Pelvic Health Blog

Finally! Time to Relax…

10/24/2017

own your healing: meditation and relaxation

We are rolling out a private stress-reduction program that combines meditation and energy balance to assist a stressful period or help manage general stress. The program is a perfect partner to the structural work we do as physical therapists.

We are privileged to have our own Karen Bruno, PT develop and run the sessions.

Learn more about Karen’s bio and what the program entails. