Apto Physical Therapy

04/20/2021

Fostering a sense of intimacy is crucial when dealing with chronic pain, particularly when pain impairs your ability to engage in sexual activity.

Research has shown us time and time again that physical touch can help to reduce pain. Release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin results in decreased stress and improved immune function.

The best part - you can reap the benefits from physical touch without cuddling or hand-holding - engage in a prolonged hug with a friend, pet a dog, or get a massage. All of these things can promote the activity of oxytocin!

04/09/2021

Pain with sexual activity is never normal. People can have pain with arousal, pain with sexual activity, or pain after sexual activity.

It’s a shame that the conventional medical system is dismissive of these issues.

But, know that there are conservative things you can do to manage these symptoms. Musculoskeletal deficits, pelvic floor dysfunction and nerve sensitization can drive these symptoms, all of which can be improved with physical therapy. Hormone imbalances can also be a contributor, which can be addressed with nutrition and lifestyle changes.
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If you’re dealing with pain sexual activity, schedule an appointment with us now!

04/08/2021

Have you been using oral contraceptives for management of painful periods?

Unfortunately, there is a huge lack of patient education when it comes to birth control. Certainly, birth control serves a purpose when it comes to contraceptives. However, so often birth control is used primarily to affect me**es rather than to prevent pregnancy. Specifically, birth control is often utilized as a form of treatment for things like heavy or irregular periods, uterine fibroids and endometriosis (all of which are due to a hormonal imbalance, often relative estrogen dominance).

However, using synthetic hormones leads your body to stop making its own hormones, thereby throwing things further out of balance. Sure, symptoms may be improve, but only because they’re being masked.

If you want to know more about holistic management of painful periods (menorrhagia), uterine fibroids and endometriosis, come see us!

At Apto Physical Therapy, we address the musculoskeletal system to address potential contributors to pain. We offer hormone testing panels and nutrition therapy to achieve hormone balance, which will promote symptom management without medication!

03/29/2021

Managing constipation is more complicated than simply eating more fiber and drinking more water.

Sure, diet and hydration are a factor in healthy bowel movements. But, in order to fully address constipation, we must also address pelvic floor tone, abdominal motility, coordination and behavior patterns.

For example, a history of abdominal surgery may affect the inherent movement (motility) of your abdominal organs.

Or, perhaps you’re a heavy lifter and you’ve developed ineffective motor patterns to brace, which could impair your ability to appropriately increase your intra-abdominal pressure in order to empty your bowels.

Even sitting on the toilet and staring at your phone when you don’t have the urge to go can lead to difficulty emptying over time.

Want help improving your ability to empty your bowels? At Apto Physical Therapy, we specialize in integrating nutrition and neuromuscular re-education to provide you with a truly holistic solution. Book online at aptophysicaltherapy.com

03/20/2021

08/10/2020

Did you know:

•The bladder can hold 400-600ml of urine, but you feel your first urge to void when there is 150-200ml of urine in your bladder.

•The bladder fills at a steady rate of 15 drops/minute.

•The bladder typically takes 3 hours to fill

•Waking up to p*e more than once in the middle of the night is abnormal

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The frequency with which we urinate can be disrupted with:
•Just-in-case p*eing

•Hovering over the toilet, rather than sitting

•Straining while p*eing

•Doing kegels on the toilet

•Constantly suppressing the urge to p*e (holding it)

•Diet & hydration (being dehydrated can actually give you the urge to p*e more frequently than if you were properly hydrated)

Don’t let your bladder habits disrupt your life. Schedule with Apto Physical Therapy today!

07/14/2020

Did you know that the average person should experience the urge to p*e every 3 hours?

There are several factors that can contribute to urinate urgency, including what you eat and drink, when and how you p*e, as well as the tone and coordination of your pelvic floor muscle.

If you get the urge to p*e more frequently than this, if you wake up more than once in the middle of the night to p*e, or if you feel that you’re unable to fully empty your bladder talk to a pelvic health physical therapist.

At Apto Physical Therapy, we are skilled at addressing all possible contributors to urinary urgency in order to restore bladder function.

07/14/2020

Save Over 10% with 6-Session Packages

07/13/2020

Do you p*e more frequently in the morning than you do throughout the day?

We often blame our morning coffee for this, and while coffee may be the culprit, the caffeine may not be the sole cause.

Sure, caffeine is a bladder irritant but the acidic profile can also irritate your bladder, thereby giving you the urge to go. Caffeine also has a mild diuretic effect, which means that your body will pull more fluid out of your blood and into your bladder!

