Our mission is to empower anyone at any age or stage in their fitness journey with the information and tools that will help them to make better choices – even just one small better choice can motivate them and improve their potential to truly thrive.
Livestrong writer Lacey Muinos was tasked with creating an article about the signs that you should see a pelvic floor therapist, and she came up with six of them. She came to me asking for my expert opinion, and here is a brief synopsis of the article, along with a link to the full article below.
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Should You See a Pelvic Floor Therapist? Six Signs Suggest So
One of the first things Lacey discovered is that within the wider field of physical therapy, pelvic floor therapy is still a somewhat unknown quantity:
When you think of pelvic floor therapy, you may think of Kegel exercises — which are basically a workout for your pelvic floor muscles — but there's a lot more to it than that. When these muscles aren't functioning properly (aka, pelvic floor dysfunction), a variety of symptoms can get in the way of your day-to-day activities. We spoke to pelvic floor physical therapists about the signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction to look out for. If you experience any of these, it might be time to see a pelvic floor specialist.
Having realized the importance of pelvic health and the specialized training that is required to optimize it, Lacey came to me for some insights.
When Emilia Benton reached out to me for an article she was working on for Livestrong, her intent was to give a brief overview of why sex can be painful after menopause and the various treatment options being offered. Of course I was glad to put in my two cents for pelvic floor physical therapy as a big piece of the puzzle.
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Learn Why Sex Can Be Painful After Menopause - And What You Can Do About It
First we had the Baby Boom, and then the Menopause Boom. Since then we've learned a lot about what menopause is all about, but as happens with any time of change in our lives, there are still a number of questions to be answered. One of the more common ones concerns why sex can be painful after menopause.
Some of the answers to this question will be familiar to any woman who has experienced insufficient lubrication for any number of reasons, often to the point where they either cannot enjoy sex to the fullest - or cannot even do it at all due to the pain and discomfort. But during the fertile period of a woman's life, these issues can often be corrected depending on the cause.
While researching this article about diastasis recti exercises, Livestrong author Amy Marturana Winderl, CPTreached out to me for some advice. Here is a brief synopsis of the article, with a link to the full article below.
Kasia Gondek, PT, DPT, CSCS
Do You Have Ab Muscle Separation? These 10 Diastasis Recti Exercises Can Help Fix It.
For how common it is, diastasis recti (DR) is a condition that's surprisingly misunderstood.
In short, DR is what it's called when your abdominal muscles separate — specifically, the two sides of your rectus abdominis (your "six-pack muscles"). Separated stomach muscles occur as a result of too much pressure inside the abdomen (intra-abdominal pressure). That's why it's extremely common during pregnancy.
Using a squatty potty while peeing can help you fully empty your bladder. Image Credit: Mintra Kwthijak/iStock/GettyImages
Livestrong author Marygrace Taylor wanted to know "should you use a squatty potty when you pee?", and she reached out to me for some advice. Here is a brief synopsis of the article, with a link to the full article below.
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Everyone Has to Pee... Should You Use a Squatty Potty?
A squatty potty or toilet stool can make it easier to have a bowel movement, particularly if you're dealing with constipation. But is it worth sitting on one just for peeing too?
The answer is yes.
A deep squat position or feet on a toilet stool is preferred for both urinating and bowel movements,"
says Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles and President of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy.
Here's why it helps, and how to know if you need one.
In an ideal world, we would all have perfectly balanced strength and crush workouts left and right. But here in the real world, however, many people struggle with muscular imbalances that make certain movements extra challenging.
Shoulder imbalances are particularly prevalent, says Kasia Gondek, physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist at Fusion Wellness and Physical Therapy. It's common — but not normal — for one shoulder to have less strength, activation or coordination than the other, Dr. Gondek says:
Livestrong.com is a quite popular website that (in their own words) "provides the blueprint to simple healthy living". It was founded by world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, and it covers a wide variety of topics that help people make better choices about their health and wellness.
While compiling information for the article linked below they reached out Heather Jeffcoat for her opinion on several topics, including the best options for Pilates reformers. To quote Heather:
The popular health website Livestrong reached out to Heather Jeffcoat for her expertise in overcoming sexual pain and discomfort due to vaginsmus and other diagnoses. Penned by none other than August McLaughlin of the popular Girl Boner Radio show, you can be sure that this read will be time well spent.
There is Poetry in Variety
McLaughlin begins with an analogous reference to the late William Cowper:
When poet William Cowper said, “Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor,” he may very well have been talking about the bedroom. A little (or a lot) of variety can make sex more fun and pleasurable, but when a physical condition makes certain positions challenging or painful, finding safe, creative alternatives is important.
August turns to Heather for some insight into what positions to avoid and (better yet) which ones to enjoy to not only minimize your pain but maximize your pleasure.
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.
Heather is without exaggerating AMAZING! After years of trouble with a certain part of my body, in no time, she made everything change back to equilibrium and to what would be considered normal. She explains everything in detail and therefore gives you a better understanding of why things are the way they are, and how you can work towards turning things around. I would highly recommend Heather for any type of Physical Therapy. She has created her own "Method/Therapy" through years of studying (with some of the greatest practitioners), practice and breaking down the issues of her past patients, enabling her to fine tune her own system. I'm so thankful to have found her, and I'm especially grateful for the quick recovery I've achieved, after years of distress. If you cannot afford her, I recommend you purchase her book. Although it may not be Heather in person, it can still help you to get on the right path to recovery!
-- Alexandra B., 5/20/2015 via Yelp!
Testimonial by S.H., age 24
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 M.M.
A personal journey and testimonial from one of my patients:
My husband and I were married for 5 years before we were able to have intercourse due to my vaginismus. There was nothing traumatic in my past but for some reason, even though I wanted sex, I mentally avoided "that area" of my body and didn't even admit to myself that there was a problem for a long time, even though I was never able to put tampons in. Once I finally opened my eyes up to the fact that I had a problem, I had a surgery that was supposed to fix the issue.
Heather has affected my life in the MOST POSITIVE way and I am forever grateful. My husband refers to her as the "sex doctor" so you can only imagine how happy he is with my therapy outcome.
After the birth of my son I suffered from "Vaginismus", however, at the time I just thought I was broken. My "broken vagina" affected me physically but it was an emotional struggle as well. Many women in my life also suffered with pain from sex after their babies were born so I knew I wasn't alone. They told me they "just got used to it" but I couldn't see myself living that way.
Sex wasn't just painful, it was literally impossible - IT DIDNT FIT!
After having my second baby via C-section I searched for months to try to find help for my lower back pain and separated abdominal muscles. I finally came across Heather Jeffcoat via a mommy blog. I reached out to her via email and set my first appointment. My first appointment went amazing … she listened to what my symptoms, check my separation and explained to me in detail what the next steps would be. Not only did my abdominal separation go from 3 to about 1 -1/2 but my back has pain has significantly reduced. I’m personally recommending all my mommy friends to Heather!
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