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This Mother’s Day

May 25, 2016 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

During May, all mothers were celebrated with a special day known as Mother’s Day.  How each and every family honors mother is different and special in their own unique way.  Women, as mothers, often celebrate the designated day with cookouts, brunches, dinners and just relaxation with (hopefully) breakfast in bed or a ‘bye’ on cleaning up the dinner dishes.  

Interesting, many women remarked that their celebrations included grandmother, greatgrands, aunts, children, neighbors and anyone else in need of a family support system for the day.  As women, we are collectively known as the ‘tend and be-friend’ gender versus the men who exhibit the ‘fight or flight’ behavior.  All of this jargon is based from research over years that indicates how the hormonal differences between men and women influence the relationship with others.

Women are, as many of us realize, the ones to care for others.  We are the nurturers, the caregivers, the ones to help spouses, parents, children and grandchildren.  As a collective and generalized ‘whole’ we take care of everyone else before we care for ourselves.  Sound familiar?

Women, as patients, are always in need of care, but will often put their needs aside to take care of others in the family, whether it is caring for a grandchild so the son or daughter can work, or driving a parent to an appointment, etc.  On average, women wait 6.5 years from the first symptom of bladder issues until they seek a diagnosis for their bladder control problem. (National Association for Incontinence, Facts and Statistics, www.nafc.org). When is the time to care for ourselves as women?  “Now”, would be my answer!!  

If you, as a female caregiver/nurturer of others, don’t care for your own needs, who will do it for you?  If you leak urine when you sneeze, laugh, dance or otherwise are active, who can help you if you don’t help yourself?  How about at a baseball/softball game; do you need to head to the woods to pee?  Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause are major reasons of the increased prevalence of incontinence in women as compared to men. (WomensHealth.gov, Urinary Incontinence fact sheet, https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/urinary-incontinence.html).  Who can help if you don’t accept you need help with this problem and seek intervention?  

So here we are; a group of professional women, willing to help you solve your problem so you can learn to help yourself!  What better way to learn to control this hidden muscle that is responsible for letting pee or poop out of your body.  Learn to control the muscle, learn to eliminate the problem and guess what?  Get control back in your life without drugs or surgery, just with you!!

At Phoenix PT we often hear, “I don’t have time”, or “I can’t do this as I have too many people to care for”.  These are NOT reasons to avoid treatment; we can help with those time jams.  After all, we are women too, with a great sense of how to help you deal with life’s uncertainty.  

Come see us.  Schedule an appointment.  Wouldn’t you love to attend your daughter’s wedding without a pad as protection in your underwear?  Wouldn’t you love to not worry about finding a restroom at your granddaughter’s softball game or track meet?  And wouldn’t you love to sit on the beach in the sun in your bathing suit and not worry about finding a restroom to pee all the time?

If you want to improve, we can help and Phoenix PT will also help you recognize the time in your schedule that you need to make this work.  Phoenix PT helps exclusively with pelvic floor muscle issues including pain, incontinence, infections, retention, constipation and many, many other embarrassing issues.  Call today and ask our personal staff if we can help.  A little information goes a long way to see if you can gain benefit from treatment, and we can then make that happen for you.

If you don’t care for yourself, who will care for you?  Learn to control this embarrassing issue now and enjoy your summer.  No surgery, no drugs, just you.  Call us today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Autumn Expansion at Phoenix PT

October 13, 2015 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

It is officially autumn and as our beautiful state, Vermont, enjoys the annual dramatic change in leaf color and beautiful fall foliage, change has come to Phoenix Physical Therapy as well. We have expanded our clinic to include a new patient treatment room as well as a new staff room to provide for
our growing staff of pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation physical therapists.

A change in seasons is an excellent time to assess your current state of well being and evaluate what elements support your general health and what aspects of your life provide room for growth and change. As the season transitions to shorter, cooler days, we should feel encouraged to take the time to slow down and gather sustenance to provide our nourishment for the coming year.

It is important to remember that slowing down and taking the time to relax is an important part of our pelvic floor muscle health as well. Many of our patients who present with pelvic pain or incontinence also present with a hypertonic or “tight” pelvic floor muscle. It is not uncommon to hear a patient say, “I do Kegels 24/7 and I still leak!” But just like any muscle, the pelvic floor muscle needs to rest and move through its full range of motion to benefit from repetitions of pelvic floor muscle contractions. A “tight” muscle often responds to a “squeeze” by tightening even further, resulting in increased pelvic pain or, with incontinence, the inability for the muscle to do its job as “gatekeeper.”

