What is Vulvodynia? Vulvodynia is a general term for chronic vulvar pain (vulvo=vulva and dynia=pain). The vulva is the external genital tissue of someone assigned female at birth and includes the inner and outer labia, clitoris and vestibule (vaginal opening). It is thought to affect up to 16% of women(1), but unfortunately is often misdiagnosed […]
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Hard-Flaccid Syndrome: Getting to the root of the problem
Hard-flaccid syndrome is a frustrating and real condition, yet it is not always recognized by medical professionals. A recent review of the current literature on hard-flaccid syndrome was released in 2020 in the journal Basic and Clinical Andrology and gives us some insight into the common symptoms, causes, and treatments available. More research is needed, […]
Read MorePelvic Telehealth: Virtual PT!
You can’t make it to your visit in person- is telehealth right for you? Most of our patients prefer to come to their pelvic PT sessions in person. But sometimes, life has other plans: Your wheels are getting serviced, or in a time crunch to get to the clinic and back to the office for […]
Read MorePenis Pain & Pelvic PT
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 […]
Read MoreConstipation, dyssynergia and your pelvic floor muscles
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, […]
Read MoreToo flexible for yoga postures? Tips for the super stretchy
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 […]
Read MoreGetting the most out of yoga: Tips for the super stiff
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, […]
Read MoreTesticular Pain and PT: Great balls of fire?
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), […]
Read MoreDesire: Finding your mojo when sex hurts
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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