Empower Physical Therapy

March is Endometriosis awareness month. Lots of people don’t know what endometriosis is, so here is a quick definition:

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside of the uterus. This rogue tissue causes inflammation and chronic pain that can be cyclical, flaring around menstruation (and/or ovulation), or relatively constant throughout the cycle.

1 on 10 people assigned female at birth have Endo. Yes, that’s a lot. You read that right. Many of them are never diagnosed, and when they are they are given bad advice on how to manage their symptoms.

Although it cannot cure endometriosis, pelvic floor physical therapy has an important role to play in helping people manage their symptoms. Constipation, frequent urination or retention, and pain with va**nal pe*******on are all symptoms of endometriosis that can lead to tightening of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles as a protective mechanism. Pelvic PTS can address that muscular response and some of the symptoms leading to it.

Like other people with pelvic floor muscle tension, people with endometriosis need to learn how to move their bodies in ways that support the pelvic floor. That’s why in my approach to endometriosis, I use strength training in appropriate dosages to help people move well and feel strong and empowered in their bodies which contributes to living a pain-free life.

Questions about Endo? Shoot me a DM!

Are you one of those people that holds their breath when they sneeze or makes the tiniest little sound? If so, STOP! It’s time to let those sneezes RIP!

Think of your body like a soda can where your trunk (your abdominal wall and your back) are the main part of the can, your glottis (the top of your airway) is the lid, and your pelvic floor is the base. When the lid is sealed, there is a LOT of pressure in the can. It’s impossible to crush that thing! During a sneeze the pressure increases, so if there is a weak point in the can, that part of the can is most likely to fail.

If the pelvic floor is the “weak point” (remember guys, a tight muscle is also a weak muscle so this is not a license to kegel) keeping that lid shut aka holding your nose or your breath in a sneeze can contribute to all kinds of pelvic floor issues like leaking urine, feelings of heaviness, pain, etc.

So do yourself a favor, let those sneezes go! Not in the direction of anyone else of course and hopefully into your elbow 😊

This Valentine’s Day, I want to share some of my favorite pelvic PT approved tools and toys for s*xual wellness. I do not have any affiliation with any of these companies, I just think they make really great products and I want to share them with all of you!

1. finger vi****or can be worn on your fingers or a partner‘s fingers and put anywhere on the body for increased pleasure! also makes a variety of toys and other s*xual wellness supplies that are all well-made with great ingredients and ergonomic to use. Strong recommend!

2. Like dame, has a variety of cl****al massagers, vi****ors, toys for p***s owners, and other products that are all made with medical grade silicone and extremely high-quality. Sonic wave cl****al stimulation is a great alternative for those that cannot tolerate traditional vibration. Check out Lelo!

3.
ohnut is an amazing little device that can help people moderate how deep pe*******on is during penetrative in*******se. This can be a great tool for partners where pe*******on can be pleasurable but too much depth of pe*******on is painful. Ohnut is designed to be pleasurable for the p***s owner too so this is a great tool all around!

4. arousal oil
This topical oil enhances pleasure, eases discomfort, and helps increase sensitivity with a unique blend of broad-spectrum CBD and organic botanicals.

Continues in comments 👇🏽

Testimonial time!

Being a pelvic PT means i get to help people understand how all their symptoms are related, and help them improve all kinds of symptoms back pain to constipation, bloating, and beyond!

Come work with me if you’re looking for someone who will listen, take all your symptoms into account, and partner with you on your path to symptom free life!

I know sometimes the last thing you want to do during your period is exercise. It may seem crazy, but exercise can actually help alleviate the worst of your symptoms!

The endorphins your body releases during exercise help reduce your perception of pain and trigger positive feelings. If you usually feel down and/or crampy, working out can reduce cramping and boost your mood 😊

Studies done in people who are not taking hormonal birth control have shown that you can also gain more muscle during your period than at any other phase of your cycle 🤯

Your body is more resilient to stress during your period because during the follicular phase your body can better access carbohydrates from your diet, your HRV is generally higher, and you can get more REM and deep sleep. This all adds up to stronger recoveries and the ability to perform the next day 💪🏽

If your period symptoms hinder you from training, listen to your body, but if not, don’t be afraid to get some exercise in. Doing a short workout that’s higher in intensity with ample rest time is a great way increase post-exercise anti-inflammatory responses, release endorphins, and keeping it short makes it less taxing mentally and physically 🧠 🤜 🏋️‍♀️

I am BUZZING 😉 with excitement over these magic wand vi****or earrings that just gifted me from !