How do you know if your pelvic floor muscle is “tight?” The easiest way is to determine if your pelvic floor muscle is functioning the way it should. Ask yourself a few questions. When you go to the toilet, is it difficult to initiate a stream of urine? Is the stream of urine interrupted? Do you have to train to empty your bladder? Do you think you have finished urinating and experience a dribble of urine after wiping? Do you have bowel movements that are thin and snake-like? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the pelvic floor muscle may not be functioning as it should and it may be due to a hypertonic or “tight” muscle that is not able to release and contract properly to allow for you to urinate or have a bowel movement. Other symptoms of a “tight” muscle can be experiencing UTI-like symptoms with negative lab results, chronic vaginal discomfort and other signs of irritation caused by the pelvic floor muscle applying pressure around the vaginal, urethral and rectal areas.

So how do you relax your pelvic floor muscle? A simple, effective method is to take a deep breath into your belly, often referred to as a “balloon breath” – not only will this stimulate your whole system to revert to a state of “rest and digest,” it will also gently release your pelvic floor muscle from a tightened state. Lie down and make yourself comfortable. Put a pillow under your knees and make sure your head is supported in a comfortable way. Put both of your hands on your belly. Take a deep breath and feel it raise your belly slightly under your hands. Don’t force it or try to make your belly rise, just allow the breath to do it. Breathe in through your nose like you are smelling a rose and then breathe out through your mouth like you are blowing out a candle. Follow the breath visually to let your mind release thoughts and don’t worry about doing it “right.” As you continue to breathe, move your hands to the sides of your abdomen and ribs and feel the breath gently move out. Finally, as you breathe in, feel or envision that your pelvic floor muscle releases and gently moves away from the center of your body. Again, don’t force it – it’s a very subtle feeling. Continue with these deep belly breaths for about five minutes and find time in your day to continue with this practice of releasing your pelvic floor muscle once a day.

If learning to properly control this muscle is difficult for you or if you are unable to tell if you are using your muscle as it is intended, consider an evaluation at Phoenix PT. Our highly trained and skilled staff will offer you more information and exercise tips to help.

Taking care of yourself allows you to provide for all the people and activities you are committed to in your day-to-day. Enjoy the season and take the time to relax and regroup to ensure your well-being and the well-being of those around you.

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Expanded Office

Squeeze Before You Sneeze

February 6, 2015 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

Have you recently sneezed, coughed, laughed or made a sudden or quick movement that resulted in an accidental leakage of urine or gas?  Has this leakage become more of an issue now that it is cough and flu season?  Have you started to exercise more as a New Year’s resolution and notice small leaks of urine throughout your workout or when you walk or jog at a brisk pace?  Our staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy wants you to know that this accidental leakage is NOT a normal part of aging and should not be chalked up to having children!  We want you to know that although this is a very common issue for women, it is a sign of a problem that can be easily treated at our office.  We specialize in helping women learn to manage these symptoms through simple, safe and effective exercises, tailored to the individual needs of the woman.  You should first mention this to your physician or health care provider.  Even though this problem is embarrassing and difficult to discuss, statistics show that it usually takes 6-7 years for a woman to express concern to her primary health care provider regarding this incontinence problem.  Wouldn’t it be nice for you to learn how to improve this issue before it turns into a larger problem that you have to deal with year after year?  This problem just doesn’t go away on its own despite wishful thinking!

Many of our patients are initially unaware of why these accidental leaks of urine or gas occur.  In every male and female, there is a small muscle at the bottom of our pelvis that helps to support the bladder, urethra and colon.  This muscle is called the pelvic floor muscle.  Piercing this muscle are “tubes” that run from the bladder and colon to the outside of the body.  Although this muscle is not readily visible, it is entirely under our control.  This means we have the ability to contract and relax this muscle to control any form of accidental leakage.  Because we cannot readily see this muscle it is often difficult to know how to make our muscle function in a timely or appropriate fashion.  When there is an increase in abdominal pressure such as with a cough or sneeze, this increases pressure on the bladder and colon which then requires our pelvic floor muscle to hold the urethra and/or colon closed to ensure that urine or gas (or other) stays inside where it belongs!  If the muscle is unable to function correctly, perhaps due to weakness, it becomes difficult to keep closure when this increase in pressure from the abdomen occurs.  This is called stress incontinence.  Common activities that can result in leakage include, but are not limited to, sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, running and bending.

