Medications can be a vital part of constipation management in children. There are several different kinds of medications including stool softeners, osmotic laxatives, stimulant laxatives, and options such as suppositories and enemas. Miralax, an osmotic laxative, is one of the most common and discussed options. While these medication methods can be very beneficial with constipation management, they can also be intimidating to use with children.

Constipation plays a big role in bladder and bowel functioning. So ruling it out should be one of the first things to do. But how do you know if your child is constipated? You may think of constipation simply as having difficulty pooping or having to strain significantly. While these can be indicators of constipation...

The winter holidays are a special time of year for many. They are filled with family get-togethers, delicious treats, and heart-warming traditions. For as sweet and jolly as this time of year can be, it can also be a sneaky pelvic floor saboteur! Watch out for the following things around the holidays so you can be prepared to keep your pelvic floor happy...

As November arrives, we all know the holiday season is just around the corner, whether we are prepared for it or not! With the holidays come various stressors, late-night festivities, indulgent eating, and perhaps a bit too much drinking. All of these can leave us feeling less than our best. By implementing some straightforward practices, you can keep your gut in top shape and truly savor this special time of year!

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I have seen and treated a number of women transitioning into menopause- whether they are in their early stages of perimenopause (this can range from a couple years to ten years) or have officially gone 12 months without a period (the technical definition for entering menopause). Going through menopause can be an extremely transformational time that I find most women are not well educated on.

When it comes to disordered eating and body image, the experience is physical as well as emotional. In treatment, one explores and works to change one’s relationship with food, self, others and beyond. Treatments often utilize a team approach and can include a psychologist, social worker, dietitian or nutritionist, and medical doctors. What may not be known, however, is the relationship between eating disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction and how a pelvic floor physical therapist can help.

Whether we like it or not, our modern lives expose us to an environmental chemical toxic soup that can have adverse effects on our health. Our bodies, with the remarkable support of the liver, do an admirable job of processing these substances. However, sometimes the burden becomes overwhelming, and our health may suffer as a result.

In my last blog, I talked about the importance of cross training to prevent injury. Now I would like to talk about two additional factors for improving exercise performance and preventing injury: sleep and hydration. ‍“Get 8 hours of sleep a night!” and “Make sure you are drinking enough water!” are phrases we probably hear more often than we can count. Yes, these are important habits to build and maintain for our overall health, but let’s talk about WHY they are so important.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), you probably have many questions that your doctor didn't have time to answer during your 15 minute appointment. So let's start with the most obvious question: What is it? PCOS is a common endocrine disorder that affects 1 in 10 reproductive-aged women. Some common sign and symptoms of PCOS include missed or irregular periods, excess bodily hair, acne, weight gain, infertility and pelvic pain.

Pain is often caused by an inflammatory process of some type causing an irritation in a tissue like a bone, muscle, tendon, or ligament. When seeing a PT, you’re usually assigned exercises to address your goals. Typically these goals are oriented around reducing inflammation and optimizing movement function. But exercises aren’t the only thing that can assist with achieving your goals.