Core Muscles Archives - Foundational Concepts

It is all connected, Part 2: The Superficial Back Line and pain in the back body.

November 1, 2023
Sarah Dominguez
Chronic Pelvic Pain, Core Muscles, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Many people experience pain in the SI (sacroiliac) joint and low back. Often when you look into these patient’s history, they will also have had Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, or buttock pain. When examined completely, these should be a clue…

Pelvic Floor Muscle Over-activity what it means, and what to do about it.

October 12, 2023
Sarah Dominguez
Bladder, Bladder Pain, Bowel, Chronic Pelvic Pain, coccydynia, Constipation, Core Muscles, Endometriosis, IBS, Interstitial Cystitis, Male Pelvic Pain, Pain With Sex, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Physical Therapy, Prostatitis, Sexual Dysfunction, Vaginismus, Women's Health

Let's break down what Pelvic Floor Muscle over activity might look like. This can be a confusing issue and depending on what type of doctor you see, the answer might be different. If you have pelvic floor muscle over activity,…

Know before you go: getting back to the gym safely after baby or surgery.

December 8, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
Athletes, Bladder, Bowel, Breastfeeding, Childbirth, Core Muscles, Core stability, Diastasis Rectus Abdominus, Education, Exercise, General Health, Hysterctomy, Kansas City, Labor And Delivery, Leaking, Mastectomy, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Health, Post-cancer Rehab, Post-partum, Pregnancy, Women's Health

I ran into a friend who had had a baby 8 weeks ago. She told me she wanted to get back in shape but once she started working out, she didn’t feel as comfortable as she had hoped. As we…

Is my back pain related to my pelvic symptoms?

September 15, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
back pain, Bladder, Chronic Pelvic Pain, Core Muscles, Incontinence, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy

This is a question that comes up often in clinic. People may assume that because we specialize in pelvic dysfunction, we don't treat backs. Well, that could not be farther from the truth! As a Physical Therapist who specializes in…

Pelvic PT after baby; the individualized program.

September 8, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
Athletes, Breastfeeding, Childbirth, Core Muscles, Diastasis Rectus Abdominus, Exercise, General Health, Kansas City, Labor And Delivery, Maternal Health, Pelvic Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pilates, Pregnancy, wellness, Women's Health

Having practiced orthopedics, sports medicine, manual therapy, and pelvic floor therapy in Kansas City for 23 years there is one patient question that resonates with me as a tripping up point for new patients. I will give you an example:…

The symphony of muscle coordination for core stability: voice, breath, pelvic floor.

August 4, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
back pain, Chronic Pain, Core Muscles, Core stability, Diaphramatic Breathing, Exercise, General Health, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health, Pelvic Physical Therapy, wellness

Have you ever wondered what happens to keep your spine, pelvis and hips stable while you exercise, or perform daily tasks? Probably not, unless you are an anatomy nerd like me. I am amazed by the symphony of muscle coordination…

Mamas: Don’t wait to rehab your pelvic floor until you are done having babies!

July 21, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
back pain, Bladder, Childbirth, Core Muscles, Diastasis Rectus Abdominus, Exercise, General Health, Incontinence, Kansas City, Labor And Delivery, Pain With Sex, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Post-partum, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Women's Health

The other day I heard the common statement that makes me pause: “I knew I was peeing my pants, having pain with intercourse, and some weakness after my first child was delivered, but I wanted to wait until I completed…

The Psoas Muscle: the forth horseman in pelvic and spinal stability.

June 9, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
back pain, Chronic Pain, Core Muscles, Core stability, Exercise, General Health, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Girdle, Pelvic Pain, Posture, Sports, Strength, wellness

The psoas muscle gets a lot of press for being overactive or tight. Everyone wants to release their psoas. It seems to stalk my Instagram feed. So, what does the psoas really do and is it truly tight on everyone? …

Everybody’s looking at my tight pants…

May 19, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
Athletes, Bladder, Core Muscles, Incontinence, Kegels, Leaking, Pee, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Electric pants won’t fix urinary incontinence, OR do your Kegels for you. Neither will a fancy chair or a cool app on your phone. I must be reaching the age…

More on Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (DRA)

May 12, 2022
Sarah Dominguez
Athletes, Breastfeeding, Core, Core Muscles, Diastasis Recti, Diastasis Rectus Abdominus, Exercise, Labor And Delivery, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health, Post-partum, Postpartum

There is so much information going around about diastasis rectus abdominus (DRA) right now. Let’s sort through the noise and look at what is actually happening. First and foremost, a DRA is not a hole in the abdominal wall or…