Episode 20: Pelvic Floor In-Depth with Stephanie Prendergast, MPT

Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely Held

Welcome to Episode 20 of the Movement Logic Podcast! In this episode, Sarah interviews Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Stephanie Predergast, co-founder of the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center, about everything and anything pelvic floor related. Stephanie also answers your questions from Instagram! Here’s what we cover:

• Understanding the mechanics and function of the pelvic floor and how it’s different than other muscles in the body
• Why strengthening your pelvic floor is not always the goal and how it might make your incontinence symptoms worse
• The difference between stress incontinence and urge incontinence
• Why dyspurnia (painful sex) and vulvodynia (vulvar pain) are treatable but might get misdiagnosed as an ‘incurable disease’
• When pelvic floor muscular dysfunction gets misdiagnosed as a UTI, depending on which kind of practitioner you see
• The efficacy and safety of hormone therapy for menopause symptoms according to NAMS (North American Menopause Society)
• What is GSM (Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause) and how is it treatable
• Pelvic floor concerns for people with male genitalia, a chronically underserved population
• Why people with low back or hip pain very often have an underlying pelvic floor issue
• What are some signs that a movement teacher can look out for with their clients to indicate they may need to see a pelvic floor specialist (and a screening questionnaire included below)
• What is the female pelvic triad and how teenage athletes may need help

Reference links:

As the Pelvis Turns Newsletter

NAMS position paper on hormone therapy

Pique Health for online care for pelvic floor and sexual health

Poise Impressa for incontinence support

Speax by Thinx for incontinence support

Quick Screen for pelvic floor PT

PHRC YouTube page

Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center (they’re hiring PTs!)

Watch the video of this conversation at: www.movementlogictutorials.com/podcast

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Thanks for listening!