tporcaro, Author at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine

BY MARJORIE MAYE MAMSAANG, DO

Endometriosis can cause persistent pain in many areas in the body – which can lead those with endo to wonder if that pain or symptom they feel is related to their endometriosis. Often, patients ask: can endometriosis cause leg pain or affect their legs: The short answer is YES!

Endometriosis can cause leg symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, throbbing pain, stabbing pain, a heaviness sensation and pain that is worse with walking or exercise. That pain can also change in intensity throughout the menstrual cycle.

What is Endometriosis?

To understand conceptually how this happens, let’s recap what endometriosis is. Endometriosis is when inflammatory tissue grows outside of the uterus. It can grow anywhere in the body, however, most commonly it is found around the abdominal and pelvic area, surrounding the bowels, bladder, and the pelvic floor. The inflammation is progressive and can invade the space in and around nerves, which in turn, causes the nerves to become inflamed.

Can Endometriosis Affect Your Legs?

Since endometriosis is a disease of inflammation, we know that it can grow and cause inflammation all over the body.

When the nerves that provide sensation to the legs become inflamed, they can transmit signals of pain. The symptoms vary depending on which nerves are affected. For example, when the sciatic nerve is affected, pain can start in the low back and radiate down to the leg, the butt, the thigh and even to the foot. The pain can affect one or both sides. Other nerves can cause pain in the front of the thigh or near the groin.

What Does Endometriosis Leg Pain Feel Like?

Endo patients are quick to mention that this endometriosis leg pain and numbness feels different than usual muscle cramping or soreness. It sometimes feels warm or tingly. It may even radiate over one or both legs.

Those with endometriosis can sometimes complain of a heaviness in their legs
The pain can feel like a throbbing or stabbing pain
The pain can radiate from the low back to the foot
The pain can be on one sides
The pain can impact both sides
The pain can be worse during menses
The pain is sometimes worse during walking or exercise

Some things you can do to help ease your pain are using a heating pad, lying on your side, resting, taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatories or anti-inflammatory supplements, green tea, and acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Initially, the pain may only be present during periods. However, over time with chronic inflammation over the nerves, the pain can become constant. Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine provides a restorative approach to decrease the nerve inflammation, create space around the nerves, thereby, increasing blood flow to the area, and promoting the cycle of inflammation to be broken.

Living with endometriosis does not have to mean living in pain

Book an appointment to meet with one of our national pelvic pain specialists today.

Book a Consult

BY KIMBERLEE LEISHEAR, DO

Endometriosis – a condition that impacts up to 11% of female patients – is a disease in which cells and tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grow elsewhere in the body. The most common symptom is chronic pelvic pain; however, it can cause a wide range of symptom presentation – and it can affect can affect the hips.

Why Does Endometriosis Cause Hip Pain?

Endometriosis can affect the whole body and can have a widespread area of pain and inflammation.

The underlying inflammatory endometriosis lesions themselves can be found not only in the pelvis but outside the pelvis. When endometriosis lesions are within the pelvis, there is underlying inflammation affecting the pelvic floor muscles, which are a sling of muscles from the pubic bone to the tailbone supporting the pelvic organs.

Any type of inflammation in the pelvic organs or surrounding structures can cause a guarding of the pelvic floor.
This guarding creates tension or tightening of the pelvic floor muscles. Since the hips are connected to the pelvis, the hips can be affected by a tight, imbalanced, and weak pelvic floor.
This muscle tightness itself can cause pain.

It is important to note that anything going through the tight muscles is restricted. This means that your blood flow can be restricted in the hip that can cause pain in the muscles and nerves. Nerves can also be restricted. Nerves need space to properly function. If they get cramped and don’t have enough room, they get irritated and can cause pain and can become more sensitive.

When the nerves are more sensitive, what normally does not cause pain now causes pain. What normally causes a little bit of pain now causes a lot of pain. The “volume” essentially has been turned up or amplified. Over time, the brain or central nervous system can become sensitive as well contributing to an increased level of pain as well as a wider area of pain.

Does Endometriosis Cause Hip and Groin Pain?

You might wonder if your hip – and even groin – pain is related to your endometriosis. Put simply, it can be! The structures in the hip – including the muscles, nerves, fascia, ligaments – can all become restricted and irritated due to the tight and weak pelvic floor muscles. This can contribute to hip and groin pain.