What’s more, when your bladder is irritated, it may result in pelvic floor contractions in an attempt to suppress urge. And while that’s a good thing, we don’t want our pelvic floor to always have to combat bladder urge, because it may eventually result in pelvic floor dysfunction (symptoms may include false urge to p*e, urinate hesitancy, incomplete emptying, painful urination and even incontinence).

As counter-intuitive as it seems, you can combat morning urge by drinking more water! Try to drink 8oz of water for every cup of coffee you drink, and slowly sip 8oz of water every hour throughout the day.

Remember, keeping your bladder healthy helps to keep your pelvic floor healthy, so drink that H2O!

07/06/2020

Did you know that there are 21 muscles that act directly on the hip?

The hip joint itself is comprised of the head of the femur and the acetabulum (socket) of the pelvis, and this joint moves in all 3 planes and can flex, extend, addiction, abduct, internally rotate and externally rotate.

What’s more, there is considerable anatomic variation in the angle of the femoral neck and in the shape and orientation of the acetabulum, which means that no two hips are the same.

This means that there is a ton of potential of hip dysfunction. Hip dysfunction may not cause hip pain at all and instead may present as low back pain, knee pain or pelvic floor dysfunction.

Remember, everything is connected! More often than not, the hip joint is a contributing factor to several common orthopedic and pelvic symptoms. Be sure that you’re receiving thorough evaluation and treatment of your entire body, including your hip.

06/26/2020

Have hip pain even after you’ve rehabbed a hip labral repair? Pelvic floor PT may be the missing link!

One of the deep hip rotators (obturator internus) may go into spasm in an attempt to compensate and protect the hip by stabilizing the femoral head in the socket. This muscle lies deep within the pelvic bowl and often is not assessed with traditional outpatient PT.

Spasms or trigger points in the obturator internus can cause hip pain as well as other symptoms associated with pelvic foot dysfunction (bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction).

If you’re struggling with persistent hip pain, consider seeking an assessment from a pelvic health PT!

06/25/2020

Pain with squatting? You’re not alone.

Many people struggle with finding appropriate squat form that’s best for their body. The squat is truly a whole-body movement and requires mobility of the upper back, hips and ankles as well as stability of the lower back and knees. And each body has its own unique anatomy and history, which means that there is no such thing as a universally ideal squat form.

Repeated dysfunctional movements and compensations can eventually lead to pain in the low back, hips, pelvis and knee.

Working with a physical therapist can help you find your most effective and comfortable squatting position.

At Apto Physical Therapy, we are adept at assessing movement patterns, treating muscle imbalances and providing motor re-training.

Want to squat without pain? Contact us today!

05/26/2020

Wondering how to stretch your pelvic floor?

Start with child’s pose - a simple, but effective way to target these muscles. This shape is particularly beneficial after a long bike ride, as it will decompress the tissues (muscle, nerves and blood supply) that surround your sit bones.

If you struggle with hip impingement, be sure to bring your knees wide and use bolsters behind your knees as needed.

Focus on your breath. Try to put space between your sit bones with each inhale and sink deeper into the pose with each exhale.

Stay in this position for 10 breaths for an effective stretch of your pelvic floor.

05/21/2020

Pudendal neuralgia is, by definition, pain along the purendal nerve. This condition can be very debilitating and can cause ge***al pain or numbness, bladder or bowel dysfunction and sexual dysfunction.

Fortunately, if you’re struggling with pudendal neuralgia, there is hope. We have extensive experience in treating pudendal neuralgia at Apto Physical Therapy. We understand the debilitating and isolating nature of these symptoms and are here to help.

Don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to today to begin your path to healing.
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Swipe to see the anatomy of the pudendal nerve. Permission to use copyright image from Pelvic Guru, LLC pelvicguru.com @ Denver, Colorado

05/21/2020

With the warmer weather means more cycling. But if you’re feeling some serious heat in your seat, your bike may not fit you correctly!

An improper bike fit can put increased pressure on the pudendal nerve, which lies right next to the “sit” bone and can lead to ge***al, perinal or re**al pain.

Some tips for finding appropriate bike fit include:
•The saddle should be horizontal and should not tip forward or back!
•The saddle height should allow for a slight bend at the knee (25-40 degrees) when the foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
•Adjust your handlebar height so that you can position yourself comfortably on the saddle with your sit bones on the widest part of the saddle.
•The saddle should be wide enough to support the ischial tuberosities (sit bones).
•Consider a saddle with a middle cut-out if you’re experiencing pelvic pain while riding.

And of course, if symptoms persist or you experience pelvic pain when you’re not riding, be sure to find a pelvic health P.T.!