Pinnacle Women’s Health & Therapy

04/28/2022

Pregnancy is like running a marathon…. Training is needed to minimize the risk of injury and complete the challenge as successfully as possible!

Starting out your pregnancy with strong pelvic floor and core muscles helps to decrease the damage these muscles experience under the strain of carrying a growing child. However as your pregnancy progresses and you get closer to birth women need to learn how to properly breathe and relax their pelvic floor muscles as they will require stretching 2-3x their normal length. So while Kegels/pelvic floor muscle and core strengthening are important in the first to the middle of their last trimester, relaxation and lengthening of these muscles is the most important skill in the third trimester to reduce the risk of tearing and injury to your pelvic muscles, bones and organs.

04/05/2022

Erin received her bachelors degree in Biology from George Mason University in 2004. She later received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Boston University in 2007. After, graduation, Erin began working in the Washington D.C area at a hospital based outpatient clinic treating a variety of patients with orthopedic and neurological conditions. While there, she and another colleague began to see a need for pelvic floor physical therapy services and decided to start a program to serve the needs of their community. After several years of building the program, Erin moved to Austin,TX were she worked exclusively at a specialty clinic serving both men and women with pelvic floor dysfunction and served as the lead physical therapist. She then moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2012. After the birth of her two children and experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction herself, Erin knew she wanted to continue to help guide and support more women during pregnancy and postpartum. Erin is honored and excited to be part of the team at Pinnacle Women’s Health and Therapy. She lives in Bentonville with her family and loves to ride her bike and hike on the amazing trails of NWA, sip coffee with her friends, and read lots of autobiographies!

03/24/2022

Meet our therapist Kara Harvey!
I graduated from the University of Central AR in 2007 with a bachelors degree in Health Sciences. I immediately entered into physical therapy school and graduated in 2010 with my Doctorate of Physical Therapy, also from the University of Central Arkansas ( one of the top rated programs in the US). I have practiced as a physical therapist since September of 2010. My main focus was pediatrics after graduation but in 2017-2018 I completed training through Herman and Wallace to become pelvic floor physical therapist. I have been treating both pediatric and pelvic floor patients since that time. I love pelvic floor because it empowers women to be in tune with their body and become knowledgeable of what is and what is not normal concerning all areas related to the pelvic floor. Progress is typically quick and some women have lived with common but definitely not normal impairments for so long and I love to change that for them!

03/15/2022

If you have been interested in a pelvic floor evaluation, now is the time! Call during Spring Break and prepay for an evaluation, and it will only be $99. Please send us a message or call us if you have any questions.

11/11/2020

08/13/2020

Let’s touch on the during childbirth.
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The head of the fetus pushes the coccyx posteriorly (extension).
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The anterior Sacrococcygeal ligament is stretched, and the posterior Sacrococcygeal ligament shortens.
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If the coccyx is stuck in flexion (due to scar tissue) relaxing does not work on scar tissue. So, if the dysfunction is already there prior to giving birth, that might by why the coccyx fractures.
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This is another reason why a pregnant woman should be evaluated before AND after childbirth!
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07/14/2020

Physical Activity Guidelines If you aren’t already doing so, you should look to start some form of exercise that strengthens...

07/22/2019

We agree 100% Under the Woman Hood!

They do.
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Every
Single
Va**na
Matters
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When a woman presents a request to get help for pelvic health impairments or prevention and she is denied — Veeery little boils my blood more than an unsupportive provider, significant other, family, friend, boss, etc. 😑🙈😣 .... buuut, I’ll stop myself (and my rising blood pressure) here and say, most often this lack of support comes from a lack of education and understanding about pelvic health professionals and what we do (that better be the reason anyway 😒).
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This is why I highly encourage that we be prepared with what to say in response to someone who isn’t being supportive of our desire to see a pelvic health professional. Read through my posts here, my blogs, follow other wonderful pelvic health PTs on social media. Email us! Call us! We can walk you through a short, but powerful spiel to whoever you need to convince to allow you the right to seek help for your va**na! Or help you find a way around the barrier(s)!
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This obviously isn’t the case for everyone (thank goodness), but it is a really unfortunate reality for some. And this post is for the some. ♥️
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Va**na lives matter. Women’s health matters. YOU MATTER, GIRL!


Feel free to repost (& tag me up so I can give it some love)!
📷: a friend asked if this was hanging in my office - best idea. 🖼
**nalivesmatter

07/16/2019

Great information! Please give us a call if you have any questions!

07/01/2019

Do you have the breathe app? PERFECT for timing your breathing with kegels! Remember...inhale and relax, exhale and contract. Try it out and let us know if you have any questions!!

06/25/2019

Image permission via Cosmopolitan   By Stephanie Prendergast   The Facts 21% of women undergoing va**nal delivery had levator ani avulsion1 29% of women undergoing va**nal deliveries had p***c bone fractures2 60% of postpartum women reported Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)3 64.3% of women report...

05/24/2019

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. No, seriously. Thank you Lacey for this post! After clinic today...so relevant and a myth that needs to be busted...