Also, there can be referred pain to the groin and hip. The nerves going to the hips and groin can be irritated as well and cause pain.

Although not common, endometriosis lesions can sometimes be found in the hip or in the nerves and muscles around the hip directly invading the nerves and muscles causing pain and dysfunction.

While endometriosis can directly and indirectly affect the hip and groin, it is important to note that there may be other things that are contributing to hip and groin pain.

Pelvic pain in general is usually multifactorial – meaning there are many different things causing the pain and dysfunction. The pain generators need to be properly diagnosed in order to provide the most optimal treatment and outcome. That is why it is crucial to be evaluated by a provider who is not only a specialist in pelvic pain but who is also an expert in evaluating muscles, nerves, and joints in the pelvis, hips, and low back.

Assessment is necessary to rule out any hip impingement, labral tear, sports hernia or core muscle injury that can all contribute to hip and groin pain. From there, your pelvic pain specialist can talk to you about the right treatment options for your pain.

After 3-months, our patients are experiencing a decrease in pain by 50%, a 35% increase in functional ability in intercourse, bowel movements and bladder function, and seeing improvement in absenteeism and presenteeism at work and in their lives. That’s our goal: get patients back to their lives.

BY Dr. Marjorie Mamsaang, DO

First things first: it’s important to understand what endometriosis is before discussing how to prepare for surgery.

Endometriosis is when inflammatory tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. It can grow anywhere in the body, however, most commonly around the abdominal and pelvic area, surrounding the bowels, bladder, and the pelvic floor. The tissue releases inflammatory compounds that can cause pain.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

The most well-known symptom of endometriosis is dysmenorrhea, also known as painful periods. Women with endometriosis may also have abdominal pain and distention or bloating, pain during and/or after sexual intercourse, painful urination or bowel movements, bleeding between periods, urinary urgency and frequency, and severe fatigue or low energy. In addition to these symptoms, patients may also have digestive issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, or a cyclical pattern of both. At times this pain is so debilitating that women may miss work, school or cannot participate in daily activities. However, the severity and symptoms vary from patient to patient.

Treatment for Endometriosis: The Muscles and Nerves of the Pelvic Floor

The definitive treatment for endometriosis is surgery, usually laparoscopically, by an experienced endometriosis excision specialist. However, there are some things you can do prior to surgery that can help promote an optimal recovery post-operatively. But first you will want to understand how endometriosis impacts the nerves and muscles of your pelvic floor.

Endometriosis affects the muscles and nerves of the body, particularly those of the pelvic floor. Endometriosis tissue releases inflammatory markers, which can cause pain.

Pain can cause the muscles of the pelvic floor, back, abdomen and hips to become hypertonic. In other words, the muscles respond to pain by becoming spastic.

Pain that is chronic can lead to muscles that stay “stuck” in the shortened, contracted and weakened position.
Spastic muscles can lead to low back pain, abdominal guarding and gluteal or external hip pain.
Spastic pelvic floor muscles may affect the bowel, bladder and sexual function.
This may lead to pain with sex-pain with deep penetration, pain superficially, or pain with positions.
Other symptoms are urinary urgency, frequency, sensation of retention, severe constipation or painful bowel movements.

Additionally, spastic muscles may compress nearby nerves, which then causes nerve irritation and inflammation. Endometriosis is inflammatory, progressive and can invade the space in and around nerves, which in turn, causes the nerves to become inflamed.

Inflamed nerves do not function properly or can elicit pain, such as electrical sensations, numbness, tingling, and radiating pain to the legs.
Inflamed pelvic floor nerves can cause sensitivity and pain in the vulva, perineum, anus, and may cause difficulty achieving sexual orgasm.

Initially, the pain may only be present during menstruation, however, over time the pain can become constant.

Chronic pain can lead to compensatory patterns of the muscles, which can lead to functional misalignments, asymmetry and poor body mechanics. Osteopaths call this somatic dysfunction.

Treating these neuromusculoskeletal conditions prior to endometriosis excision surgery may help the patient to have an optimal recovery post-operatively!

Preparing for Endometriosis Excision Surgery: A Multimodal Approach

A multimodal approach is preferred as a combination of means of treatment works best in treating chronic pain. This comprehensive treatment plan may include pelvic nerve and muscle treatments, also called ultrasound guided pelvic peripheral nerve blocks and trigger point injections, medications, lifestyle changes and physical therapy.

