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About Heather Jeffcoat, DPT | Los Angeles Pelvic Floor Doctor
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Heather and her staff blog about all things pelvic health related
Including male, female, pediatric, transgender and nonbinary chronic pelvic pain, urinary dysfunction such as incontinence, prostatitis, sexual dysfunction, pregnancy, back pain, upcoming events and more.
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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).
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Are You Experiencing Erectile Dysfunction Post Prostatectomy?
Prostatectomy Procedures can Lead to Erectile Problems and Sexual Dysfunction
Prostate cancer is often treated with a radical prostatectomy - a procedure wherein cancerous tissue of the prostate is removed. Approximately 85% of men who undergo the surgery complain of erectile dysfunction (ED) after the procedure. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual performance. Around 6-8% of men report urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.
Other commonly reported symptoms of sexual dysfunction in male survivors of pelvic cancer include problems with ejaculation, low levels of sexual desire, urinary incontinence and orgasmic dysfunction.
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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).
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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September is Healthy Aging Month - Learn About Sex With a Bad Back and Hips
We here at Fusion Wellness PT consider pain free sex an important factor of aging healthfully! Today we talk about two common orthopedic complaints when engaging in penetrative sex: achy backs and bad hips.
Orthopedic Considerations and Penetrative Sex
As we all know, sex is an important activity for many, and lovemaking is a vital component of quality of life, particularly as we age. In this article we’ll cover some common orthopedic issues associated with penetrative sex that people have with sex as they age, and some suggestions for what you can do about it.
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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).
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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).
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Doctors have known for decades that smoking affects lung and heart health, greatly increasing risk of both lung cancer and heart disease. In recent research, they have been finding that smoking increases risk to various urologic diseases as well.
Bladder Cancer
Cigarette smoking triples the risk for bladder cancer when compared with the risk in nonsmokers, about 50% of bladder cancer in men and 20% in women can be attributable to smoking (Freedman, 2011). Cigarette smoke contains about 60 different carcinogens, and many of these are identifiable in the urine of smokers (Manatonski, 1981). Cigarette smoking is one of the largest risk factors we can control to prevent the development of bladder cancer in men and women.
Prostate Cancer
Although the cause of prostate cancer is not clear, some researchers believe it may be due to various factors including genetics, diet, inflammation, infectious agents, hormonal imbalance, or exposure to toxins like cigarette smoke (Dwivedi, 2012). A 2012 study by Dwivedi found that smoking increased
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Are You Considering Pelvic Floor Therapy for Pubic Symphysis Pain? Read On.
Pain at the pubic bone is also known as pubic symphysis pain
This pain is often caused by instability in the pelvic girdle and can be exacerbated by sport injuries and pregnancy. Common sport positions that include deep squatting (hockey, catcher's position, soccer goalie) can exacerbate the discomfort. Pregnancy is also a common exacerbation, in a study by Mogren (2006), 50% of pregnant women have some type of pelvic girdle pain prior to 20 weeks gestation.
Pubic symphysis pain can make daily activities like working, walking, and doing chores, painful if not impossible, and can can also negatively affect quality of life and sexual life.
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- Kasia Gondek, PT, DPT, CSCS
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Radical prostatectomy is a procedure that is often performed on men to remove cancerous prostate tissue after a prostate cancer diagnosis. Approximately 85% of men who undergo the surgery complain of erectile dysfunction (ED) after the procedure. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual performance. Around 6-8% of men report urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction after a Radical Prostatectomy?
During a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, the nerves and blood vessels surrounding the prostate can be damaged during the procedure. This trauma can contribute to the loss of oxygenated blood flow to the penile soft tissue which may further result in damage in the smooth muscles of the penis, thickening fibrosis of the penile tissue, and a decreased ability to hold blood in an erect penis.
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When talking to some of my patients, I’ve noticed that lubricants have a negative stigma.
For instance, women believe that something must be wrong with them if they have to use a lubricant. Let's talk about finding the right personal lubricant for you.
Yes, there are natural causes with aging that can cause vaginal dryness, but our society has also skewed the way we view our natural lubrication. Every woman has glands in their vagina that secrete various amounts of lubrication. My thought is why not add to the fun, because lubricants can definitely be that!
Using a lubricant can enhance the pleasure, decrease friction, prevent pain/discomfort, and prolong sexual excitement, so why wouldn’t you want to use it. Now finding the right lubricant for you can be a challenge, but no worries this will help you get started. We will start with some basics when looking for your soulmate lubricant.
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- Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
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I just returned to Los Angeles after completing an amazing eight day trip to Beijing, China. There I had the opportunity to work with the Chinese Olympic Committee,their rehabilitation staff and athletes. I gave two lectures with hands-on labs to their physiotherapists on Hip Impingement and Cyclist's Syndrome (Pudendal neuralgia in cyclists). Did I talk about the pelvic floor muscles in both lectures? You bet I did! Monica is my awesome Mandarin translator pictured standing next to me below.
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**This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor.
