By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   Let’s talk scars and facts:   Scar tissue is of poorer quality than regular tissue; therefore it is more sensitive to UV light. Be sure to protect your scars with SPF! Don’t be surprised when hair doesn’t grow back in your scars. Hair follicles and sweat glands do not regenerate in scar tissue.  Some scars can be sensitive to touch or clothing or can cause pain, but manual therapy can often reduce sensitivity and pain! If you have a problematic scar be sure to talk to your physical therapist who can ..read more

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack   Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a rare inherited connective tissue disorder. It affects the skin, joints, and blood vessel walls. It causes joint hypermobility (joints that move too much!) which can result in joint dysfunction and pain. If many joints are affected, it can cause muscle dysfunction throughout the body, as the muscles attempt to compensate for the lack of joint stability. This can result in body-wide myofascial pain. When the sacroiliac joints or hip joints are affected, the pelvic floor muscles can become dysfunctional res ..read more

By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles   Getting enough restful sleep is paramount for a healthy body. The benefits are too many to name here. It can be a challenge to get a good night’s rest for many people. Here are some basic tips to improve the quality of your sleep!   Stay away from screens before bedtime. Keep the lights low in your bedroom and bathroom as you prepare for bed. Be sure to keep the temperature in your bedroom not too hot or too cold. For less interrupted sleep, keep your fur babies in their ..read more

By Lauren Opatrny, PT, DPT San Francisco, CA   What is Low Anterior Resection Surgery?  Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States (1), and low anterior resection (LAR) is the preferred surgical treatment for rectal cancer. During this procedure, the part of the rectum with cancer will be removed, and the remaining part of the rectum will be reconnected to the colon(2). This reconnection of the remaining rectum to the colon is referred to as an anastomosis. In order to allow the anastomosis to heal, most patients will receive a temporar ..read more

By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles When considering neuropathic pain in the pelvis most people think of the pudendal nerve, but there are several other pelvic nerves that can also contribute to pelvic pain!  The genitofemoral nerve supplies a portion of the genitals as well as the front of the thigh. This nerve is sometimes confused with the pudendal nerve since both nerves innervate the genitals and can cause genital pain. The posterior femoral cutaneous nerve supplies the perineum and the back of the thigh. Similar to the pudendal nerve, this nerve can contrib ..read more

By Alexa Savitz, DPT, PHRC Pasadena Reflecting on my previous years as a former professional dancer, I too often heard dressing room conversations with cast members sharing stories of accidents or urinary leakage happening over a few laughs, during partnering, while lifting, or jumping. At that time there was little to no education around what our pelvic floor muscles even were and it was assumed these accidents were normal. Not only are episodes of urinary leakage not normal in any case, but performers tend to also report hip pain, low back pain, pain with sex, constipation, and increased str ..read more

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack    In a post-Roe world, conversations and questions about birth control options are on the rise. Currently, everyone still has a constitutional right to contraceptives. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy, including oral medications, implantable devices, injectable medications, barrier methods, surgical interventions, fertility awareness, and abstinence. There are advantages and disadvantages for each, so this blog will break each option down to help folks make informed decisions for their own birth control needs.  &nbs ..read more

By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Some people with diastasis recti (DR) also report urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and myofascial pelvic pain. HOWEVER, it is not the presence of diastasis alone that leads to these things. Longer term problems from unresolved DR can (but don't always) include: back pain poor posture pelvic floor dysfunction GI issues Many people have diastasis with no other symptoms. Why are some people with DR symptomatic and other people not? This is thought to be tied to a person’s overall strength, endurance, and ..read more