The goal of injections is to treat the underlying myofascial pain syndrome and neurogenic inflammation or nerve pain. Trigger point injections to the pelvic floor muscles, along with other spastic muscles, can break the cycle of spasticity. This allows the muscle to return to the lengthened, relaxed position, which decreases pain and allows for strengthening. In turn, this allows the body to break out of compensatory patterns, encouraging symmetry and proper mechanics and posture.
Peripheral nerve blocks or hydrodissection can reverse the neural ischemia due to compression of nerves, create space, increase blood flow and decrease the neurogenic inflammation. Additionally, injecting with Lidocaine desensitizes the nerve repetitively and decreases mast cell release of histamine, which is an inflammatory compound.

Unlike temporary band-aids that give short-term relief, trigger point injections and peripheral nerve blocks provide a restorative approach to create an optimal environment for the nerves and muscles to “heal.”

Dr. Marjorie Mamsaang Tweet This

Medications, such as muscle relaxers and nerve pain medications may also provide relief. Muscle relaxers in suppository form are preferred over oral muscle relaxers as suppositories provide more localized relief and have less systemic side effects. In addition to suppositories, oral medications help with central sensitization.

Central sensitization is when the central nervous system is upregulated due to membrane excitability in chronic pain syndromes. In other words, central sensitization causes an altered pain processing that leads to magnification of pain. Oral central nervous system neuromodulating medications, even for a short term of 3 months, help to down-regulate the central nervous system. Meditation and movement meditation, like yoga, can also calm the central nervous system.

Another crucial component of this multimodal treatment is pelvic floor physical therapy. A licensed pelvic therapist with additional training in the pelvic floor should evaluate you. The pelvic therapist will perform manual work to relieve spastic muscles, provide nerve desensitization techniques, and teach exercises to help relax spastic muscles as well as strengthen weak muscles. Pelvic floor physical therapy often includes internal work, vaginally or rectally.

Lastly, lifestyle modifications may aid in the relief of symptoms. Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” Since endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, an anti-inflammatory diet will help minimize inflammation in the body, and thereby, reduce overall pain. Avoiding inflammatory foods may also help resolve diarrhea. Additionally, eating fiber in the form of whole foods and adequate hydration aids in constipation.

the national experts in endometriosis

Since 2017, Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine has provided a modern, functional wellness solution to a health crisis that affects 15% of women. Persistent pelvic pain is often overlooked, untreated, and misguided. At PRM, our mission is to decrease the time patients are suffering from pelvic pain symptoms and conditions like endometriosis by offering a multimodal approach. We believe in ‘everything at once’- we provide a functional, restorative approach to persistent pelvic pain that has proven to help decrease pain and restore function.

You Don't have to Live In Pain

By Dr. Janaki Natarajan, MD

One of the treatments we offer at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine is a series of nerve block injections for pelvic pain relief. This is done in conjunction with trigger point injections, pelvic floor physical therapy, suppository medications, and if indicated, an oral neuromodulator.

One of the largest groups of patients we treat with injections are women suffering from Endometriosis. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease process characterized by the presence of endometriotic-like tissues that promote an inflammatory environment in your abdomen and pelvis. This inflammation irritates the nerves in that region thereby leading to possible bowel, bladder, sexual dysfunction, and an overall heightened sensitivity to pain.

What Are Nerve Injections for Endometriosis?

To treat the pelvis and the inflammation we see with endometriosis patients; we need the treat the whole pelvic floor. We essentially are taking a trip around the pelvis and treating the nerves that innervate the muscles in the pelvic floor, abdominal core, inner thigh, and genitalia. These nerves include but are not limited to the pudendal nerve and its branches, branches of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, ilioinguinal nerve, and genitofemoral nerves.

Some common questions that are asked…

What is a nerve block for pelvic pain?

A nerve block is when a combination of anesthetic or numbing medication (Lidocaine or Bupivacaine) and steroid (dexamethasone or kenalog) is injected near specific nerves to temporarily block the signals traveling along that nerve for the purpose of pain relief.

A nerve block is not permanent and will usually provide numbness to the region for several hours.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF A PELVIC NERVE BLOCK?

