Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center

07/14/2025

A recent study demonstrates that there is a stinky truth to your p**p and what it says about your overall health. The study shows that p**p schedule can be a determinant of overall health. Decrease frequency in bowel movements or constipation could lead to protein fermented bacteria build up in the gut which can be toxic. Those with diarrhea in the study were shown to have biomarkers in their stool that were associated with liver pathology. Your p**p can say a lot about your health!

At Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, our therapists treat bowel dysfunction every day whether it’s chronic constipation or looser stools. Schedule with us today, so we can help improve your bowel health thus improve your overall wellness!

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07/09/2025

Psst.... want targeted abdominal treatment and assessment?

At both locations, our clinics have Rehabilitative Ultrasound machines that provide real-time feedback on what your abdominal muscles are doing and how well you are activating them. Our therapists not only have the mad skills, but also the technology to assess core activation and use this information to create targeted treatment plans for each individual person.

Schedule with us today at www.clevelandpelvicwellness.com at both Eastside and Westside locations, so we can individualize your treatment plan to strengthen your core and improve your function!

07/08/2025

Our very own Dr. Jessica Jenkins and yoga therapist Polly Manke will be collaborating at The Heart Center this Wednesday July 16th at 6:30 pm to discuss and integrate active practice of pelvic health and wellness.

If you are interested in joining us, reserve your spot today at https://app.fitdegree.com/t/dashboard/registrables/3494296 or reach out to The Heart Center in Chagrin Falls.

07/08/2025

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THE HEART CENTER FOR YOGA WELLNESS is putting on a pelvic floor workshop on Wednesday, July 16th at 6:30PM featuring Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center's very own, Dr. Jessica Jenkins, as the expert speaker.

Please join us!

The Heart Center
8456 E Washington Street
(Above Kitchen & Bath Etc.)
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
(440) 769-0101

Wednesday, 7/16/25 - The Heart Center - Chagrin Falls, OH | A "Wellness Wednesdays" Event Join pelvic health expert Dr. Jessica Jenkins, PT, DPT, CLT and yoga therapist Polly Manke for an engaging, educational, and embodied evening of pelvic floor wellness. In this empowering presentation with Dr Je...

06/09/2025

Come to the Lee Road Branch Cleveland Heights Library TODAY at 7 pm to learn about your Pelvic Floor, its functions, and what pelvic floor dysfunction looks like from Dr. Jessica Jenkins!

06/05/2025

54 year old female attends PT complaining of right hip pain that travels down lateral thigh and is exacerbated at night when laying on her right side. PT and anti-inflammatory medications were implemented with little to no improvements in symptoms.

After months of physical therapy, the PT recommended she be referred for an ultrasound confirming a diagnosis of Calcific Gluteal Tendinopathy. The patient had a history of low thyroid function or hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormones are important for metabolism and calcium regulation, so low thyroid function can lead to degeneration and calcium deposits near tendons. This means that in order to address this person's pain, the root cause must be addressed. In this case, hypothyroidism.

There can be different causes to pain and dysfunction. Overall health can play a role in pain and dysfunction like in the case study in this post. Especially our endocrine and hormonal systems.
This is why at Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, we treat holistically and make sure to treat the whole person. Without looking at the bigger picture, we could miss a large piece of the puzzle that could make a huge difference in pain and dysfunction. Our therapists are trained to identify any red flags or comorbidities that may influence their presentation of pain, then collaborate with other providers to establish the best plan of care!

05/28/2025

Did you know that your jaw and pelvis is connected?

1. Embryologically, the openings for the mouth and the urinary/bowel/reproductive systems develop around the same time.

2. There are also fascial lines that connect your jaw/tongue to the pelvis, this commonly results in fascial restrictions or tightness in both the jaw and pelvic floor muscles.

3. The vagus nerve is a long nerve that helps to regulate our parasympathetic or "rest and digest" nervous system. Stimulating this nerve helps to relax our nervous system and bodies. The vagus nerve travels from the tongue to the pelvic floor.

4. Lastly, there are common areas that people tend to hold tension. The jaw and the pelvic floor are very common areas where tension is held, so tightness in one region likely affects the other!

