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Your pelvic floor muscles will wake up when you have an orgasm
Health Digest reached out to me to hear what I had to say about what happens to your body when you have an orgasm. It's a long read and it's worth it - in addition to my insights there is lots of info on neurochemical changes, hormonal levels, and pain threshold during the "Big O". Here is a brief synopsis of the article, along with a link to the full article below.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

Having an orgasm can be one of the most satisfying and gratifying experiences for the human body. Plus, there's really no "wrong" way to achieve the Big O — as long as everyone involved has given their enthusiastic consent, of course. You do you!

Where things really start to get interesting is when you get all hot and nerdy about anatomy, as some pretty fascinating things happen within when you have an orgasm. Whether you're well-versed in the language of la petite mort or are here because you want to learn more about this pleasurable experience, you're bound to learn something new. Yes, the human body really is capable of some amazing things — including this unique physical sensation.

Your pelvic floor muscles will wake up when you have an orgasm

You may not have given much thought to your pelvic floor — especially if you're a male or if you're young and relatively fit. But if you're a bit older, or you've given birth to a baby, chances are the health of your pelvic floor is definitely on your radar, as noted by the BBC.

A healthy pelvic floor can actually play a huge role in your orgasms, according to Heather Jeffcoat, a physical therapist and pelvic health expert.

Your pelvic floor muscles contract when you have an orgasm," she explained to Health Digest. "Stronger pelvic floor muscles are correlated with forceful expulsion of vaginal fluid during orgasm." She added that those muscles also impact the length and intensity of your orgasm.

That's not just good news for women, as Jeffcoat says there's another benefit your pelvic floor provides when you have an orgasm.

The pelvic floor is involved in enhancing sexual pleasure for both partners through muscle activation and vaginal ballooning," she continued. Yes, it can also feel pretty nice for the male partner in a heterosexual relationship.

When you have an orgasm, your toes may curl

Clearly your brain does a lot of heavy lifting when you have an orgasm, as it's in charge of distributing all of the hormones and chemicals that flood your system. But in addition to that, the way your brain is structured can trigger other reactions in your body, physical therapist and pelvic health expert Dr. Heather Jeffcoat revealed to Health Digest. "

Our brain is not organized from the top down, nor is their a clear line where one body region begins and one ends in the brain," she explained. "Your toes curl because the genital area is next to the toes in the brain." Isn't that wild?

So, what exactly is going on in your noggin to bring about this strange particular movement?

There is overlap of the nerves, which in turn creates an overflow of muscle function, thus toes curling during the pelvic floor muscle contractions that occur during an orgasm," Jeffcoat continued.

Sometimes, the human body can be endlessly fascinating! If you are still curious about what happens to your body when you have an orgasm, continue reading the full article here.

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Testimonial by J.H.

My last appointment with Heather was over 6 years ago but I still think of her every day. I don’t take for granted that I can easily get out of bed, care for my two active and busy young boys, run, play tennis, clean my house, or sit at a desk for several hours at a time. None of these tasks were easy for me before meeting Heather. Eight years ago my car was struck from behind by a tractor trailer that was estimated to have been speeding. I spent 3 years working with different PTs and Drs trying to heal and move on with my life. When I became pregnant and the hormone relaxin that “relaxes” all the joints of the body and the additional weight gain erased all my progress and I was suddenly in a lot of pain again. My OB sent me to Heather for one last try.

Read more: Testimonial by J.H.

Testimonial by P.M.

I was hopeful but frankly skeptical when the doctor treating me for Interstitial Cystitis recommended that I go to Heather for physical therapy. Medication and diet helped control my IC symptoms, but I had never heard of physical therapy being used to treat IC. The education and treatment I received from Heather was a revelation. She explained that the pain I experienced with IC had helped create a cycle of muscle guarding which affected the entire pelvic area. I had no idea of the amount of tension being held there. No wonder my husband and I had not been able to have sexual intercourse for years!

Read more: Testimonial by P.M.

Testimonial by Fritzette H.

I went to Heather after the birth of my third child. It was lucky, really, that I was referred to her, because my doctor had referred me to a surgeon for a possible hysterectomy or pelvic wall rebuild. Thankfully, I went to Heather before undergoing either surgery, she was able to fix the problem. She has studied extensively in women's health--even written a book about it--and was able to diagnose my problem, suggest a course of treatment (6 weeks), and then follow through with said treatment. By the end, as she said, I was as good as gold. Boy, was it worth it! Though uncomfortable to talk about, much less write about, it is worth getting the word out there. If you have painful intercourse, especially after birth or other trauma, the treatment may be as simple as Physical Therapy (with Heather, of course). I highly recommend her.

-- Fritzette H., 3/24/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Mary L.

I started seeing Heather to treat my Interstitial Cystitis in November 2016. At this time, I was extremely miserable, in constant pain, and felt as though no one was listening or understood what was going on with my body. I have just finished my last appointment and I can honestly say that my life has completely changed for the better because of Heather and her team of PTs! I live almost completely pain free, and when I do have flare ups, I am able to treat them at home on my own. I am so grateful that this office was recommended to me a honestly cannot recommend them enough!

Read more: Testimonial by Mary L.

Testimonial by M.N., age 28

A personal journey and testimonial from one of my patients:

I was diagnosed with vaginismus 4 years ago. I never heard of such medical condition until after I got married. At first my husband and I didn't know what to do, we didn't know what the issues were or how to overcome it. Being born and raised in Armenia and being Christian I wasn't that open about talking to sex with others and so it wasn't easy to seek help. But eventually I went to an Ob-Gyn and luckily she knew about the medical condition (not many doctors know). She referred me to a physical therapist and I couldn't believe it and thought it's something I can handle myself. I ordered a kit from vaginismus.com and started practicing with dilators. There was some small progress but wasn't much helpful.

Read more: Testimonial by M.N., age 28

Testimonial by P.M.

I was hopeful but frankly skeptical when the doctor treating me for Interstitial Cystitis recommended that I go to Heather for physical therapy. Medication and diet helped control my IC symptoms, but I had never heard of physical therapy being used to treat IC. The education and treatment I received from Heather was a revelation. She explained that the pain I experienced with IC had helped create a cycle of muscle guarding which affected the entire pelvic area. I had no idea of the amount of tension being held there. No wonder my husband and I had not been able to have sexual intercourse for years!

Read more: Testimonial by P.M.

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