Overall, nerve blocks are generally safe and have only minor risks which may include:

Damage to the nerve or surrounding structures – this is greatly minimized when using ultrasound or x-ray guidance, which is what we do at PRM
Infection – greatly minimized when using sterile technique
Minor bleeding
Allergic reaction to medications
Temporary numbness to the leg if medication spreads to the sciatic nerve
minor flare or temporary worsening of usual pain and/or symptoms, that will calm down within 1-2 days
Mild injection site soreness
Vasovagal response (passing out)
Temporary flushing and/or insomnia (usually related to steroid if used in injectate)
Permanent skin changes
Temporary increase in blood sugars (caution used but not contraindicated in diabetics)

DOES THE PROCEDURE HURT?

At PRM, our unique outpatient, nonoperative, minimally invasive ultrasound guided approach to the pelvis is the first of its kind in the country. Our pelvic nerve and muscle treatments, also called ultrasound-guided pelvic peripheral nerve blocks and trigger point injections, can be an important part of a patient’s pelvic floor treatment.

The nerve block injections and pelvic floor trigger point injections that we do at PRM are external (rather than done from an internal vaginal approach) and done under sterile technique with ultrasound guidance in the office setting.

The treatments are generally well tolerated and only take a few minutes. A brief initial localized burning sensation from the anesthetic may be felt along with pressure sensation that resolves within a few minutes. Post-procedure ice is applied for 10-15minutes and then patients are out the door back to their normal daily routines. If any minor soreness is experienced afterwards an anti-inflammatory medication (i.e. Motrin or Aleve) with food along with a warm bath is recommended.

After 3-months, our patients are experiencing a decrease in pain by 50%, a 35% increase in functional ability in intercourse, bowel movements and bladder function, and seeing improvement in absenteeism and presenteeism at work and in their lives. That’s our goal: get patients back to their lives.

By Myesha Banks, APRN, WHNP-BC

You may be familiar with the term endometriosis, especially if you’re someone dealing with painful menstrual periods or other uncomfortable symptoms occurring during your cycle. Endometriosis is a condition in which the endometrial tissue or tissue and cells very similar to it, finds it way outside of the uterine cavity and grows in the pelvis and other surrounding organs. Endometrial lesions are commonly noted surrounding the reproductive organs like the fallopian tubes and ovaries, and it is also very common to find endometrial lesions on and around the bowel and intestines.

Endometriosis is a very painful condition that impacts 1 in 9 and the common symptoms of endometriosis are painful periods, painful intercourse, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and even gastrointestinal and balder symptoms. Sometimes, endometriosis can spread to the bowel, intestines, or rectum – and this is when bowel endometriosis results.

Symptoms of Bowel Endometriosis

In bowel endometriosis, those lesions – or cells and tissue – grow on the surface or inside the intestines or rectum, and sometimes even in other parts of the bowel. This can lead to severe pain for patients during their menstrual cycle and outside of it, and even with the absence of a cycle!

Bowel endometriosis symptoms include:

Rectal pain or pressure that increases during the menstrual cycle
Noticing blood in your stool during your cycle – or rectal bleeding during your period
A more frequent urge to have a bowel movement during menstruation.
Passing stool while on your period may also become very painful, causing intense cramping.

You will also want to pay attention to the more common symptoms of endometriosis that are GI related:

Bloating or gas (sometimes referred to as endo belly)
Constipation
Digestive or gastrointestinal pain

As a pelvic pain specialist on the front lines of endometriosis, I have also seen and heard of women complaining of only mucous coming from the rectum and not stool when they feel the urge to have a bowel movement. In addition to this, varying cycles of constipation and diarrhea during the cycle is also very common when endometriosis is involving the bowels. Nausea and vomiting and/or an intolerance of certain foods only when menstruating can also be a sign of bowel endometriosis.

I encourage patients to pay attention to their symptoms. Pain is never normal! Your health care provider should always listen to your symptoms and discuss a plan of action for addressing them.

Evaluation: Diagnosing Bowel Endometriosis

Unfortunately, diagnosis of any type of endometriosis can be difficult – but it is possible! Obtaining a diagnosis of bowel endometriosis is likely to involve a minimally invasive procedure where a camera is inserted into the abdomen to look around for endometrial lesions. There will likely also be a consult with a gastroenterologist (GI specialist) to rule out any other bowel abnormalities that would be a source of similar symptoms.