This is important in our line of work as we tend to see individuals with both jaw and pelvic floor dysfunction. If you are experiencing both, healing and recovery cannot be fully obtained if both areas are not addressed. Our therapists have experience in treating both pelvic floor dysfunction and temporomandibular disorder (TMD). We can help address your body as a whole and improve overall function!

05/27/2025

Persistent Ge***al Arousal Disorder or PGAD is when someone experiences spontaneous, persistent, and unwanted ge***al arousal without s3xual stimulation. It can lead to discomfort like burning, throbbing, pressure, or tingling.

This is NOT pleasurable for those that suffer from it and can lead to feelings of embarrassment, frustration, and affect mental health tremendously.

Treating PGAD requires a multidisciplinary team focused on medical management, behavioral or s3x counseling, and pelvic floor physical therapy!

05/22/2025

Did you know there are habits that a lot of us participate in that can sometimes lead to urinary or pelvic floor dysfunction? Here are a few poor bladder habits to avoid to protect your pelvic floor & overall bladder health:

- "Just in case" (JIC) Peeing: our bladder likes to empty when it is ready, but if we go just in case then we teach the bladder to empty before it is ready or full causing a cycle of urinary frequency!

- Hovering: We know that not everyone loves to take a seat on public toilets, so they hover over. This forces us to strain and push out our urine vs. the natural reflexive process including relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. This can cause a lot of strain on your pelvic floor over time leading to weakness and lack of stability.

- Not being mindful of bladder irritants: Bladder irritants are things we can eat and drink that cause irritation to the lining of the bladder. Caffeine, alcohol, and smoking are the top 3 with carbonated beverages and acidic foods also contributing. It is not to say we cannot have these as a part of our diet, but the likelihood of excessive intake and lack of mindfulness of these things can cause worsening of our urinary symptoms like urgency, frequency, and leakage.

- Kegels while urinating: If someone googles how to improve pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Google will likely tell you to perform kegels and might even recommend you do by practicing stopping the stream while urinating. This can affect the natural reflexive process that occurs and lead to long-term urinary dysfunction.

05/14/2025

New research conducted demonstrates subjective reports that women often are gaslit by their providers regarding their pelvic pain and gynecological symptoms. Many are made to feel belittled, unheard, even crazy, and are often told to "just relax".

Pelvic floor PTs listen, validate, and understand pain. That's why we spend over an hour on the first visit and have hour-long appointments at Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, so our providers can take the time to truly listen and you can feel heard. Some therapists that work at hospitals despite their best efforts are unable to take their time with you because they have to follow the business model of the hospital. We have practitioners who are well-versed in pelvic pain so you will have a dream team of clinicians who will never gaslight you.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/women-pelvic-symptoms-pain-doctors-gaslight-study-rcna205403

05/13/2025

"Dynia" is a medical suffix that refers to pain. So vulvodynia and vestibulodynia refers to pain of the v***a or vestibule.

The v***a is external female ge***alia and the vestibule refers to the smaller region located between the l***a minora. When there is pain that feels like burning, stinging, rawness, hypersensitivity to that area, or pain during in*******se this can be vulvodynia or vestibulodynia.

The way this can be tested for in the clinic is by performing the Q-tip test. The clinician will take a cotton swab and lightly touch the v***a or vestibule. If this causes pain that is disproportionate to the stimuli i.e. if this is painful when it should just feel like a light touch then it is a positive test for vulvodynia or vestibulodynia.

Treatment options include topical vaginal estrogen, mental health services and counseling, medical or surgical procedures, and pelvic floor PT!

Our pelvic floor therapists are skilled clinicians that see vulvodynia and vestibulodynia frequently. It can be caused by tight or hypertonic pelvic floor muscles, so seeing a pelvic floor therapist to address musculature dysfunction is key to improving pain and quality of life!

05/06/2025

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) caused by hormonal changes. This disorder causes significant physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that occur prior to menstruation (see post). These symptoms can start 1-2 weeks prior to menstruation and symptoms are resolved with the onset of menstruation. These symptoms are so severe that they can negatively impact life, relationships, careers, and mental health significantly.

Many women don't even realize they are suffering from PMDD or feel lost as if there is nothing they can do. Management and treatment of this condition is possible with medications, lifestyle changes, stress management, and support. If you feel this is something that applies to you, know that you do not need to suffer. Seek out medical advice to help treat your PMDD.