Many physical therapy clients ask their PT about certain diet types or nutritional supplements. Although physical therapists receive some background education about nutrition during their course of study, it is outside of our scope of practice to recommend specific dietary changes or meal plans. As a profession we do strive to be aware of different types of diets, as well as the molecular biology of how food breaks down in our body, which affects our ability to perform physical activity. We are also aware of how nutrition can affect tissue healing which is why we address the topic as an overview for our clients to understand its importance in their recovery.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I see many new moms with pelvic floor dysfunction who are also breastfeeding. Common postpartum pelvic floor issues include pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence. How does breastfeeding affect these issues?

Have you ever asked a friend “How do you know you’re doing a Kegel correctly?” and they’ve suggested practicing by stopping the flow of urine while you’re on the toilet? It is true that in order to stop the flow of urine, you have to utilize the contraction of your pelvic floor muscles. However, this is not a good idea to put into practice.

There can be many reasons why someone has abdominal pain. Internal organs, such as your small intestine, colon, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, uterus or ovaries, could be causing your symptoms.

You just pulled into your driveway and all of a sudden you have to pee, right now! You make a beeline into the house and to the nearest bathroom. Typically you make it, but sometimes you leak a bit on the way. Does this scenario sound all too familiar?

Let’s clear the air and say that first and foremost, men have pelvic floors. There, I said it. Yes, and aside from two distinct muscles, they function similar to a female’s pelvic floor. The muscles of the pelvic floor serve important roles in urinary and bowel control, sexual function, and act as a supportive system for the body.

This is an inspiring story of how Dr. Lance Frank, a physical therapist at Activcore, helped Wendy overcome a hip injury and got her back to running pain-free through the practice of physical therapy.

As much as we would like to avoid the topic, poop happens. Or in many uncomfortable cases, it doesn’t. According to the statistics, approximately 20% of adults between 40-75 have constipation. And those numbers are just the base level, run-of-the-mill, stopped-up versions.

Whether you’ve just had your first child or you’ve had many, let’s face it, it can be pretty unnerving to suddenly feel a bulge or heaviness in your vagina. I often hear, “It feels like a tampon is coming out all the time”.

Are your kids still having accidents at night? Are they peeing their pants at school? Do they feel embarrassed? Are they missing out on social activities? Urinary incontinence could be normal for their age but there does come a time when children should be dry during both the day and night.