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...
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...
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...
What is athletic pubalgia/sport hernia? This diagnosis is essentially an imbalance of the adductor muscles and abdominal muscles at the pubis. Specifically the adductor longus and the rectus abdominis are the most important muscles involved in athletic pubalgia/sport hernia as they share fascial connections in what is called the pubic aponeurosis or the abdominal/adductor aponeurosis....
Yes men, you do have a pelvic floor. In fact, aside from different genitalia, all genders have the same pelvic floor muscle and nerve make up. Even in the absence of delivering babies, the male pelvic floor and surrounding area can be susceptible to dysfunction. The following diagnoses/presentations/symptoms can all be indicative of a pelvic...
Receive a diagnosis of prostatitis for your pelvic pain or urinary dysfunction? Only 8-10% of cases of prostatitis are due to a bacterial infection. If antibiotics didn’t work in relieving symptoms, you may be in the category of ‘chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome’ (CPPS). What are the symptoms of chronic prostatitis? Bladder symptoms: urgency, frequency,...
What is the pelvic floor doing while I climb? Should I do kegels? Can I climb while pregnant? “In the end, climbing was one of the only things my body felt good doing for the entirety of my pregnancy, and I climbed throughout, enjoying my final pregnant climbing session just 12 hours before going into...
At our Boulder pelvic physical therapy clinic, we often see the cause of a pelvic floor dysfunction being tension, not weakness, of pelvic floor muscles. This applies not just to those that identify as female, but those identifying as males as well. Muscles that are holding more tension than they should, cannot properly function. So...
If you deal with pelvic floor tension, you or a physical therapist has likely discovered tight adductors as well. Due to shared fascial connections and synergies between the muscle groups, the pelvic floor and adductors are closely related in regards to tension held within them. Pelvic floor tension can affect adductor tension and vice versa,...
Pubic symphysis pain, commonly known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), affects around 30% of pregnant individuals. SPD manifests with symptoms such as localized tenderness, discomfort during specific movements like turning in bed or getting in and out of a car, and shooting pain in various areas like the lower abdomen, back, pelvis, perineum, and thighs. ...