Heather and her staff blog about all things pelvic health related

An Overview of Functional Scoliosis and Structural Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a 3-D curvature of the spine. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2-3% of the US population currently have some form of scoliosis.

There are many different types. There is juvenile scoliosis starting at a young age, or adult-onset scoliosis. It can be categorized as congenital (some type of deformity causing irregular alignment), neuromuscular (neurological disease leading to asymmetries), or its most common form, idiopathic scoliosis (unknown).

Studies Have Shown that Mindfulness Can Help with Erectile Dysfunction

Improve your sex life and sexual function by increasing arousal, erectile function, lowering judgement, improving relationship satisfaction, and improving self esteem.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is Common

Erectile dysfunction is the persistent inability to attain or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfying sexual performance (Bossio et al., 2018). At least one-third of men will experience ED at some point in their lifetime, with rates increasing to over 75% for men 70 years of age or older.(Lewis et al., 2010; Bossio et al., 2018).

Studies Have Shown that Mindfulness Can Help with Erectile Dysfunction

Improve your sex life and sexual function by increasing arousal, erectile function, lowering judgement, improving relationship satisfaction, and improving self esteem.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is Common

Erectile dysfunction is the persistent inability to attain or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfying sexual performance (Bossio et al., 2018). At least one-third of men will experience ED at some point in their lifetime, with rates increasing to over 75% for men 70 years of age or older.(Lewis et al., 2010; Bossio et al., 2018).

Research draws a connection between histamines and chronic pelvic pain

Also linked to histamine response, inflammation disorders, and chronic nonbacterial prostatitis.

What is Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Chronic pelvic pain is generally defined by chronic pain in the region of the pelvis (Lai, 2015).

It is a common symptom that can be caused by several different structural and functional dysfunctions/disorders that affect the anorectal area, urinary bladder, reproductive system, and pelvic floor muscles. Unlike pelvic pain caused by structural diseases like endometriosis, pelvic pain linked with functional disorders cannot be explained by an organic or other specified pathological reason (Clemens, 2008).

Bedwetting In Children – When is it a problem?

I think most people can remember a time when they were a kid and accidentally wet the bed.

The occasional accident is a normal part of childhood, however for some kids constant bedwetting may be a sign of an underlying pelvic floor issue. Some kids with toileting issues will start to feel it affect their self confidence, ability to participate in social activities, and that’s when you might consider getting some extra help.

In this article we will discuss the signs of an underlying pelvic floor dysfunction in children and how pelvic floor therapy can help.

Frequent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in children can be closely tied to bowel and bladder dysfunctions

According to the International Children’s Continence Society, frequent urinary tract infections (UTI) in children can be closely tied to bowel and bladder dysfunctions, which are closely tied to pelvic floor dysfunction.

UTIs can signal different things for infants vs. older kids

Skid marks and fecal accidents can be a sign of constipation in children

Here’s what you can do about it.

Does your child have fecal accidents or skid marks in their underwear? This may be a sign of constipation.

Encopresis is fecal soiling associated with functional constipation in a child. The soiling often happens in the underwear, where the child loses whole pieces of formed bowel, liquid bowel, or has fecal staining on the underwear due to the inability to get clean when wiping. Constipation and encopresis are common problems in children. Encopresis is most common between ages 3 and 7 years.

Did you know that chronic pelvic pain can happen to all bodies, regardless of your sex?

If you have a human body, you have pelvic floor muscles and these muscles can be dysfunctional, causing pelvic pain in the low back, pelvis, groin, genitalia, and hip region. Pelvic pain is often described as a “headache in the pelvis,” but can often times have more acute pain areas including painful penis and testicles. Read on for more information.

Men and people with male anatomy can often have pain and various symptoms including:

• Painful penis: along any part of the penis- base, shaft, head, and can be felt as numbness, tingling, aching, dull, sharp, coldness, or burning.
• Painful testicles: numbness, tingling, aching, dull, sharp, coldness, or burning (Chronic orchialgia)
• Trouble starting urine flow

Did you know that chronic pelvic pain can happen to all bodies, regardless of your sex?

If you have a human body, you have pelvic floor muscles and these muscles can be dysfunctional, causing pelvic pain in the low back, pelvis, groin, genitalia, and hip region. Pelvic pain is often described as a “headache in the pelvis,” but can often times have more acute pain areas including painful penis and testicles. Read on for more information.

Men and people with male anatomy can often have pain and various symptoms including:

• Painful penis: along any part of the penis- base, shaft, head, and can be felt as numbness, tingling, aching, dull, sharp, coldness, or burning.
• Painful testicles: numbness, tingling, aching, dull, sharp, coldness, or burning (Chronic orchialgia)
• Trouble starting urine flow

A 2019 literature review by Twitchell et al. shows there is ample evidence that sexual dysfunction is commonly reported in male cancer survivors regardless of age, cancer diagnosis, or treatment of cancer.

In their analysis, they also found that many of the men reported negative psychological effects from their sexual dysfunction including low self-esteem, body image, and mental health.

Commonly reported sexual dysfunction in male survivors of pelvic cancer including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and bladder cancer include ejaculatory dysfunction, low sexual desire, ED, and orgasmic dysfunction.

Procedures That Affect Sexual Function

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are often used to treat cancer, including pelvic cancers. While surgeons and oncologists always use procedures to minimize nerve damage and tissue damage, these negative side effects cannot be completely avoided (Twitchell et al., 2019).

As an approved way to get exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic in California and other places, people are dusting off their bicycles and riding the streets for exercise.

Over the years, some literature has shown a connection between bicycling, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction.  Fortunately, studies also show there are some specific preventative strategies in terms of how you’re riding and the equipment you’re using that can help mitigate the risks.

In the end, there are many health benefits to cycling, including improved cardiovascular health, better weight control, and decreased risk of breast cancer in women (Greenberg, 2019).