Thought I would use it as an opportunity to share that only about 18% of v***a owners can reach or**sm through only having penetrative va**nal s3x. Friends - that is less than 1/5.

When you think of how we learn about s3x and how it’s portrayed in films and on TV, that’s BONKERS. The female or**sm hasn’t been honestly depicted - it’s the norm to only reach or**sm through cl****al stimulation, and, in fact, va**na owners who climax with pe*******on likely do so because of the placement of the cl****is!

Toys can be a great way to increase the intensity of or**sm and promote cl****al stimulation alone or with a partner. Not sure where to start? Ask your pelvic PT (aka ME) for recs!

⚠️ Rant Incoming ⚠️

Every time someone who is pregnant comes to physical therapy and tells me their doctor/other provider told them it wasn’t safe to lift weights, I STILL get fired up.
Exercise programs that challenge you appropriately and feel good for your pregnant body are SAFE and can help you prevent pelvic floor issues, back pain, hip pain, and other aches and pains while you’re pregnant and even help you in your post partum recovery.
It’s true of course that you shouldn’t be trying to set any personal records during your pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate in a tailored strength training program to keep yourself feeling healthy and strong. People need to stop telling pregnant people they can’t have that 🙄.
If you’re looking for someone who will partner with you to keep you feeling healthy and strong during your pregnancy, I’m your girl 🙋‍♀️!

Last week, I worked with not one but FIVE separate people with hip and low back pain who told me that they were either currently experiencing or had previously been diagnosed with “plantar fasciitis.”

I see the connection between the hips, back and pelvic floor to the feet often in my clients. It’s the reason that I always look at the feet when I look at how people walk, stand, squat, etc. The feet are the way we meet and respond to the ground. They will either adapt to dysfunction happening above (hips and back) or will lead to changes higher in the body when they themselves are the driver.

🚨 Spoiler alert 🚨 not a single one of those clients had true plantar fasciitis. As soon as we started working on loading and appropriate trunk and lower quarter mobility, every single one of them started feeling changes in their foot pain.

These kinds of relationships in the body are the reason physical therapy needs to be holistic! There are so many other examples of this (don’t even get me started on the role of the brain - IYKYK 😂).

Work with a provider that looks beyond the thing that hurts and considers the whole you. That’s how you get better faster and for longer 💪🏽

Give yourself, your family, and your friends the gift of health and strength! DM or email me at [email protected] for details on discounts for Saturday now through 11/30!

I am so grateful to all the clients who have entrusted me with their care!

Thank you all for being so dedicated to your own health, and for being as confident as I am that Empower PT and my vision of what physical therapy care should look like can help you 💕

Join Cadence Dubus of and I THIS THURSDAY for a discussion about what your pelvic floor is, what it does, and why you should care about it when you’re exercising. See you there!
The first 5 new clients who contact me after watching the live will get $50 off their first session! Don’t miss it!

If you’re leaking urine, feeling symptoms of prolapse/heavyness in the va**na or re**um, or having a hard time getting to the bathroom in time, chances are you’ve been doing keels like it’s your job. Guess what? In my experience, MOST of the time kegels aren’t the answer! Swipe through to learn why…

Empower Physical Therapy updated their phone number.

Empower Physical Therapy updated their address.

The first step in helping someone is understanding their beliefs and fears about their symptoms. People often have a sense of what’s going on in their bodies, and a huge part of healing is feeling like your provider is really listening to you and understanding your experience.

No matter what your symptoms are, your goals are my goals. I want to understand what you really want to be able to do and what you’re worried your symptoms will mean in the long term so we can address those things head on.

Thank you , , and for teaching me how to become a better listener. You’ve taught me how to steer the ship of my patients healing journeys while teaching patients how to be their own co-captains.

Feel like you’re not being heard by your provider? Come tell me your story…

When your PT asks you how you’re sleeping, it may seem like a simple question, but it’s a key question that can can lead to an important conversation about your pain experience.

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70 million Americans experience chronic sleep problems which have been known to be associated with increased disability, mental illness, and lower quality of life, including chronic pain.

As your physical therapist, it’s is my job to help you understand the importance of sleep, to help identify anything limiting your sleep, and to help you find solutions that can lead you to more consistent and restful sleep. Monitoring and helping you manage sleep quality and quantity can enhance physical therapy outcomes, because your sleep is inextricably linked to pain, physical performance, function, health, and wellbeing.

So, how are you sleeping?? 🤔

Why do I train overhead lifts with my pelvic floor clients 🤔??

⭐️ One of the most important things when managing pelvic floor clients is teaching appropriate management of intra abdominal pressure aka where the pressure goes when you breath in, breath out, or hold your breath.

