of normal (what does that even mean?) to those who […]
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I often hear from patients that they would like to try yoga, but that they are ‘not flexibile enough’ to do most of the poses. Sometimes they have injuries or other symptoms that compound their hesitation. So when I suggest some yoga postures and this comes up, I completely relate. My patients laugh (with me, […]
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Many of our patients report pain in one or both testicles, the scrotum and perineum as their primary symptom or part of their pain. Intensity may vary from annoying and uncomfortable to constant and/ or severe pain that limits work, social and sexual activity. Chronic testicular pain (CTP) affects at least 100,000 men/ year (1), […]
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What is that deep, hard to reach pain in my pelvis? It might be coming from your hip. Hip pain and pelvic floor connection: Did you know that your pelvic floor muscles are directly attached you your hip muscles? That’s right, the hip bone is connected to the pelvic bone and the pelvic floor muscles […]
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It is not uncommon to experience a lack of desire for intimacy when you are struggling with pelvic pain. In fact, over 40 million women in the United States experience sexual dysfunction during their lifetime.1 We often hear from our patients that when they are experiencing painful intimacy, their desire remains decreased even after […]
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Tips for getting to the next level Vaginismus is commonly treated with gentle and progressive stretches of the pelvic floor muscles using a dilator set. The goal is to reduce the protective response by the brain associated with vaginal penetration for painful gyn exam, use of tampons and/or intimacy. Regardless of which dilator set you […]
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