Pelvic Health and Alignment

Turns out that walking is a pretty big deal and is vital for the function of our pelvic floor muscles. Using your own two legs to get around also has unique and widespread benefits throughout the body compared to other forms of exercise such as cycling, swimming, running and even the elliptical or stair climber.  Walking promotes: Bone Mineral Density (preventing osteoporosis)   by repetitively  loading the bones of the lower body and spine in a vertical manner with vibrations from the heel striking the ground Cardiovascular Health by recruiting every single muscle in the body from the small muscles in your feet to your core, shoulders and ribs for optimum innervation and circulation.  Weight Management  as your body is able to burn more fat at moderate, rather than high intensities and heart rates Musculoskeletal Health with a natural frequency and loading to help nourish, rather than burn through the cartilage in the knees and hips and of...

Congratulations on your new baby and welcome to a whole new world that revolves around that one tiny bundle of joy! In the wonderful mayhem of new motherhood, it can be easy to forget about you  and the amazing feat that your body recently performed.  In the interest of your immediate and longterm pelvic health, here are some helpful tips for after you've had your baby: Early Post-Natal 0 - 10 days Rest and get sleep when your baby does! Cooling ice to perineum can help with healing and discomfort. This should be used with layer of cloth between skin and cold for a maximum of 10-12mins on and at least 20mins off before re-applying. (You can also use a wet pad that has been put in the fridge/freezer). Gentle  pelvic floor contractions can help decrease perineal swelling. These do not have to be super-strong and are safe to do even if you have stitches. Even if you don’t initially feel the contraction, still try to visualise the muscles working. Ensure yo...

Exciting news! About a year ago, I discovered something that has now changed the way that I treat and educate my patients, as well as the way that I personally move and live.  Having seen with my own eyes the increase in young women (including teenagers) with pelvic health issues, as well as reading the literature and worrying statistics about the rapid increase of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), I became very interested in the "Why". W hy does it seem to be more common in Westernised cultures (regardless of access to some of the best health care systems in the world), why  is something as natural as childbirth so difficult, and  why are we seeing PFD in younger and younger populations.  Katy Bowman's awesome blog and her early work with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction got me hooked and helped open my eyes to the bigger picture of the human body and its environment. For a long time, treatment for pelvic floor issues (such as incontinence, prolapse and prepar...