⭐️ One of the best ways to do that is to learn to find the position where your rib cage is stacked over your pelvis- that’s the position where your trunk can work the most efficiently to manage pressure. (Swipe through to the second pic)

⭐️ Lifting a load overhead tends to make people arch their backs, flaring the ribs- sometimes this is because the shoulders don’t have enough room to get all the way overhead. Because this position is challenging, it can help people really feel what’s happening when they’re actively“stacking their blocks.” The weight is a form of feedback they can use to see if they are doing it.

⭐️ Holding a load overhead is also a great way to accentuate where your weight tends to go in response to gravity - a lot of people will feel the weight in their low back or the front of their hips instead of the feet - so teaching them to feel the weight push their feet into the ground is another great way to help them learn to stack their blocks.

⭐️ Lastly, lifting is fun! I love helping people get back to doing what they love 😁

I have worked with a number of people who are told that only certain exercises would be safe for their pelvic floors. The evidence shows that isn’t the case at all!

Often times, its more about addressing the strategies around an activity than the activity itself. The good news about that is that if you have a pelvic floor issue, there isn’t anything inherently off limits! In my experience, strength training and other forms of more rigorous exercise actually help DECREASE pelvic floor symptoms!

Don’t let Dr. Google or anyone else scare you away from doing what you love because of your pelvic floor. Work with someone that can help show you the things you already do well, and can make sure you have good strategies for the things you want to do better.

Source: Tian T, Budgett S, Smalldridge J, Hayward L, Stinear J, Kruger J. Assessing exercises recommended for women at risk of pelvic floor disorders using multivariate statistical techniques. Int Urogynecol J. 2018 Oct;29(10):1447-1454.

Big announcement! 📢 📢 📢

I am THRILLED to announce that Empower Physical Therapy will be opening its doors in DUMBO! My new space will be opening at 55 Washington street in early July 😁

I’ll be posting updates as I put the finishing touches on the space over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!

Ps: I will continue to see clients at , so if you’re used to seeing me there I’ll still be there for you 💪🏽

Starting my own business has definitely been a journey and a huge learning experience. Despite the curveballs, nothing is better than being able to offer excellent care exactly the way I believe it should look. Check out www.empowerpt.nyc to learn more about my practice!

I started Empower PT because I wanted to break the mold of pelvic PT.

I wanted to curate a safe space where I could not only help people of all genders with their pelvic health concerns but also help them bridge the gap between rehab and activity in the gym and beyond.

I believe that excellent physical therapy takes you beyond a life without pain to a life without limits.

Got questions about working with me? Dm me or check out the link in my bio 💫

I started Empower PT because I wanted to break the mold of pelvic PT.

I wanted to curate a safe space where I could not only help people of all genders with their pelvic health concerns but also help them bridge the gap between rehab and activity in the gym and beyond.

I believe that excellent physical therapy takes you beyond a life without pain to a life without limits.

Got questions about working with me? Dm me or check out the link in my bio 💫

Happy National Ma********on Day!!
May is national ma********on month, and today, May 7, is national ma********on day! The first national ma********on day was may 7, 1995. The s3x shop good vibrations declared the day after President Bill Clinton fired Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders for suggesting that ma********on should be part of s3x education. Just one example of the many ways in which the s3x education we get in this country is inadequate.
There’s long been societal shame around ma********on, so let’s take today to break down those taboos and talk about the many benefits of self play! 🍌🍆🥝🍑💦
Swipe through to learn some ma********on facts ✍️💦

There are so many “shoulds” surrounding exercise:

✏️ you SHOULD do X amount of cardio
✏️ you SHOULD be lifting weights
✏️ you SHOULD exercise every day

While there are definitely benefits to cardio and resistance training, all these “shoulds” can be overwhelming, and can feel like a major barrier to getting started when you’re first trying to make moving regularly a habit.

As a PT, my only “should” when it comes to exercise is that it should make you feel good. My job as your PT is to help you find ways to develop movement habits that resonate with you and make you feel physically well and empowered.

Curious what that might look like for you? Send me a DM and ask! 📥

Happy Monday!
Back to work means back to sitting at your desk 😩
This spinal twist is one of my favorite things to do when i take a break from sitting 🪑 start in the position shown here, and move your knees side to side so you can feel your spine twist and your core muscles work a little 😁
How will you move today? 🤸🏽‍♀️

Empower PT has a new look! More exciting announcements coming soon, stay tuned!
Huge thank you to for making my website vision a reality. You’re the 🐐.

Empower Physical Therapy updated their business hours.