Generally, the evaluation by the gastroenterologist will have normal internal bowel findings, as the endometriosis is on the outside of the bowels causing increased pressure and pain. It is still important that things like polyps or cancer are ruled out. It is unlikely your GI will “see” endometriosis in a colonoscopy, for example, since most of the growth occurs outside of the bowel, rather than inside of it, but it is essential to rule things out.

Treatment: How Can You Treat Bowel Endometriosis?

Bowel endometriosis can be treated during the procedure used to diagnose the problem – a laparoscopic excision surgery is the most common treatment for bowel endometriosis. While the camera is inside and identifies the endometrial lesions, they can then be removed. Medical follow up is necessary and use of hormonal therapies or other treatments for endometriosis should be utilized to prevent recurrence.

If endometriosis is found on the bowel, patients can often have a discussion with their pelvic pain specialist and endometriosis excision surgeon about better bowel habits, an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and seeking the help of a pelvic floor specialist to address pain and inflammation in the pelvic floor because of the endometriosis. At Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, our ultrasound guided pelvic nerve and muscle treatments are often part of a whole-body protocol for endometriosis patients as part of their pelvic floor treatment.

Treating bowel endometriosis and preventing recurrence is key, not only for pain relief but also for fertility preservation, should that be of concern for the patient.

The important thing to remember is that symptoms discussed here should never be considered normal menstrual symptoms, even if they have been present for many years during cycles and should always be discussed with a medical professional.

1 in 9 have endometriosis

3 in 4 are misdiagnosed. It's not in your head. Take the quiz to understand your symptoms.

TAKE THE QUIZ

ENDO QUIZ

By ALLYSON AUGUSTA SHRIKHANDE, MD, CMO

The tricky thing about endometriosis is it has a vast array of symptom presentation! However, at PRM our providers are on the “front lines of Endo” because we treat the pelvic floor nerves and muscles and focus on symptoms associated with intercourse, bladder, and bowel as well as any pain or discomfort from the belly button to the mid-thigh. This covers a lot of the top 20 most common symptoms of endometriosis!

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. While the cause of endometriosis is unknown, the impact on patients’ health can be severe. The pH balance of the tissues can be disrupted, and the muscles and nerves can be put into disarray. Neurotransmitters begin stimulating an inflammatory cascade that can cause chronic pain.

What we know:

Endometrial lesions are typically found in the pelvis, but they can occur at other locations, including the bowel and diaphragm.
Endometriosis is common – with 1 in 9 women suffering from this disease – and it can cause several serious comorbidities, as well as chronic pain and infertility.

What are the biggest signs of endometriosis?

Symptoms range from minor to severely debilitating and patients’ primary symptoms are often chronic pelvic pain. However, that can vary and our providers have seen it all! The most common symptoms of endometriosis I see are GI complaints such as abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and pain/discomfort with bowel movements.

Classically, all the below symptoms are worse when patients are on their menstrual cycle. However, if it persists for a long time, they may become constant and not cyclical. This all being said, please see what I believe are the most 20 common symptoms of Endo not in any particular order:

Severe Menstrual Cramps- that cause you to miss school, work, social events
Pain with Menstruation
Pain with Intercourse
Sacral and Low Back Pain with Periods
Heavy Bleeding during menstruation
Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal Pain
Rectal Pain
Constipation
Pain or Discomfort with Bowel Movements
Blood in Stool During Menstrual cycle
Vaginal Pain – “Hot poker in Vagina”
Vulvar Pain
Superficial Entrance Pain with Intercourse
Soreness or Pelvic Pain Flare Post Intercourse
Bladder Pain
Burning with Urination
Urinary Urgency or Frequency
Infertility
Pelvic Pain Worse with Prolonged Sitting/Biking

How can I check if I have endometriosis?

It’s true that pain is one of the most common symptoms of endometriosis, and many of the symptoms above are pain driven; however, it’s important to note that the level of pain is not a good indicator of the extent of the condition or a way to check if you have endometriosis. When it comes to certain symptoms I like to encourage patients to ask questions about their symptoms – they know their bodies best!

One important question to ask about bloody stool is: does it happen during the menstrual cycle only? This can happen in Endo. Our patients are often given the diagnosis of IBS as the GI work was “normal” and the symptoms correlate.

