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By: Ashley Johnson  Fixing a problem often starts with talking about that problem, but when it’s something like pelvic pain, pain during sex or leakage, this can be a difficult, but necessary step. As we leave Pelvic Pain and Mental Health Awareness Month, there’s no better time to help those who may have been suffering in silence take a step toward treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, 1 in 4 women experience this leakage (also known as incontinence,) and the American College of Gynecology and Obstetrics reports that as many as 75% of women will experience pain with sex at some point. And it’s not all just the elderly or pregnant and postpartum women. This means that it’s not only likely, it’s highly likely that you’ve met someone experiencing either of these issues. But how often have you felt comfortable enough to talk about it?
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By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT, PCES  Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRA) refers to the separation of the two muscle bellies of the rectus abdominis - our “6 pack” muscle. The separation occurs at the linea alba: the connective tissue that runs vertically down the middle of the muscle (separates the two sides of the “6 pack”) that can become thinned or stretched out. This separation or “gap” can occur at the navel, above the navel or below the navel.
How to know if you truly have a diastasis? Keep reading! By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT, PCES  Many women experience pelvic floor related issues like urinary incontinence (leaking urine), bowel dysfunction (constipation, straining, incomplete emptying), pelvic girdle pain, pain with intercourse/penetration, pain with medical exams, needing to use the restroom frequently, etc.
Many women are also told just to “do kegels” to help their pelvic floor symptoms. The issue with this blanket recommendation to just “do kegels” is that all too often, the recommendation is made without an actual pelvic floor examination. Let’s discuss what a kegel actually is, and how Kegels may or may NOT be helpful based on the cause of pelvic floor dysfunction. By Dr. Katie Cast, PT, DPT, PCES  Leaking urine is extremely common, especially in the female population. The involuntary leaking of urine is also known as urinary incontinence (UI).
The prevalence of urinary incontinence is not known as cases are likely vastly underreported. Many studies have reported the prevalence to be anywhere from 25-45% of women, with prevalence increasing with age (Milsom et al., 2019). One study found that 22.9% of ACTIVE women that have never given birth reported symptoms of urinary leaking (Alves et al., 2017). In fact, females participating in high impact sports that are repetitive are at the highest risk for experiencing urinary leaking (Casey et al., 2017). By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT  As we embark on a journey into the new year, many of us have goals we are setting out to reach- and many are related to health and fitness. As you may begin a new fitness journey in 2021 it’s important to keep in mind that setting up a plan as to HOW you will reach your goals is just as important as setting the goals themselves. For those fitness related goals, a crucial factor to include in your plan is recovery.
Why is it important to prioritize recovery with your new fitness endeavors? “Overdoing it” without proper recovery (what many of us tend to do with our New Year’s resolutions) can be problematic. Without taking steps to prioritize recovery, we can experience a multitude of negative effects. Although it is important to include exercise at the appropriate intensity to challenge our bodies, it is just as important to give our bodies the TIME to adapt properly and recover fully in order to see the progress you want and stay on track toward reaching your goals without being sidelined by pain or an injury. By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT  2020 has been a stressful year for many of us. Dealing with a pandemic, losing loved ones, social isolation, unemployment and countless other stressors have caused many of us to experience unprecedentedly high levels of stress. What do you do for stress management?
As we come into the holiday season, for many, stress levels will increase further. Due to the circumstances it is THAT much more important to take steps to keep stress levels under control. Let’s dig into the WHY & HOW you can stay on top of your stress... By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT  Injuries are common. Most of us have experienced an injury at some point in our lives and know how frustrating it can be to have to sit out of a sport, lose progress on our fitness journey, not be able to go to work, or not be able to participate in the activities that we want to do.
Did you know that:
By Dr. Katie Casto, PT, DPT  This is a highly contested and debated question, one that we don’t have definitive answers to yet. However, research supports that different types of stretching may be more appropriate or effective for you based on your specific goals and your individual situation.
Let me explain... By Dr. Jessica Warnecke, PT, DPT, OCS  Low back pain?
Stiffness after sitting all day at work? Weakness trying to bend over & pick up your kiddo? Adding in hip hinge training is SO HELPFUL for all of us! This is a very functional movement that occurs in some manner throughout the day so knowing how to do it properly can be very useful for: -Stronger back, legs & core -Better functional tolerance -Injury prevention By Dr. Jessica Warnecke, PT, DPT, OCS  Did you know that only 21% of Americans get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night (Breus, 2011)? We’ve been told from a young age the importance of getting your rest and going to bed in a timely manner, yet still so many people get an average of six or less hours of sleep per night. The older we get, and the busier we get, the more factors in life we have that can keep us from going to bed early, but learning to balance all these events and get a decent night’s rest can lead to great health benefits.
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Meet Your TherapistJessica has been in Austin, TX for the past four years. She grew up in Idaho and attended PT school at Idaho State University. She completed an Orthopaedic Residency and became a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist in 2016. Archives
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