If you experience such leakage, rest assured!  Our staff is skilled in teaching you how to use your pelvic floor muscles.   If you learn how to use your pelvic floor muscle and you practice timing your muscle contraction prior to and during the activities that create your leaks, you will learn to retain your muscle to respond the way it was intended.  In essence, you are learning to retrain your muscle.  This is called the “Knack Maneuver” and is named because you have the knack to get the hang of it! It is all about precision timing of the contraction!  It may take weeks of proper practice to see a difference, but our staff will help and encourage you with tips and suggestions to make your practice successful.

Incontinence is treatable!  You shouldn’t have to resort to use of pads to protect yourself from accidental leakage.  Waiting years to treat this problem only adds to prolonging your incontinence and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.  Call us today! We are here to help you overcome this embarrassing problem.  Our office manager, Linda, is ready to take your call.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Take Time for Yourself!

December 17, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

As the holiday season fast approaches and winter is upon us, it is often difficult to find time to take care of ourselves. At Phoenix Physical Therapy, we often hear how tough it is for women to find even a few minutes to manage their health, stress and daily lives. Women of all ages are caregivers by nature and caring for others is top priority. But what about those nagging health issues that many women face? It is easy to ignore incontinence, constipation, urinary urgency and frequency. It is easy to think, ‘maybe it will go away on its own’ or ‘maybe I will be better tomorrow’. Unfortunately, it never gets better on its own….only increasing in severity if left alone.

At Phoenix Physical Therapy, we specialize in treating pelvic floor issues related to muscle dysfunction. Urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, constipation, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary urgency and frequency and nocturia (frequent trips to the toilet at night) are but a few of the female issues we deal with on a day to day basis.

Our staff is great at helping busy women find a few minutes to care for themselves. We focus on each individual’s needs, priorities and health concerns related to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Treatments in our office are tailor made for each woman; no two patients are alike! We are proud of our treatment success and our ability to listen, help and empower women to take charge of their bodies!

If you are a woman who has difficulty taking a few minutes to care for yourself, if scheduling an appointment to manage your incontinence seems just too overwhelming, we are here to help! Call our office, discuss your needs with our helpful and caring staff and schedule that appointment. The hardest part is picking up the phone or sending that email to us. Make 2015 the year to carve out a few minutes for your own health! If pelvic floor issues are a concern to you, you will be pleased you contacted our office and scheduled that appointment. Incontinence is not a normal part of aging and can be corrected with simple strategies and modifications in routine. We are here to help!

Learning to control the embarrassing symptoms of incontinence gives you more freedom, more confidence and empowerment. Take care of your symptoms…call us today and schedule a time to take care of yourself in 2015!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Recent Guidelines for Incontinence Treatment: American College of Physicians

September 26, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

Just this past week the American College of Physicians published a Clinical Guideline for Physicians in an effort to provide clinical recommendations on the nonsurgical management of urinary incontinence in women.   This publication recommends that pelvic floor muscle re-education with bladder training is recommended as the first treatment option in women with stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a combination of both (mixed incontinence).

The staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy, PLC is thrilled to see such a recommendation in the professional literature!  We have known for years that this treatment option, when performed correctly, will make a difference in the quality of a woman’s life.  Our use of pelvic floor muscle retraining with biofeedback along with behavioral modifications empowers women to get their incontinence symptoms under control, allowing them restored self-confidence and resumption of the activities they previously enjoyed, without worry of leaking.  Our tag line “no surgery, no drugs, just you” is implied in the new Clinical Guidelines just published.

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine and can occur in approximately 25% of young women aged 14 to 21 years, 44-57% in women ages 40-60 and 75% in women over 75 years according to some of the research reported.  Another 6% of nursing home admissions is attributed to incontinence, accounting for $3 billion in medical spending. These numbers can vary greatly as other research indicates that women often will not report these symptoms to their physicians for a variety of reasons.  The degree of symptoms, when reported can vary from mild to debilitating and represent almost $20 billion spend on medical management of the symptoms.

Phoenix Physical Therapy is happy to answer any questions you may have regarding treatment.  We are here to help!  Incontinence is not a normal part of aging and is not something you need to live with.  Call us, email us or stop by!  We would be honored to be a part of your medical care.  “No surgery, no drugs, just you”.

Jane

Filed Under: Incontinence Treatment, news

Phoenix Physical Therapy Welcomes Nonna

August 6, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

20140520_PhoenixPT_Bishop_004We are thrilled to officially welcome Nonna Aydinyan-Allaire, PT, DPT to our team at Phoenix Physical Therapy.