Of course, pain with intercourse is also extremely common. Typically pain with intercourse is on deep penetration, and we like to ask about certain positions that may cause pain and those that do not.

Endometriosis patients can also have superficial pain or entrance pain, and sometimes have what we call Vulvodynia or pain in the Vulvar area. This is from inflammation and irritation of the pelvic nerves from the Endo and myofascial restrictions. Sometimes patients state they have a “pelvic pain flare” after intercourse. This is most likely because the inflamed pelvic nerves and muscles are used to have intercourse and since they are irritated from the Endo they cause muscles spasms and nerve pain symptoms.

Bladder symptoms again are also super common. We hear a lot “it felt like I had a UTI that never when away”. Endo patients can also have Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis so it’s common for them to have pain with bladder filling, urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia. Nocturia is where they get up to urinate frequently during the night.

We can help if you think you might have endometriosis

Unfortunately, we know that 75% of women with endometriosis have experienced a misdiagnosis. At Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, we want to change the standard of care for women suffering with endometriosis. We believe that endo patients deserve options when it comes to their treatment – we believe they deserve to heal from their pain.

We are pelvic pain specialists who offer a whole-body approach to endo. We provide a functional, restorative approach to persistent pelvic pain that has proven to help decrease pain and restore function. We design a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. Our goal is to help you enjoy an active, pain free lifestyle.

Do you think you might have endometriosis? Take our common symptoms quiz and assess your own symptoms to learn more.

Dr. Lora Liu, is a board-certified, minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon who specializes in the management of difficult gynecological surgeries, including severe, endometrial losses, difficult hysterectomy, large fibroid removal, and other complex gynecological conditions. The average time that it takes to get diagnosed with Endometriosis is ten years. That’s ten years that women are going from doctor to doctor. Unfortunately, the only way to diagnose and treat is going to be with a laparoscopy. A lot of the most common symptoms are very painful and heavy periods that affect your life such as calling out sick for work because you’re in so much pain that you can’t even get to work. Other symptoms include painful sex, especially with deep contact, a lot of bowel dysfunction, and bladder dysfunction, especially around the time of your period.

Learn more about Dr. Melanie Carminati and Inspira Physical Therapy by going here.

It is not normal for sex to hurt, and in many cases there is a root cause that can be diagnosed by a pelvic health professional. For many women experiencing pain during intercourse, the issue is a treatable disorder called vaginismus.

What is vaginismus?

Vaginismus is the involuntary tensing or contracting of muscles around the vagina during penetration. This can occur during sexual intercourse, as well as when inserting tampons or undergoing gynecological exams. While officially recorded cases affect only around 5% of people, it is believed that vaginismus is significantly more common than this, with a large number of cases going unreported. There are a number of factors which can contribute to vaginismus, ranging from stress or anxiety to infections, menopause, underlying gynecological disorders such as Endometriosis or other physical changes in the body.

Read full blog here.

To learn more about Rosy & The Rosy App, visit their website at: https://meetrosy.com

Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed was a guest on The Hurt by The Female Pain Docs discussing the facts, myths, and misconceptions on the topic of endometriosis.

Learn more about The Female Pain Docs by going here.

Dr. Janaki Natarajan, Kyle Blair, PT, DPT, CSCS and Andrea Marti, PT, DPT talk about the real solutions for identifying and treating pelvic pain on the In Your Corner Podcast with CORA Physical Therapy.

Learn more about CORE Physical Therapy by going here.

In this episode of the Period Party Podcast, Dr. Shrikhande and Nicole Jardim talk about the stigma associated with vulvar pain, why many women go undiagnosed, the connection between vulvodynia and other conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS, how vulvodynia is diagnosed and treated, and so much more!

Learn more about Nicole Jardim by going here.

The pelvic floor plays an important role supporting the bowel and bladder (as well as the uterus and vagina in females). Hormone changes due to pregnancy and peri/menopause and other factors can impact their function. Several at-home devices are now on the market to support the pelvic floor, but do they help you? And if so, which is right for you? Enter Dr. Allyson Shrikhande.

Dr. Shrikhande and Georgie Kovacs, host of Fempower Health, discuss the following:

Do electronic pelvic floor devices work?

What are the limitations of at-home pelvic floor devices?

