pelvic health – Buffalo Pelvic Health and Acupuncture Clinic

Understanding Pelvic Health: The Hidden Key to Your Comfort & Confidence

Admin on August 13, 2025

Why should I care about my pelvic floor?

The simple answer is; your pelvic floor is a part of YOU, and you deserve optimal health & wellbeing!

The more nuanced answer is that the pelvic floor plays a much larger role in our bodies and daily life than we may initially think. Weakness or dysfunction in the pelvic floor can lead to issues like urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction, highlighting the importance of maintaining its strength and function. It can also play a large role in things like back, neck, hip, and even jaw pain. This interconnected view of the body is where our practitioners thrive, helping you treat your symptoms and get back to feeling joy in your body.

Everyone has a pelvic floor. We can help you give it the care and attention it deserves.

What exactly is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues located at the bottom of the pelvis, supporting organs such as the bladder, uterus, and rectum. Everyone has a pelvic floor and these muscles play a crucial role in posture, controlling urinary and bowel functions, as well as sexual health in all genders.

Signs that it’s time to get help from a Pelvic Floor Specialist:

You’re noticing incontinence issues, or increased urgency
Painful urination or leakage, or inability to fully empty your bladder
There is pain or discomfort anywhere in the pelvic region
You’re noticing pain with sex, or changes to libido
Issues with painful periods, scar tissue, hemorrhoids, etc.
Painful bowel movements or constipation
Lower abdominal pain
Prolapse or diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles)
Trouble getting or maintaining an erection, or trouble with reaching orgasm
You had a baby (either vaginal birth or cesarian), or are going to have a baby

We understand how personal and life altering these struggles can be. They can feel like anything from confusing annoyances, or massive, life changing issues, or anything in between. Our pelvic floor specialists want you to know that you are not broken, and that help is absolutely possible. We’re here to support and educate you about your body, in a shame-free environment that values your privacy.

Stress is NO JOKE. A holistic approach to your care is important!

Our clinicians work within the biopsychosocial model, meaning we approach pain and dysfunction as symptoms of many factors within our lives. Our providers take a kind and caring approach to help you reach your goals. We take into account things like mental and emotional health and life stressors when considering and treating your physical health as well, and we understand the profound effect that stress can have on our bodies.

Your nervous system is a massive part of your life and health, and your treatment at BPHAC will always prioritize this!

Our practitioners have years of experience with specialized training in the most modern approaches to care. We value collaboration, meaning that your doctor will always work in tandem with your other healthcare providers, offer up resources, and consult with the specialized expertise of their colleagues working alongside them under our own roof.

Help for all these concerns and more can be found at BPHAC.

We can’t wait to support you! Our physical therapists and acupuncturists are accepting new patients, and can’t wait to help craft a treatment plan specific for you.

Become an established patient today. You can always email us at info@bphac.com, or give us a call/text at 716-325-0427 with any and all questions.

Book online for Physical Therapy here!

Meet BPHAC: Your Partner in Pelvic Health & Whole-Body Wellness

Admin on August 12, 2025

If we haven’t met yet, we’re Buffalo Pelvic Health and Acupuncture Clinic.

…or BPHAC [bee-fak] for short 🙂

We are a team of acupuncturists, physical therapists, massage therapists, and overall-helpers and problem solvers. We take a holistic (physical, mental, social) and collaborative approach to healthcare – prioritizing inclusivity and compassion, to help our patients have a better quality of life.

Our founders, Toni Haugen (L.Ac, MSW) and Kathleen Ross (PT DPT), created BPHAC with the vision to create a new standard of care – one focused on treating the whole person, and starting from a place of compassion. Our mission is to help people understand and address the underlying causes of their symptoms, in order to empower a more successful path to healing.

We treat with a variety of modalities, including; acupuncture / East Asian Medicine, physical therapy (both orthopedic and pelvic floor), Softwave (Shockwave) Therapy, massage therapy, and more.

What makes BPHAC different from other healthcare providers?

Honestly, we think it’s lots of things 😉 but most of it boils down to…

Personalized: Everyone’s experiences are unique and we work with you to develop a custom plan to best address your individual needs and lifestyle.
Holistic: We take an integrated approach to wellness that accounts for the functioning of our minds, bodies, and environments.
Compassionate: This is a new approach to healthcare where nothing is dismissed, concerns are respected, and everyone is welcome.

Why the big focus on Pelvic Health?

Our physical therapists are skilled experts not only in orthopedic health, but also the function and specifics of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues located at the bottom of the pelvis, supporting organs such as the bladder, uterus, and rectum. Everyone has a pelvic floor, and these muscles play a crucial role in posture, controlling urinary and bowel functions, as well as sexual health in all folks!

Understanding this part of our bodies is an integral part of supporting your whole health. Our practitioners are experts in helping to educate and treat you in a shame-free, trauma-informed, and supportive environment.