Nonna graduated from UVM with her undergraduate degree in Community and International Development in 2005 and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2013. After working as an Economic Research Assistant for three years, she decided to pursue a career in physical therapy. During her extensive graduate work, Nonna discovered her passion for pelvic floor dysfunction. Being a mother of two young children, she understands the importance of pelvic health in all stages of life. During her clinical rotations, Nonna gained valuable experience in a variety of healthcare settings, including outpatient, acute and skilled nursing rehabilitation facilities. She has treated a variety of conditions, including but not limited to, orthopedic postural impairments, muscle imbalance, cardiac post-operative, total joint replacements, cognitive and proprioceptive impairments. She is thrilled to be part of the Phoenix team and to be specializing in pelvic floor therapy. Nonna is working towards her certification in Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction, administered by the Biofeedback Certification International Association (BCIA).

Nonna enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children in Essex. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, running, skiing, and snowshoeing. She is fluent in Russian and has a great appreciation for different cultures.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction as seen in Prevention Magazine: April 2014

April 24, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

So often in our health care practice we are asked about the benefits our treatment strategies: “Prove to me this works” or “How do I know this helps when I can’t see the problem”?. “How come I never heard of this kind of treatment before?” It is often not until the patient successfully completes care with us that they realize the full benefits of what they have learned through the course of treatment. Education, empowerment, exercise, pain management strategies and behavioral modification all play a role in successful treatment outcomes for pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

Once in a while news-worthy journalists are able to capture the essence of our treatment approach and how we manage to make each patient treatment session successful. Prevention magazine has hit the nail on the head so to speak this month with an article entitled “The Pain Down There” (April issue). This article is able to accomplish educating the public with a wealth of information in a short span of space. It covers the pain, the muscle dysfunction, the embarrassment and the lack of functional control so many people (women and men) feel when these ‘hidden’ muscles don’t cooperate with our biological needs. This article describes what we do at Phoenix Physical Therapy.

If you have been told by your physician or you suspect you have a pelvic floor muscle dysfunction by all means read this article. In turn, contact our office, ask questions and determine for yourself if you need an evaluation with one of our highly qualified and sensitive therapists, trained in the management of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. This is what we do, all day, every day, and nothing else! Our office, as seen on this website, is NOT a gym! If this article in Prevention magazine rings true for you, you are at home in our practice. Phoenix Physical Therapy is here to help you on a profoundly personal issue, using the most respectful healthcare approaches.

Contact us….we are here to help. No surgery, no drugs, just you.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Does your child still wet the bed?

February 28, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

Bedwetting is a common yet very frustrating problem for children and their parents. Bedwetting can often be associated with a family history of bedwetting. If one parent wet the bed as a child, their child has a 44% chance of having the same problem. If both parents wet the bed as children, the incidence increases to 77% likelihood of the child having the same problem. Even without a family history, the child can have a 15% chance of wetting the bed, medically called nocturnal enuresis.

There can be many reasons that can contribute to this problem, but often it is a matter of the child being a deep sleeper. Studies support the notion that bedwetters often sleep soundly and are difficult to arouse so that the bladder signals are ignored because of deep sleep. Your child’s physician can help determine the cause of your child’s symptom if necessary.

By age of 10, 95% of children are dry at night. Typically, girls are dry by age 6 whereas boys are usually dry by age 7. Most children start to get dry nights by the age of 4 or 5. There are bedwetting alarms that can be purchased on the web through bedwettingstore.com, if parents want to try this avenue. The battery operated alarm is attached to the child and will beep as the child begins to wet, hopefully waking the child before a large leak occurs. There is medication that some physicians will prescribe that promotes the production of an anti-diuretic hormone that produces more concentrated urine, and some pediatric urologists will recommend a surgical procedure that involves urethral dilation. Here at Phoenix Physical Therapy we offer a non-invasive treatment that utilizes computer signals to teach the child to recognize his or her control over the muscles involved in bladder control.

Biofeedback is the generic term for the computer assisted therapy offered at Phoenix PT. It utilizes a muscle signal to teach a process that involves voluntary control over the muscles that control bladder filling and emptying. It can be a fun process for the child as the child learns to manage these symptoms that often keep the child away from sleepovers and summer camps. It empowers the child to learn control over a process the child otherwise thought was out of control.

There are other behavioral interventions that can also help with night time bladder control. Limiting fluids after dinner is one option, encouraging the child to hydrate during the day and not wait until after school or evening to consume fluids. Caffeine, such as soda, increases urine production and can interfere with night time control. Managing bowels is another option. If your child is constipated, the full colon will interfere with bladder signals and further contribute to the incontinence. Make sure your child takes adequate toilet time prior to bed to completely empty the bladder. Some children skip the toilet before bed, others rush through the process and don’t empty the bladder completely.

If your child has a learning issue, there is a greater chance of having a bedwetting issue. Learning control with the computer visual, detailed behavioral interventions and specific exercises might be what is needed to help your child gain control over this embarrassing and often limiting process.

Discuss this problem with your child’s physician and if treatment is indicated, the staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy is ready to help. Children who can follow directions and sit quietly are good candidates for treatment.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

New Beginnings!

January 8, 2014 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

The staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy, PLC wishes you a Happy and Healthy New Year! If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to seek treatment for any forms of what is termed “pelvic floor dysfunction”, our team is ready to help you achieve a happier and more productive life in 2014.

As we close out 2013 we say a fond farewell to our therapist Brooke Love, PT, DPT, BCB-PMD. Brooke is moving forward in her life and career with a transition to Phoenix, AZ and we wish her well. She will be missed. Ushering in 2014, we welcome Megan Abentroth, PT, DPT to our staff. Megan comes to us with a diversity of clinical experience and a doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont. Through her experiences, she has developed a passion for pelvic floor therapy and is very excited to be a member of our talented team…welcome Megan!

In this New Year there are many changes occurring in health care and especially within Vermont. Vermont Health Connect is confusing to many Vermonters and you may not be sure of your coverage for physical therapy. Rest assured that our staff is here to help you navigate the new system and understand your physical therapy benefits. We do hope that payment is not a barrier to improving your quality of life. With the New Year comes change and Phoenix Physical Therapy hopes to be a positive part of that change and will work with you and your insurance coverage to make treatment possible for your “pelvic floor muscle dysfunction”.

Filed Under: news

What is biofeedback?

November 18, 2013 by Jane Kaufman Leave a Comment

Many patients ask us what biofeedback training is. Simply put, biofeedback is any physiological process that can be altered due to feedback, either visual or verbal. We use biofeedback every day in our normal routines: we receive biofeedback in the morning when we look in front of the mirror and comb our hair or put on our makeup. The visual picture allows us to make an immediate change to what we see, continuously altering the image in front of us to something we know through experience is the image we want. When you arrive at work, a co-worker remarks that she likes your outfit. This is verbal feedback. Perhaps you adjust your scarf in response to what she tells you.

At Phoenix Physical Therapy we use a form of biofeedback called surface EMG (electromyography) to visualize the function of the pelvic floor muscle which is the muscle responsible for and contributes to the syndromes and causes of incontinence, pelvic pain, elimination disorders, etc. The form of “biofeedback” that is used at Phoenix Physical Therapy involves small electrical signals that are picked up from the pelvic floor muscles which are otherwise hidden in our bodies but under our control. Without a way to visualize these muscles we cannot get a true picture of how these muscles are functioning. The specific functioning of the pelvic floor muscles is what creates a dysfunction and leads to the symptoms that bring you to our clinic. By changing the physiological process of the muscle (biofeedback) we are able to teach our patients lifelong skills to manage and eliminate their symptoms.

Our staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy hold international board certifications in biofeedback allowing us to take the computerized image of your muscle and using specific software, read the image in a way that allows us to teach you ways to change the function of this muscle. In turn, this change in the muscle helps to correct your symptoms and gives you an awareness of what to do to improve your symptoms. Our level of skill in this unique treatment allows us to set the standard for this type of treatment.

If you would like more information on this treatment approach feel free to contact our office.

Filed Under: news

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Client Testimonials

“Jane is the ideal health care provider. She combines professional knowledge and expertise with a truly caring personality. I wish I had been referred sooner. She has made a dramatic difference in my well-being.”

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What Physicians Say

“I would like to heartily endorse Phoenix Physical Therapy’s treatments for pelvic floor dysfunction. I have yet to have a patient feel that the treatment did not help, often achieving resolution of the problem. There were no embarrassing visits. Her help proved to be convenient and discreet.”

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Professional Associations

National Association for Continence (NAFC)

Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA)

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

SUNA

Biofeedback training and incontinence solutions

 

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