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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.
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Here’s a simple foam roller routine to try for a happier pelvic floor this new year.
Foam rolling is a fantastic way to manage pelvic pain by keeping your tissues hydrated with increased blood flow, reducing trigger points in the muscles and fascia, and improving mobility and range of motion. Foam rolling has also been found to increase parasympathetic nervous system response (rest and digest) which is also helpful in chronic pain management (Beardsley, 2015).
I often tell my patients that the pelvic is not an isolated island, in fact it’s at the center of your body and deeply intertwined with many body functions including balance, movement, toileting, and sex. Go ahead and palpate your pelvic bones- you can feel that the muscles to the back, hip, and legs all attach to the pelvis. When there is dysfunction in these muscle groups, pelvic pain, pelvic mal-alignment, and tight pelvic floor muscles can be a result. By keeping these tissues healthy and mobile can help manage your pelvic pain.
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Communicating with your partner about your sexuality may reduce your pelvic pain and increase your sexual function.
A 2016 study by McNicoll et al. suggests that Sexual Assertiveness, or the ability to communicate openly to your partner about your sexual experience, may reduce the pain experienced with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), increase sexual function, and encourage your partner to communicate you in ways that help boost your sexual health.
How Sexual Assertiveness May Reduce Your Pain
Pelvic pain and pain with sex may come from several different avenues, including vaginismus, vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, endometriosis, or tissue changes caused by menopause. The 2016 study by McNicoll et al. specifically worked with women with provoked vestibulodynia.
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Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) is a condition that is poorly understood.
Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder is a rare disorder most commonly seen in those with female anatomy and is characterized persistent sensations of genital arousal in the absence of sexual desire or stimulation. These sensations typically stay after orgasm and are intrusive, unwanted, and can negatively affect quality of life.
The diagnosis itself is not well known among healthcare practitioners yet alone the general public. Those who experience its symptoms can be hesitant to talk about it with their healthcare practitioners even though it may be affecting their quality of life.
Read more: Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) | What is it...
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You counted down the weeks until your baby’s arrival…
now you and your partner are counting down the days until your doctor gives you the green light to have sex again.
That’s a good thing; intimacy is an important factor in your relationship and your own well-being. But whether this is your first baby, or you’re sure it’s your last, your anticipation might be tinged with some anxiety. After all, your body has been through a lot since that positive pregnancy test result.
Sleepless nights, fluctuating hormones, and breastfeeding challenges can take a toll. Perhaps you’re still healing from a C-section or a physically challenging delivery. Even if giving birth was a breeze, and this is your easiest baby yet, you may worry that your expectations aren’t in sync with your partner’s.
When it comes to your postpartum sex life, what’s the new normal? And how soon can you get there?
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Getting back to activities like sex after a hysterectomy can be intimidating.
Learn what a hysterectomy is, how it can affect your sexual function, and what pelvic floor physical therapy can do to help.
What is a hysterectomy?
Acording to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a hysterectomy is surgery to remove the uterus. It is a common type of surgery for women in the United States.
- Hysterectomy is used to treat many women’s health conditions including:
- Uterine fibroids (this is the most common reason for hysterectomy)
- Endometriosis (although it states this on ACOG, it is more correct for this to state Adenomyosis, which is endometriosis in the uterus. Please be clear -- a hysterectomy is NOT a cure for endometriosis).
- Pelvic support problems (such as uterine prolapse)
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Gynecologic cancer
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If you’re facing a diagnosis of bladder cancer or a similar health concern, sex may be the last thing on your mind.
However, your sex life after a cystectomy (bladder removal surgery) should be a major consideration for any doctor who recommends it.
Sadly, research shows that’s much more likely to be true for men than it is for women. In fact – although sexual function after bladder removal is ‘routinely considered’ for male patients – surgeons in one study discussed complications that could affect pelvic health and sexual function with just 13% of female patients. Worse, the medical counseling those women got after surgery ignored the topic of sex altogether.
Read more: Sex After Cystectomy | What Women Need To Know Before...
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How much do we really learn about intimacy, affection, sensual touching and sex while growing up?
A lot of our references for intimacy come from what we see in our families, movies, and for sex, a lot of the time porn. What we are individually exposed to will possibly become what we think is the norm, which can then possibly skew our views towards intimacy with a partner. For instance, if a woman watches porn for a sex reference she may think her vulva has to look a certain way or that she needs to attain an orgasm with penetration or to be intimate with her partner she has to have sex, when that’s not really the case.
Read more: Did You Know There's More Than Just Sex? Sensate Focus Can...
