Welcome to the latest installment of the Femina Physical Therapy Newsletter!
Scroll down to learn more about how Heather Jeffcoat and her team are continually working to improve everyone's sex lives, reproductive health, and general wellbeing.
Thanks for reading, and remember - we're here to help!
Hearing all this jazz about your pelvic floor, but don't actually know what it is? Come hear about your anatomy and have a 30 min Q&A session with pelvic floor occupational therapist, Nancy Wong OTD, OTR/L.
Sexual wellness, comfort and pleasure—now in a water-based CBD lube.
We are big fans of GoLove's products, and we highly recommend all of their wonderful items including their fantastic CBD lube.
CBD-enriched GoLove lubricant soothes your body, relaxes your mind and lifts up orgasmic passions for both of you. The solution is in GoLove’s unique blend of body- safe ingredients, natural soothers and skin-nourishing hyaluronic serum—balanced with 200mg of therapeutic, USA-grown organic CBD.
Once again the Greatist website has reached out to Heather Jeffcoat
In this latest article they discuss ways to improve your sexual stamina
Anyone who’s tried standing sex knows certain positions require quite a bit of strength and agility to pull off. And not only that, there’s data that suggests getting exercise can add some oomph and level up arousal.
So while we’d never tell you fitness automatically leads to good sex (only good communication and lube can do that, after all), exercise is, at the very least, a great source of endorphins.
That’s why we called up some experts and put together this collection of moves geared toward getting your body ready for a raucous roll in the hay.
Physical Activity has Psychological and Physical Benefits
Studies have shown that physical activity has many physical and psychological benefits. Staying physically active can increase happiness (Wang et al., 2012), improve health (Lee and Skerrett, 2001), and enhance quality of life (Penedo and Dahn, 2005).
Getting Started with a Problem Can Be Hard but Mindfulness Can Help
Dishman and Buckworth (1996) found that it is common for adults to quit an exercise program within the first 6 months of starting it, which decreases the chance for folks to fully receive the benefits of an exercise program. One factor that has been identified as helping people stick with an exercise program is satisfaction with physical activity.
In 2016 Tsafou et al. (2016) found that a mindfulness practice while you are exercising can increase
Cycling has become an increasingly popular mode of exercise and transportation, and before COVID-19 cycling classes were very popular.
Now with many cities under shelter in place ordinances, folks are dusting off their bicycles and riding the streets for exercise.
There are many health benefits to cycling, including improved cardiovascular health, better weight control, and decreased risk of breast cancer in women (Greenberg, 2019).
Despite all these amazing health benefits (I, myself am an avid bicyclist), you can ask almost anyone who has ridden a bike- the seats can get kind of uncomfortable after prolonged periods of time. And for some, issues worse than discomfort can arise: genital numbness, genital pain, nerve conduction issues, and sexual dysfunction. Through the years there has been some research that has linked bicycle riding, genital pain and genital numbness, and sexual dysfunction in both sexes. In fact, we’ve explored how rider/seat positioning on your bicycle can exacerbate nerve and orthopedic issues in past blogs.
Doctors have known for decades that smoking affects lung and heart health, greatly increasing risk of both lung cancer and heart disease. In recent research, they have been finding that smoking increases risk to various urologic diseases as well.
Bladder Cancer
Cigarette smoking triples the risk for bladder cancer when compared with the risk in nonsmokers, about 50% of bladder cancer in men and 20% in women can be attributable to smoking (Freedman, 2011). Cigarette smoke contains about 60 different carcinogens, and many of these are identifiable in the urine of smokers (Manatonski, 1981). Cigarette smoking is one of the largest risk factors we can control to prevent the development of bladder cancer in men and women.
Prostate Cancer
Although the cause of prostate cancer is not clear, some researchers believe it may be due to various factors including genetics, diet, inflammation, infectious agents, hormonal imbalance, or exposure to toxins like cigarette smoke (Dwivedi, 2012). A 2012 study by Dwivedi found that smoking increased.
Our LIVE Zoom Yoga Class series features Nancy Wong, OTD, OTR/L, RYT, every Thursday from 9:30-10:15 am PST, hosted directly from our offices LIVE over the internet.
Event Date: 05-14-2020 9:30 am Capacity: 100 Price: Free
The orange Franklin Smooth Ball™ Set is designed to comfortably massage even the most sensitive user. Their smooth surface provides deep muscle penetration that goes to the source of the trigger point without aggravating soft tissue.