How to afford these devices

How to know if your device is helping or hurting

How Pelvic Rehabilitation Center is trying to increase access to care

What does FDA approval for classified medical devices mean?

Learn more about Fempower Health at www.fempower-health.com

Interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic bladder condition that can be uniquely frustrating for a number of reasons. While this disorder is not uncommon (up to 8 million women in the United States may have IC), effective treatment for interstitial cystitis can be difficult to find. Painful bladder syndrome can range in symptoms and severity, meaning that it is often misdiagnosed. Meanwhile, pain and discomfort caused by IC can cause disruptions to all aspects of your daily life, including your ability to enjoy healthy sex.

How does interstitial cystitis affect a person’s sexual function?

Painful sex is a common experience among people with IC, with most patients reporting pain either during or following penetrative sexual intercourse. Unfortunately, this can have a profound effect on relationships, causing feelings of shame, tension, or insecurity between patients and their partners.

To learn more about Rosy & The Rosy App, visit their website at: https://meetrosy.com

Read blog here.

Not Defined by Endo Podcast, hosted by Endometriosis Warrior Teniola Ogunro, is created for and dedicated to women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis or who suffer from symptoms that they suspect to be caused by endometriosis. Every week, Teniola shares her own experiences, interviews health professionals and endo specialists who provide their much-needed insight and speaks to fellow endometriosis warriors who know what it feels like to live with and fight an incurable disease.

In this episode Teniola Ogunro and Dr. Shrikhande discuss pelvic pain and endometriosis.

To listen to more episodes, go here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-defined-by-endo/id1479391468

Pregnancy and childbirth cause a really profound impact on the body, and it’s very common to worry about returning to a normal sex life after having a child. For those who are experiencing pregnancy for the first time, it can be difficult to know what to expect. Some discomfort as the body heals after childbirth is not unusual, but it can be difficult to tell what is normal and what may be cause for alarm. Pain and sexual dysfunction are common among people who have recently given birth, but they are not normal, and they can very often be alleviated through medical treatment.

How is sex different postpartum?

You should wait until after your check-up six weeks following childbirth before you attempt sexual intercourse. Once cleared for intercourse, every person’s experience is different, depending on the size of the baby, the delivery itself, your prepartum pelvic floor state, and your hormones. The body has an amazing way of healing after childbirth, and you should be able to return to your baseline level of enjoying intercourse, especially if you undergo a postpartum rehabilitation program to rehabilitate your pelvis after childbirth.

To learn more about Rosy & The Rosy App, visit their website at: https://meetrosy.com

Read blog here:

Dr. Tayyaba Ahmed talks about treating endometriosis patients through pelvic physical therapy. Dr. Ahmed is a pelvic pain specialist with a passion for treating pelvic pain, including those suffering from endometriosis.

Watch more EndoTv video: https://www.youtube.com/c/EndoTV

Endofund Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endofound/

Endofund Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endofound

Endofund Twitter: https://twitter.com/endofound

Endofund YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/endofound?sub_confirmation=1

Better Sex is focused on helping all couples create and enjoy their best possible sex life. Better Sex is hosted by Jessa Zimmerman who is a couples’ counselor and nationally certified sex therapist. The information and discussion on the podcast should not be taken as medical advice or as therapy. Please seek out qualified professionals for medical and therapeutic advice.

In this Episode, Jessa Zimmerman invites Dr. Allyson Shrikhande of Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine to discuss endometriosis.

To listen to more episodes, go here:

https://bettersexpodcast.com/better-sex-podcast/

What is pelvic floor physical therapy?

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is physical therapy for the treatment of pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Pelvic floor physical therapists have undergone specific training in pelvic health, pelvic floor dysfunction, and pelvic pain.

As a physiatrist, why would you want to team up with a pelvic floor PT when treating a patient?

As pelvic physiatrists, we traditionally work closely with pelvic floor physical therapists. Our goals align in that we are both working to treat underlying myofascial pain and dysfunction, joint pain and dysfunction, and nerve dysfunction through non-invasive means. We each have different “tools” to obtain this goal but our areas of expertise are highly complementary. Working together is often highly useful in wielding the most effective treatment and finding the optimal outcome for the patient.

To learn more about Rosy & The Rosy App, visit their website at: https://meetrosy.com

Read blog here: