Start Your Pelvic Health Journey
Femina Physical Therapy in the Media
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT and the team at Femina PT are routinely sought out by major online sources, print publications, and broadcast media for our knowledge of all things related to pelvic health. The recognition we have received as leading experts in our field has resulted in appearances on "Loveline with Mike and Dr. Drew" , US News & World Report, Huffington Post, ABC News, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Bustle, "Sex With Emily" with Dr. Emily Morse, and in New York Magazine and Health Magazine, to name but a few. The demand for our expertise is greater than ever as more and more women seek to remedy the issues that we work with on a daily basis.
As Featured In:
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1296 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
If Your Pelvic Floor Is Too Tight, There Are Answers
Even if you're familiar with the pelvic floor muscles, you might be surprised to know how important they are. The pelvic floor, which sits between the tailbone and pubic bone, resembles a hammock that supports your uterus (if you have one), bladder, and rectum, according to the Mayo Clinic. More specifically, the pelvic floor controls bladder and rectal urges, keeps your pelvic organs in place, assists sexual function, and helps support your core and spine, says Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, doctor of physical therapy, and owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles. So when the pelvic floor muscles become too loose or too tight, it can have a significant impact on your daily life.
Read more: Well and Good: How to Tell If Your Pelvic Floor Is Too...
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 639 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
‘I’m a Pelvic-Floor Therapist, and This Is Why You Should Not Stop Your Flow Mid-Pee’
There's a strong chance someone in your life has either done or suggested Kegel exercises to you. You may have stumbled on Kegel advice through platforms like this TikTok. Or maybe you've googled Kegel exercises because you're dealing with bladder leakage. It can seem like Kegel exercise advice is everywhere, but there's a lot about this seemingly simple exercise that people do wrong. So, if you've heard you should do Kegels while peeing to assess your pelvic floor prowess, it is not the sagest advice.
Read more: Well and Good: You Should Not Stop Your Flow Mid-Pee
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1688 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Sucking in your stomach all the time could be bad for your health
Sucking in your stomach and keeping your abdominal muscles too tense as you go about your day may seem innocuous, but experts say it’s a pervasive habit that can have physical and mental consequences over time.
Heather Jeffcoat is a keen observer of people.
I notice people,” said Jeffcoat, who ascribes her perceptive eye to her nearly two-decade career as a physical therapist. “I notice how people walk. I notice how people stand. I’ll just be like, ‘Oh, that person’s gripping their gluteal muscles, or that person looks like they’re gripping their abs.’ ”
The latter observation — a behavior some experts call “stomach gripping,” or what’s more widely known as sucking in your stomach — is one that Jeffcoat said she often sees among the patrons at her usual Starbucks, which is next to a spin studio in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Read more: Washington Post: Stop Sucking in Your Stomach All the Time
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1369 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
I Used A Kneeling Ergonomic Chair For 30 Days - Here's What You Need To Know
I work a desk job and was experiencing neck and shoulder pain, so I tried switching up my chair to see if it would help.
Hi! I'm Farrah, and like a good portion of all office culture employees, I am still working from home during the pandemic. My current "office" chair cost me a total of $30, but I've been having an increase of shoulder and neck pain, which I attribute to hunching while working at my computer. Basically, I'm desperate to try something new, which led me down the rabbit hole of ergonomic chairs.
Read more: Buzzfeed: Kneeling Ergonomic Chairs - What You Need To Know
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1274 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Tell me why no one taught this in health class.
I like working my abs from time to time. I also — for all intents and purposes — like orgasms. But is it possible for the two to actually correlate?!
That's the claim of TikToker @annieknight, who discovered that two of her friends "can't do leg downs, can't do planks...can't do the ab machine at the gym, because they'll orgasm."
And TikToker @jessdavo97 actually (allegedly) caught her "coregasm" on camera while doing some hanging leg raises at the gym.
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1827 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Questions You Are Too Embarrassed To Ask When it Comes to "Down There"
We asked the BuzzFeed Community if they ever had a question about ~down there~ that they might be too embarrassed or intimidated to ask, and they came through with lots of insightful questions! So, we reached out to Dr. Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a licensed pelvic floor physical therapist and owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, to answer your pelvic health inquiries.
Here is a sampling of the questions you are too embarrassed to ask:
1. "Why do I have to pee so often? I barely drink any liquids throughout the day, because otherwise I’d be peeing even more than I already am."
Read more: Buzzfeed: A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Answered The...
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 8251 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Do you know how to use a sex pillow?
What’s that saying from old church ladies, “The higher the hair, the closer to god”? Well, if you’ve been interested in adding some elevation between the sheets, grabbing a sex pillow (aka sex wedge) may just bring you closer to an, “Oh my god” moment.
According to a 2021 survey of 1,600 people conducted by Dame Labs, the research hub of sexual wellness company Dame, 81% of respondents reported they wanted to find better angles during partnered sex. Further, when asked about the best non-vibrating sex toys, pillows and wedges were rated the highest.
A sex pillow can be used for comfort or to improve positioning to enhance the sexual experience,”
Dr. Heather Jeffcoat, (she/her) women’s health physical therapist and author of Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide To The Sex Life You Deserve tells Bustle.
People tend to like them because they allow for further variation in position, and can improve accessibility of all the spots — G, P, and A.”
Read more: Bustle: How To Use A Sex Pillow To Make Every Position...
- Details
- Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
- 1624 Views
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Learn Why Peeing Just In Case Isn't Such a Great Idea After All
We make lots of ridiculous choices regarding sleep. As a kid, we might have snuck under our covers with a flashlight and read Powerpuff Girls chapter books, and later we went to slumber parties and competed to see which seventh grader could keep their eyes open til morning. As youngish adults we had many (maybe too many) late-night/early-morning study sessions or drunk-fests. And as a parent, you (like me) may have stayed up well past bedtime to be blissfully alone, curled up with a pint of Cherry Garcia and a book of sudoku puzzles. We definitely needed more hours to snooze—but there was no way we were trading our *bedazzled* nightlife in favor of practicing smart sleep hygiene.
Read more: Scary Mommy: If You’ve Been In The Habit Of Peeing Just In...
