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The Femina Physical Therapy Blog
Featuring original articles by our staff about current events and trends
Explore our insightful blog articles on pelvic health, where we delve into essential topics that empower and educate. From understanding pelvic floor disorders to strategies for conquering infertility, our content is designed for those seeking knowledge and support. We discuss the latest research, expert advice, and practical tips to enhance your well-being and foster a deeper connection to your body.
Featured From the Blog:
Vulvovaginal Moisturizers: Who Needs One & Choosing the Right One
Choosing the Right Vulvovaginal Moisturizer
Assuming you need one, make sure it's got the right ingredient list
There are many reasons why those born with female anatomy may require the use of a vulvovaginal moisturizer throughout their lifetime. As you age, the vaginal and vulvar tissues tend to become drier and less elastic. This change is typically seen around the time one goes through menopause due to the drop in estrogen that occurs. The vulvovaginal tissues are very sensitive to hormonal changes and estrogen is the hormone that controls vaginal lubrication, as well as tissue elasticity and thickness.
Read more: Vulvovaginal Moisturizers: Who Needs One & Choosing the...
Treating Bloating and Abdominal Distension: a Multi-Disciplinary Team
Why a Multi-Disciplinary Team is Best for Treating Bloating and Abdominal Distension
Bloating, abdominal distension, loose stools, constipation, abdominal or pelvic pain, fatigue, brain fog, weakness, nutritional deficiencies… these symptoms may be caused by a variety of gastrointestinal or pelvic conditions. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, this article is a good place to start when deciding who to have on your care team, and what treatments can help!
Understanding Relaxin: Why It Doesn’t Cause Pain in Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of significant physical and hormonal changes, and among the many hormones involved, Relaxin plays a crucial role. However, there’s a common misconception that Relaxin is responsible for pain during pregnancy. Let’s take a closer look at what Relaxin does and why it doesn’t directly cause pain.
What is Relaxin?
Relaxin is a regulatory hormone involved in growth, metabolism, and tissue remodeling after an injury to our bones, ligaments, muscles or tendons (Dehghan 2014). During pregnancy, Relaxin levels begin to increase in the first trimester to help the body prepare for childbirth by relaxing the ligaments in the pelvis and softening the cervix (Aldabe 2012, Daneau 2014). The ligaments of the pelvis will begin to relax around the 10th-12th week of pregnancy (Aldabe 2012). This process allows for greater flexibility in the pelvic area, facilitating delivery and accommodating the growing baby.
Read more: Understanding Relaxin: Why It Doesn’t Cause Pain in...
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- Written by: Staff
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September is Healthy Aging Month! In recognition, this blog will talk about Menopause and how it can affect your genitals and sexual function.
What Happens During Menopause?
Menopause marks the end of the regular menstrual cycle and the transition to life beyond the reproductive period.
Babies born with female anatomy have a set number of eggs which are stored in their ovaries. The ovaries make the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control monthly periods and ovulation. Menopause happens when ovaries no longer regularly release an egg every month and menstruation stops.
Read more: September is Healthy Aging Month | Menopause and How it...
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 5143 Views
The History of Estrogen Therapy - A Cure for Hot Flashes, Insomnia, Vaginal Discomfort and More?
Hello, menopause! If you’re experiencing any of those symptoms, your doctor may have recommended some form of menopausal hormone therapy.
But is it safe?
When should you start?
And which therapy is right for you?
Researchers have been trying to answer those questions for decades, often with confusing and even conflicting results. Let’s take a look at the history of estrogen therapy, and how past studies are informing the latest recommendations.
A French physician coined the word ‘menopause’ in the 1800s and advanced the revolutionary idea that the health concerns of aging women deserved medical attention. Throughout that century, doctors experimented – sometimes on themselves – with various animal hormones. The science was far from perfected; but by the 1890s, women were being treated successfully for symptoms of menopause with a powder or pill made from cow ovaries.
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 10938 Views
September is Healthy Aging Month!
Curious about pelvic floor physical therapy for menopause? Read on.
You’ve probably already considered a visit to your primary care doctor and your gynecologist. But what about pelvic floor physical therapy for menopause?
About 6,000 women enter menopause every day in the US, usually between the ages of 45 and 55; and as life expectancy increases, so does the number of years most women will spend on the other side of it. Approximately half of all women can expect to live 40% of their lives in the post-menopausal stage. It makes sense to develop a solid strategy for optimal health, the earlier the better – and regular physical therapy can be an important component of that plan.
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 8222 Views
If you’ve trained for a marathon or half marathon, you’re well acquainted with the dangers of shin splints, pulled muscles, and joint injuries.
And you probably take deliberate care to avoid them.
But it may surprise you to learn female distance runners face a little-known health risk that can have serious, even permanent, consequences.
I’m talking about Female Athlete Triad (FAT).
A recent article in the Journal Of Women’s Health Physical Therapy defines the condition by its three components: “low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density”. Those components form a chain reaction of problems that build on each other. Unchecked, each one can lead to long-term health issues from hormonal imbalance to lowered metabolism and immunities, to osteoporosis. But it’s easily ignored by those who suffer from it, and misdiagnosed by their doctors.
Read more: Female Athlete Triad – The Distance Runner’s Hidden Obstacle
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 28139 Views
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – pelvic pain isn’t in your head, it’s in your muscles.
But could it also be in your birth control?
That’s one of many questions a team of scientists from the European Society of Sexual Medicine set out to answer recently by taking a comprehensive look at the current body of research on how hormonal contraception can affect female sexuality.
Sadly, the first takeaway is no surprise. We need more research – a lot more. And of all the different facets of female sexuality they examined, pelvic floor and urological symptoms got the least attention from the scientific community.
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 6042 Views
What did you discuss with your healthcare provider at your last OB-Gyn appointment?
Hard truth – there’s a good chance your answer depends on your skin color.
The disturbing statistics about increased COVID risks for people of color shed much needed light on systemic injustice in our healthcare system; but you may not realize the problem extends to almost every facet of women’s health, from yearly check-ups to frightening mortality rates in pregnancy and childbirth. A recent survey of nearly 1,700 white and black, non-Hispanic women aged 18-49 pulls back the exam room curtain, indicating a double standard that often leaves women of color underserved and medically vulnerable to several risks.
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- Written by: Staff
- 16829 Views
Your Stress Levels Affect your Bowel Movements and Vice Versa
Psychological stress affects your bowels. Perhaps you know this through personal experience, but research in the past decade has strengthened the link between stress and bowel problems including IBS, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and constipation (Chang et al., 2014).
Chang et al. (2014) found that heightened stress levels increased inflammation and permeability in the GI system, which were tied to increased IBS symptoms.
In 2018, Chan et al. found a dynamic relationship between bowel symptoms, stress, and emotional well-being. Study participants reported stress levels affected bowel function, and that also when they had were experiencing bad bowel function (loose stools, abdominal pain) that this affected their emotional well-being.
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- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 6162 Views
On July 30th, the House approved to DOUBLE funding for Endometriosis.
This is a HUGE win for the 1 in 10 women across the US that suffer from this hidden disease.
Endometriosis can lead to missed days from work and school, chronic pelvic pain, infertility and many other chronic overlapping pain conditions.
The efforts were led by Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Iowa, who in March pubicly noted her own struggles with endometriosis. From her website:
