http://www.ClevelandPelvicWellness.com/, http://www.BeFreeCLE.com/

Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, 14077 Cedar Road, South Euclid, OH (2026)

12/16/2025

Hello everyone!

Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center will have an abbreviated holiday schedule, starting on December 22, 2025 and normal hours will resume after the New Year.

Please remember that our first concern is your health and well-being. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Westlake office 216.200.6978 or our South Euclid office 216.200.6959 to check holiday availability or if you have any questions or concerns.

We wish you safe, happy holidays and look forward to seeing you soon. 🎄 🕎🎁🎆🎉

12/15/2025

As physical therapists, we love to make everything a workout💪🏽... except pooping! 💩 Bowel movements should be a relatively quick and easy process that do not require a lot of pushing or straining. When we strain, it can cause a lot of pressure on the pelvic floor and lead to other issues. Here are some tips to prevent straining when having a bowel movement:

1. Proper elimination position into deep squat position - Get that squatty potty or use something around your house!

2. Don't hold your breath and push - Use the exhale to your advantage to assist with abdominal activation and pelvic floor relaxation. Pretend to blow bubbles or blow out birthday candles to save you pelvic floor!

3. Maintain good hydration - drink plenty of water, but also make sure to replenish electrolytes which helps with overall stool consistency.

4. Eat plenty of fiber - at least 25 g for women and 30 g for men are general recommendations. Getting this through diet or supplementation is also key for maintaining good stool consistency which prevents need for straining.

12/10/2025

Have you ever been told that you're hypermobile? Are you more flexible than most? Do you hyperextend your joints or say you’re “double jointed”? Have you ever been diagnosed with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or Ehler's-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)? Do you also experience pain or other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?

Hypermobility is when someone is more flexible than the norm, usually due to increased mobility and stretchier connective tissue. Connective tissue's job in the body is to hold things in their designated place while also allowing movement throughout the body. It provides the body with structural support. When connective tissue is stretchier, this can cause instability throughout the body especially in the pelvis. The Beighton Score is a measure of hypermobility. During this assessment, bending thumbs to forearms, hyperextension of elbows and knees, extending pinky to back of hand, and touching palms flat to the floor with straight legs are assessed. A score of >/= 5/9 indicates hypermobility.

When hypermobility is present, the pelvic floor musculature tends to get tighter to try to provide stability to the system. Tightness in the pelvic floor muscles can lead to dysfunction. Individuals with hypermobility are statistically more likely to have pain with in*******se, low back/hip/pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, constipation or incomplete emptying of the bowels, IBS, and more. Tight muscles cannot be strong muscles, so it leads to overall weakness as well contributing to continued dysfunction.

Of course the best course of treatment is pelvic floor PT! Where addressing the hypermobility and providing more dynamic stability through muscle strengthening of the surrounding musculature like the core, glutes, etc. And addressing any tightness in the pelvic floor to improve symptoms. Pelvic floor PTs can educate those who are hypermobile on how to optimize movement and exercise without putting themselves at greater risk for dysfunction. We work with you to address the root cause and improve your overall function!

11/27/2025

Vulvar hygiene is very important for the overall health of the individual. The va**na contains its own little ecosystem. The ecosystem is naturally acidic with a pH ~4.5. This acidic environment helps to support and optimize the natural growth of healthy bacteria that keeps the va**nal tissues healthy. For a long time, the recommendation for va**nal hygiene was the use of water alone because the va**na acts like a "self cleaning oven". However, a new review called Vulvar Care: Reviewing Concepts in Daily Hygiene by Bohbot, Rebelo, and Nappi shows that using only water can compromise the va**nal microbiome which leads to increased inflammation, irritation, and dryness. This challenges years of previous recommendations and replaces it by recommending v***ar owners to use mild, pH-balanced cleansers. pH balanced cleansers from brands like Love Wellness, Good Clean Love, and Honey Pot preserve the natural va**nal microbiome which reduces risk for irritation. Supporting va**nal health includes proper hygiene. Make sure to make good choices on supporting your va**nal microbiome which improves overall health!

**nalhealth ***arhealth

11/19/2025

Did you know that your breathing is related to your pelvic floor?

The diaphragm is the main muscle of inspiration and this muscle works synergistically with the pelvic floor. They work together in a "piston effect", as one of them descends so does the other and vice versa. During inhalation, the diaphragm descends and domes down to let more air into the lungs. This lengthens the pelvic floor to descend into relaxation. During exhalation, the diaphragm recoils up to let air out and the pelvic floor follows by ascending up into the pelvis.

Performing diaphragmatic breathing can help with relaxation, nervous system regulation, and pelvic floor mobility. Since the diaphragm spans underneath the ribs 360 degrees, true diaphragmatic breathing occurs with 360 degree rib expansion during inhalation. When breathing with your diaphragm during inhalation while sitting in a chair, you will feel your rib cage expand in all directions and your pelvic floor muscles descend putting pressure into the chair. And on exhalation, will ascend back up away from the chair. This is a great exercise to help with pelvic floor mobility which is key for optimal pelvic floor function!

11/18/2025

No pelvic floor is the same. Pelvic floor dysfunction takes many shapes and forms. The way PFPTs look at pelvic floor issues is by categorizing it as either a weak pelvic floor or a tight pelvic floor. Symptoms can look very different between these two categories, so it is important to differentiate.

A tight pelvic floor is when the muscles are tense and have difficulty relaxing. This can look like pain with in*******se, constipation, pelvic/low back/hip pain, bladder pain, urinary frequency or urgency, difficulty emptying the bladder.... and much more!

A weak pelvic floor is when the muscles lack strength, endurance, and coordination. This takes forms of urinary leakage, bowel leakage, prolapse, core weakness, inability to control passing of gas, decreased sensation during in*******se... and again much more!

A lot of our patients fall in the middle and have some indications of weak AND tight pelvic floor musculature. Like we said before, everyone is different. But the one thing that these all have in common is that they can be treated by a pelvic floor therapist. And it's safe to say, we know a few really good ones! 😏

Call to schedule with us today!

11/17/2025

Vulvodynia is a chronic pain disorder that affects the v***a or external female genitalia. Symptoms include burning, dryness, irritation, stinging, and sometimes sharp shooting pain. These symptoms then lead to further dysfunction like pain with in*******se, difficulty wearing certain types of underwear from sensitivity, and pain with wiping after voiding.

A retrospective study conducted by Kiesner and Bittoni demonstrates the association of oral contraceptive use and prevalence of vulvodynia. This study showed that 50% of the participants that used oral contraceptives complained of pain in the v***a. Women who take combined oral contraceptives are 5x more likely to experience vulvodynia while those that take progestin only contraceptives are almost 3x as likely to experience vulvodynia.

Oral contraceptives cause hormonal changes which affect the health, lubrication, and vascularization of va**nal tissues. Depletion of these hormones causes dryness, irritation, and pain in those tissues. Access to oral contraceptives is VERY important and provides many individuals control over their own lives and body. But just like other medications, it is important to note that they can have negative side effects as well. These symptoms may be a side effect of oral contraceptives, but you do not need to suffer. Our therapists can help to assist with these issues and improve quality of life if this applies to you!

11/06/2025

Menopause: When even your pelvic floor needs a fan 🪭... No, not that kind of fan. The other kind of fan. 📣🥇🤩

Menopause causes estrogen depletion. Estrogen is an important hormone to v***ar, va**nal, and pelvic floor muscular tissues. Estrogen supports healthy blood flow, collagen, elasticity, and tone to your tissues. When estrogen drops during menopause, this causes thinning of va**nal tissues, va**nal dryness, and decreased elasticity leading to tightness and weakness in pelvic floor muscles. Outside of hormonal changes, decreases in bone density and muscle mass contribute to pelvic instability and weakness. These changes can cause an array of symptoms including va**nal tissue changes, urinary and bowel changes, and s3xual dysfunction.

During menopause, your pelvic floor needs you to be its #1 fan by supporting it through hormone replacement therapy, resistance training, healthy hydration and diet, and of course - PELVIC FLOOR PT!!! 😉

10/22/2025

Our own, Dr. Belle Panza presented a community education presentation at Progressive Insurance Training Center in Mayfield Village this week. She presented on workplace ergonomics and pain related to prolonged desk sitting for the employees. Her talk consisted of recommendations for modifying the work environment to improve ergonomics and exercises to improve neck/back pain related to prolonged desk sitting.

At Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, we offer free educational talks for businesses and communities. We have also presented on other topics like menopause and pelvic floor anatomy and dysfunction. We work together with the businesses and communities to discuss what topic would be best to address to prioritize your specific interests and demographic! Our clinicians all have a passion for teaching and educating the public regarding orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapy.

If you are interested in one of our therapists presenting at your business, church, library, etc. Please contact us by email or call. We would love to set something up 😁

Email: info@clevelandpelvicwellness.com
Phone: (216)200-6959 - Eastside location (216)200-6978 - Westside location

09/18/2025

We're thrilled and humbled to have received 99 five-star reviews! 🎉 Thanks to anyone who took the time to leave the most kind and thoughtful words for us, we love reading each and every one of them. 🥰

A huge thank you to every patient who has trusted us with their care. We love what we do because we get to work with such amazing people like you! 🤍

If we've had the honor of treating you in the past and you had a 5-star experience, maybe you could be our 100th?!? 🌟Just sayin’... 😉

09/11/2025

When most people think of those that suffer from urinary leakage, most people think of pregnant women, postpartum women, or the elderly. However, urinary leakage can affect a lot other individuals like younger athletes.

At least 1 in 4 high school or college female athletes experience urinary leakage. Those that participate in high impact sports especially those with a lot of landing like volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, runners, long jumpers, etc. are more affected. Urinary leakage is not only a physical issue, but can affect the athletes performance as well as their mental health.

The good thing is that urinary leakage is very treatable with the help from a pelvic floor physical therapist!

09/10/2025

Can you relate to having symptoms like an itchy va**na and tests always coming back negative for yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, STDs?

Did you know that va**nal itching, irritation, or pain can actually be rooted in pelvic floor dysfunction. When all the testing comes back negative, the pelvic floor may be the cause of these symptoms.

Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center

12/16/2025

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