While we specialize in the pelvic floor and are experts in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, we also absolutely treat the whole body! Rest assured, you can come to us for support on any issue you are facing.

What sorts of things do you treat?

Long story short; everything! Because our clinic is able to work with all functional disorders (this means anything is not emergency medicine!) we are here not only to treat your pain, but to maintain your health. We are a general care practice that will see you continuously, in order to keep you in good health and manage problems as they arise. We treat people of all ages, and at all stages of life.

Chronic and Acute Pain, anywhere in the body
Pregnancy & Postpartum Care
Stress & Anxiety
Sexual Health & Wellness
Pelvic Pain & Dysfunction
Oncology/Cancer Treatment Support

See more of what we treat here!

Our Process

Step 1

We listen to your story, diagnose, and evaluate

Step 2

We treat your pain & make progress, giving resources along the way

Step 3

We make a plan for future care and moving forward

What can I expect during my visits?

No matter if you’re coming in for an acupuncture or a physical therapy initial assessment, your first appointment starts with a practitioner who will listen to your story and your concerns to best understand your individual needs.

We take a very personalized approach to treatment and will craft a custom plan that addresses your specific symptoms, diagnostics, lifestyle and goals. Treatment begins at the first session as well, after a thorough exam/consultation.

For pelvic floor physical therapy, treatments will include a discussion between you and your practitioner about your struggles, symptoms, and goals, and an assessment of the integrity of the pelvic floor muscles intravaginally or intrarectally (with patient’s consent), or externally using an assessment of movement, abdominal mechanics and breathing. Your practitioner will provide some combination of various exercises & breathwork coaching, manual therapies, activity modification, and at-home movement prescription best suited to your lifestyle and needs.

Acupuncture appointments include a thorough consultation and discussion of symptoms, concerns, goals and any recent life changes. Your practitioner will get you settled comfortably for your treatment session, inserting very thin, sterile stainless steel needles into specific points throughout the body. Different combinations of points have different effects, but in general, the needles stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. Your practitioner may also incorporate infrared heat, cupping, gua-sha, moxibustion, posture/breathwork exercises, or herbal medicine into your session as well.

As your life and progress shifts, your practitioner will update you on the best timing for when to follow up with them next, and provide at-home resources for continued care.

Ready to get started?

Book online here, or call 716-325-0427

The Truth about Kegels

Admin on January 7, 2025

The Truth about Kegels

Kegels have long been touted as the go-to exercise for pelvic floor health, especially for people dealing with issues like incontinence or postpartum recovery. While they can help isolate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, Kegels alone often fall short of delivering true functional benefits.

Why? Because our bodies don’t operate in isolation. For your pelvic floor to function optimally, it needs to work in harmony with your entire core and adapt to the dynamic movements of daily life. Without this integration, Kegels can become an exercise in futility.

The Problem with Kegels

Lack of Functional Application:
Kegels focus on contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles, but this movement rarely mirrors real-life demands. Your pelvic floor isn’t just called upon when you’re sitting still; it’s working when you lift, squat, walk, and breathe.
Over-Isolation of Muscles:
By isolating the pelvic floor without addressing its relationship with surrounding muscles (like the diaphragm, deep core, and glutes), you risk creating imbalances. Overly tight or weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to dysfunction, just like any other muscle in the body.
Failure to Address Coordination:
The pelvic floor works as part of a team. It should naturally contract and relax in response to movement and changes in intra-abdominal pressure (like when you sneeze or lift something heavy). Kegels don’t train this coordination, which is essential for functional pelvic health.

The Functional Alternative

To truly improve pelvic floor function, exercises must integrate the pelvic floor into whole-body movements. Here’s how:

Link the Pelvic Floor to Breathing:
Your pelvic floor and diaphragm are closely connected. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing can help you engage the pelvic floor naturally during inhalation and exhalation, training it to respond to pressure changes.
Incorporate Functional Movements:
Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts—when performed with proper alignment and core engagement—naturally involve the pelvic floor. These moves train the pelvic floor to support your body during the activities you perform daily.
Focus on Stability and Coordination:
Exercises like bird dogs, bridges, and planks can help integrate the pelvic floor into larger movement patterns, ensuring it works cohesively with other muscles.

Final Thoughts

Kegels aren’t inherently bad—they’re just not the whole story. Isolating the pelvic floor can be a useful first step for some, especially in early stages of rehab. But if you want lasting results and improved function, you need to think bigger.

Train your pelvic floor to move and respond as part of a coordinated system, and you’ll not only strengthen this critical muscle group but also improve your overall movement and quality of life.

Say goodbye to endless Kegels and hello to functional movement for true pelvic floor health!

Book online today to learn all about the pelvic floor’s connection to the rest of your body

Your care and wellbeing matters. Learn more about Pelvic Floor care at BPHAC here!