Dyspareunia or pain with intercourse is common after having a baby. An estimated 50% of women report pain with intercourse 3 months after delivery and 17% still report discomfort at 6 months postpartum (Buhling et al, 2006). More severe perineal injuries correlate with more persistent pain, however women who undergo a C-section delivery may also...
Pelvic floor muscle strengthening is a specific type of training program, targeted to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are responsible for maintaining continence, providing support to internal organs, and are important for sexual function. People with low tone or weakness of their pelvic floor, who are...
It is estimated that between 1-10% of vaginal births result in 3rd or 4th degree perineal tears. To learn more about the different grades of perineal tears click here. Understanding the risk factors and possible techniques for prevention of 3rd and 4th degree perineal tears, also known as obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS), is incredibly...
A perineal tear is a tear in the skin or muscle between the vaginal opening and anus that commonly occurs during a vaginal delivery. It is estimated that 85% of women who give birth vaginally will experience a perineal tear to some degree (Smith et al. 2013). Just like other muscle tears in the body,...
In our active Boulder County community, we have observed an increase in the number of women participating in high intensity exercise such as CrossFit. The topic of pelvic health and CrossFit has been under discussion in recent years, prompted by reports of competitive female athletes experiencing urine loss due to stress urinary incontinence during CrossFit...
Word choice and verbal instruction impacts how one performs a pelvic floor muscle contraction. Previous research on women suggests that around 40% of women do not perform a kegel or pelvic floor muscle contraction correctly with verbal instruction and 25% of them were doing something that would increase the likelihood of leaking such as holding...
What is pelvic organ prolapse and how do I know if I have it? Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the descent or tissue laxity of the front (bladder), back (rectum), or top (cervical) aspect of the vaginal wall. With less support from connective tissue and muscles of the pelvis, the bladder, uterus, or rectum can...
A radical prostatectomy is a common treatment option for prostate cancer in which the prostate is surgically removed. It is well known that following catheter removal after surgery, many men will experience moderate to significant amounts of involuntary urinary loss following surgery that can last from weeks to years. Hunter et al. in 2004 wrote...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a condition that is thought to be prevalent in up to 9-23% of the world’s population. It is associated with diarrhea, constipation or both, abdominal pain and bloating, possible urinary symptoms and pelvic pain. Common comorbidities including sleep difficulties, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and TMJ dysfunction can have a...
Pelvic floor muscles play an important role in sexual function for both men and women as they help increase and maintain blood flow to the genitals during sexual arousal. Both strength and motor control are important for proper muscle function anywhere in the body, including the pelvic floor. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction is unknown,...