Period pain is common, but severe pain that disrupts your day, keeps you home from work or school or requires you to plan your life around your cycle deserves attention.

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, talks about painful periods, what can contribute to menstrual cramps and pelvic pain and how to think about the difference between common discomfort and symptoms that may require further evaluation.

We also discuss the role of the pelvic floor, how muscle tension and pain can reinforce each other, treatment options that may help, and when it makes sense to talk with a gynecologist or pelvic floor physical therapist.

Anxiety, stress, and physical pain are more connected than many people realize. If you've ever been told your symptoms are "all in your head," the truth is that your nervous system plays a real role in how your body feels pain and tension.

In this episode, we talk with NYC based psychiatric physician assistant Victoria Starner (PA-C, CAQ-Psy) of Curated Mental Health. We cover how a nervous system stuck in fight or flight can affect your body, what to expect at a first psychiatry visit, and why starting medication doesn't have to be scary or permanent.

We also discuss sexual side effects from medication, mental health medication during pregnancy, early signs of postpartum depression, PMDD and symptom tracking, and how to find a mental health provider who's the right fit.

A lot of pregnancy advice focuses on the baby, but what can you do to prepare your own body for birth and recovery?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, discusses pelvic health during pregnancy, with a particular focus on the final weeks before delivery. We cover changes to the pelvic floor, common pregnancy symptoms, movement and exercise, preparing for labor, perineal massage, pushing positions, and what pelvic floor physical therapy can offer before birth.

We also talk about what symptoms shouldn't simply be dismissed as normal and how preparing before delivery may make postpartum recovery easier.

How often should you have a bowel movement? Is straining normal? And what does your pelvic floor have to do with constipation?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, talks about the basics of bowel health, including constipation, stool consistency, straining, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fiber, hydration and bathroom habits.

We also explore how the pelvic floor helps coordinate bowel movements, what happens when those muscles aren't working together properly, and how pelvic floor physical therapy can help with certain bowel symptoms.

Severe period pain is often normalized, but when does it become a sign that something more is going on?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, breaks down endometriosis, including common symptoms, why diagnosis can take so long, and how the condition can affect pelvic health, intimacy, bowel and bladder function, and everyday life.

We also discuss where pelvic floor physical therapy can fit into endometriosis care, how muscle tension and chronic pain can interact and why treatment often involves more than simply addressing the endometriosis itself.

Tailbone pain can make sitting, exercising, driving and even going to the bathroom uncomfortable. The tough part is that the source of the problem isn't always obvious.

In this episode, we talk with NYC based pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Georgina Genovese (PT, DPT, PRPC) who specializes in tailbone and coccyx pain. We cover why tailbone pain happens, how the pelvic floor can be involved, what an evaluation may look like, and the different ways physical therapy can help.

We also discuss common causes of coccyx pain, including falls, childbirth, prolonged sitting, muscle tension, and movement dysfunction, along with signs that it may be time to seek help.

Bladder symptoms are common but that doesn't mean you need to struggle.

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, breaks down the basics of bladder health, including urinary leakage, urgency, frequency, nighttime bathroom trips and the connection between the bladder and the pelvic floor.

We also discuss common habits that can make symptoms worse, what bladder dysfunction can look like, and how pelvic floor physical therapy may help improve control, comfort, and confidence.

If you've ever wondered whether your bladder habits are actually normal or when it may be worth talking to a pelvic health professional, this episode is a good place to start.

What is the pelvic floor? How do you know when it isn't working the way it should?

In this episode, Dr. Emma Codman, a pelvic floor physical therapist based in NYC, breaks down the basics of pelvic health: what the pelvic floor does, common signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, and how pelvic floor physical therapy can help.

We cover symptoms involving bladder and bowel function, pelvic pain, pressure, pregnancy and postpartum changes, and other issues that are often dismissed as "normal."

If you've ever wondered what pelvic floor PT actually treats or whether your symptoms could be connected to your pelvic floor, this is a good place to start.