Sara Reardon

It could be sitting with your legs crossed. It could be clenching your butt because you're stressed out and nervous. It could be holding and pee and poop for too long. It could be trauma. For women specifically, there are three times in a woman's life that directly influence their pelvic floor and make them at a higher risk for pelvic floor issues.

It could be sitting with your legs crossed. It could be clenching your butt because you're stressed out and nervous. It could be holding and pee and poop for too long. It could be trauma. For women specifically, there are three times in a woman's life that directly influence their pelvic floor and make them at a higher risk for pelvic floor issues.

And it's pregnancy, it's childbirth, and it's perimenopause and menopause. During pregnancy, the muscles, these pelvic floor muscles support a growing baby and they get stretched out and weaker during pregnancy. During birth, they can have a tear into the muscles. They're stretched out from pushing. You can have a C-section, which creates abdominal tension and scar restriction.

And it's pregnancy, it's childbirth, and it's perimenopause and menopause. During pregnancy, the muscles, these pelvic floor muscles support a growing baby and they get stretched out and weaker during pregnancy. During birth, they can have a tear into the muscles. They're stretched out from pushing. You can have a C-section, which creates abdominal tension and scar restriction.

So all of those things influence the pelvic floor. And then...

So all of those things influence the pelvic floor. And then...

perimenopause and menopause your hormones are changing you have lower estrogen lower testosterone decreased collagen so those muscles get weaker and thinner over time and this is why women have more issues than men typically when it pertains to weakness or pain because they go through these life stages that men don't got it okay cool i'm taking notes by the way okay sweet so

perimenopause and menopause your hormones are changing you have lower estrogen lower testosterone decreased collagen so those muscles get weaker and thinner over time and this is why women have more issues than men typically when it pertains to weakness or pain because they go through these life stages that men don't got it okay cool i'm taking notes by the way okay sweet so

So typically, the way that the medical system works here in the US is that they go see a doctor. The doctor says, let me run all these tests and see if something's wrong. And then if they don't find anything, they send them to another doctor and send them to another doctor. By the time people reach pelvic floor therapy, sometimes they've gone through seven to eight physicians.

So typically, the way that the medical system works here in the US is that they go see a doctor. The doctor says, let me run all these tests and see if something's wrong. And then if they don't find anything, they send them to another doctor and send them to another doctor. By the time people reach pelvic floor therapy, sometimes they've gone through seven to eight physicians.

And they're like, all the tests are normal. The blood works normal. But we can't figure out why you are peeing all the time or you have pain with urination or whatever the case may be.

And they're like, all the tests are normal. The blood works normal. But we can't figure out why you are peeing all the time or you have pain with urination or whatever the case may be.

So my goal is that people can get to pelvic floor therapy sooner. When we see someone in pelvic floor therapy, some of the common things that we see, I'll focus on the female population, is urinary leakage. So they leak with coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, laughing. No amount of leakage is normal, but any type of leakage, there's a pelvic floor component.

So my goal is that people can get to pelvic floor therapy sooner. When we see someone in pelvic floor therapy, some of the common things that we see, I'll focus on the female population, is urinary leakage. So they leak with coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, laughing. No amount of leakage is normal, but any type of leakage, there's a pelvic floor component.

What's called pelvic organ prolapse, when the pelvic organs aren't as supported by that hammock of muscles. So they start to push into the vagina and it can feel like a bulge in the vagina, like something's falling out. It sounds pretty scary, but it's really just kind of a muscle weakness or tension issue. Pain with sex is another one.

What's called pelvic organ prolapse, when the pelvic organs aren't as supported by that hammock of muscles. So they start to push into the vagina and it can feel like a bulge in the vagina, like something's falling out. It sounds pretty scary, but it's really just kind of a muscle weakness or tension issue. Pain with sex is another one.

These muscles can be tight or tense, or you can have vaginal dryness that leads to pain with initial insertion, deeper insertion, or both. It can also cause hip pain, back pain, abdominal pain, constipation, painful periods. So kind of anything in this pelvic arena, the muscles can be affected. They may not be the initial cause, but they're often a component that needs to be addressed.

These muscles can be tight or tense, or you can have vaginal dryness that leads to pain with initial insertion, deeper insertion, or both. It can also cause hip pain, back pain, abdominal pain, constipation, painful periods. So kind of anything in this pelvic arena, the muscles can be affected. They may not be the initial cause, but they're often a component that needs to be addressed.

And then when somebody comes into our clinics, it's a private session. It's not in like a big gym, like it would be another PT session. It's one-on-one with a therapist. And we ask you questions about all of your pelvic floor stuff. You may be there for painful sex, but I'm asking you about pooping and menstruation and childbirth. And then we do an internal pelvic exam.

And then when somebody comes into our clinics, it's a private session. It's not in like a big gym, like it would be another PT session. It's one-on-one with a therapist. And we ask you questions about all of your pelvic floor stuff. You may be there for painful sex, but I'm asking you about pooping and menstruation and childbirth. And then we do an internal pelvic exam.