Despite what you may think, I’m no poet (😂), but I am a pelvic health physical therapist and I know that leaking p*e, p**p, or gas at anytime (pregnancy, that includes you!), any place (even the trampoline park), or any age is not normal. And is absolutely not a thing to accept as part of motherhood!
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Pelvic health PTs very regularly and successfully treat incontinence. 🎉Sometimes it takes one visit to eliminate symptoms, and sometimes it takes many visits (it depends on a lot of factors). But I will tell you that not one single person has ever regretted the time, money and effort it took to stop p*eing on themselves for life.
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If you need help finding a pelvic health PT, talking to your doctor, or getting the courage to make an appointment, PLEASE send me a message and I will help in any way I can.
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Love y’all. And feel free to share this sweet lil poem with anyone you know in need 😁💦💩💨
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05/09/2019

Yes! Yes! Yes!
https://mamaonthemend.com/blog/lets-make-seeing-a-pelvic-physical-therapist-after-giving-birth-our-new-normal?fbclid=IwAR2JEq2_mlcD0BPcN4Ag3aIPmx-QYqVbSgvtgiBCK4kOcU7JKx68JtT0fSw

Going to a physical therapist (PT) after pregnancy and childbirth isn’t standardized care in America, but it absolutely should be.I sat down with three therapists at Body Connect Health & Wellness (where I get treatment) to learn more about why every mom should check in with a pelvic PT at

03/31/2019

Thanks myPFM for the great info!

“Urinary incontinence? No, I don’t have that.”⁣
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What is UI? Per the ICS website it is a: “Complaint of involuntary loss of urine”. ⁣
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This is a recurring response that I’ve heard many many times friends. But upon further investigation, numerous people have some leakage with activity, exercise, or urgency. ⁣
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Many people think that UI (urinary incontinence) only occurs in older people and that diapers are the only answer. ⁣
❌Wrong!⁣
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It can happen to anyone, anytime, with any activity. It can be a drop, a diaper full or anywhere in between. It can happen with activity, exercise, urgency, s*x, or even while asleep. There IS hope friends!⁣
✅Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the #1 recommended intervention for stress urinary incontinence by both the ICS and the ACP!⁣
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Let’s get personal...this part is much more difficult for me but I hope it helps🥴. Even as a pelvic therapist, I occasionally have a small amount of urinary leakage- quite rarely (1-2x/yr?) but it leaves me with a devastated feeling. How can I advocate pelvic health if I’m not even perfect myself?? Then I take a step back and evaluate why it occurred and what I could have done differently. A few weeks back, while unloading groceries from the car, while squatting, with a bladder 6-7 hours full of water, tea, and lime juice, I sneezed and whoops🥴! A felt a quick sq**rt that resulted in a dime size wet spot. ❌Was this involuntary? You bet it was! ⁣
❌Was this urine leakage? Unfortunately and undoubted yes. ⁣
❌Was this a complaint? Absolutely. What if I had been in public and was wearing light colored pants? ⁣
So, what could I have done differently to prevent it?⁣
1. Empty my bladder regularly (every 2-4 hours)⁣
2. Avoid or reduce dietary irritants (tea and citrus for me)⁣
3. “Squeeze and sneeze”⁣
4. Regular including ⁣
5. Avoid overloading myself with grocery bags⁣
So, is it the end of the world? NO! ⁣
✅I’m empowered with knowledge and a plan to prevent it in the future and that is what I want for you friends! ⁣
What questions do you have? What experiences or tips do you have that can help others? ❤️Jeanice⁣
Thx to for this custom image❤️

03/30/2019

Long article but so worth the read!

https://pelvicpainrehab.com/female-pelvic-pain/4354/pelvic-floor-physical-therapy-vulvodynia/

What role do pelvic floor muscles play in Vulvodynia? How do you effectively treat it? Differential diagnosis is key.

03/20/2019

I’ve been working with people with Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation) for 19 years. I’ve seen so many fads, braces, pills, diets, and advice...
Pet p*eves for postpartum DR:
😏 When there are absolutes. “EVERYONE should use a brace or binder.” Or “don’t EVER do a crunch or plank.” Or “surgery is the ONLY fix.”
😏 When every person gets the same exact instructions and exercises. (understandable for some online home programs).
Tips:
🙋‍♀️ Diastasis recti is actually a normal part of pregnancy. It happens up to 100% of the time (Mota study). What’s important for us in postpartum - looking to see if there’s an ongoing pressure issue, function issue, or other concerns specific to each client/patient. .
🙋‍♀️ Some people will benefit from short term use of wrap or brace. But are they necessary? Not typically.
🙋‍♀️ Some people have such a significant Diastasis recti but aren’t able to have surgery - so a strong binder or brace to support the belly helps them tremendously.
🙋‍♀️ Programs that require the use of a binder/brace are problematic because not all people need that. Can it help in some cases? Yes. Should it be required or expected?No. if someone benefits from that program- awesome.
🙋‍♀️ I see patterns, but each person is unique in terms of figuring out if it actually IS a DR issue, or loose skin, or a hernia, or increased belly fat, constipation or pressure issue, etc. Or a combo of these things. We focus SO much on “the gap” and there’s often other things to consider.
🙋‍♀️ Some people don’t even care about a small DR. 😉 We sometimes make a big deal out if it. (I’ll share more if needed 😉)
🙋‍♀️ Time heals. Sometimes the DR will heal in the first year post-childbirth without any interventions.
🙋‍♀️ Let’s empower people with decisions rather than shaming into having surgery or shaming FOR having surgery - for function or cosmetic reasons. Some diastasis recti cases respond very well to surgery and it is indicated for that individual. Other people can have excellent results with conservative management - time to heal, exercise, diet (per individual).
I love that we have so much info and awareness out there. Thanks to my colleagues out there also helping so many people! ❤️ ~ Tracy Sher

03/19/2019

https://www.facebook.com/79174521346/posts/10156123644416347/

Pelvic health physical therapy can be a difficult topic for many people to discuss. It can be embarrassing, confusing, and even painful. Society tends to discourage discussion of these topics, causing confusion and lack of awareness regarding what is or is not normal. The reality is that pelvic floo...