Event Date: 05-15-2020 11:15 am Capacity: 100 Price: Free
Our LIVE Zoom Pilates Class series features Jillian Giannini, DPT, CYT, CPI, every Tuesday from 1:15-2:00 pm PST, hosted directly from our offices LIVE over the internet.
Before I was referred to Heather Jeffcoat I was living in a nightmare. I had been married to my husband for three years and I was suffering from Vaginismus. That all changed when I visited my OBGYN and she said she knew of someone with a great success rate. To be honest I was hesitant at first because my first doctor had already told me that all I needed to do was order dilators from the internet and I should overcome my problem. She was wrong because I had followed the book on how to use the dilators with absolutely no advancements in my condition. However, that all changed when I went in for my first visit and Heather took the time to explain my condition and how we were going to work together to overcome it.
I remember leaving her office with a glimmer of hope that I could live a normal life. As my sessions continued I began to see immediate results. With only four sessions and a strict dedication to my home programs I was cured of Vaginismus. In the beginning of this process I was made aware that my health insurance company might not cover the costs, which was disappointing but today I can say one hundred percent that it was the best money I ever spent. Now thanks to Heather I am finally enjoying my life to the fullest with my husband. Thank you Heather, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. I will never forget it. Those who are suffering from these types of conditions don’t be afraid because she makes you feel so comfortable and the end result is worth it. Good luck to you all and I hope you experience the success I have.
-- A.B.
Testimonial by Ann V.
I wish i could give this place 10 stars!! I have been suffering from vaginismus for 5 years and never found the cure to it. I had seen an ob/gyn and he diagnosed me with vaginismus and told me i needed a surgery to cure my condition, which i refused to do. He also referred me to a PT that he works with, i had given them multiple calls and they never responded back to me, so i started searching yelp for another PT. I am SO HAPPY I found Heather's office! I was working with Laureen, and with her guidance and techniques i was able to be cured from vaginismus in only 2 1/2 short months!!! I couldn't believe how quickly their program worked for me! I am forever grateful and thankful from Heather, and Laureen! They are the absolute best at what they do!
I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me for the past 19 months. I literally could not have reached my goals without you and your practice. You gave me the courage to keep moving forth with my treatment no matter how afraid and anxious I was. You were always there to answer questions and made this whole process so much easier than I expected it to be.
It's because of you that my marriage is on the right track, that I can get pregnant and that this part of my life is finally over. I really feel that Fusion Wellness is a team of people you can call family and are there to root for you and cheer you on until you reach your goals. There is nothing better than knowing I accomplished this with you guys by my side and as calmly and patiently as I needed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being there and helping me reach my goals.
S.H., age 24
Testimonial by Julie T.
Femina PT (née Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy) has honestly changed my life. Before receiving treatment at Femina, I was going doctor to doctor to try and find the answer to my pelvic pain. It has taken me YEARS to find someone that can help fix this. It wasn't until my gynecologist recommended your clinic that I finally felt relief. My pelvic pain is almost gone, and granted I still have a lot more to work on with Laureen (my PT), my original problem is nearly cured. I am so grateful to her.
What is even better is she gave me practical exercises to do at home that were not tedious and provided instant (and lasting) relief. Although I mainly work with Laureen, my interaction with the owner (Heather) has been great. She is very generous, kind, and committed to her business.
It hurts to know there are women out there suffering who will never know or have the opportunity to work with women like Laureen and Heather because this issue is hardly talked about and this field is so rare. I hope more doctors and physical therapists see the value in this work and can relieve more woman of their pain.
-- Julie T., 12/4/16 via Yelp!
Testimonial by R.D., age 38
"I had a severe tear during childbirth that was not stitched together correctly and therefore healed poorly. Even after having a surgery a year later to remove the scar tissue, I was still having pain, and no one could explain why -- there was no overt 'reason' to explain the pain. I had tried other 'specialists' and even saw another physical therapist who had me do hip / leg stretches -- what a joke! I was about to give up and just 'live with it' until thankfully I kept searching online and found Heather.
I was in multiple car accidents a decade ago, and I have been to many physical therapists through the years without success. They found the root of my lower back pain problems and after nearly a decade of barely being able to walk I finally can again without pain. They are also the best pelvic floor pts and the only ones who found the connection between my pelvic floor and lower back problems. If you need help with physical pain, they are your answer.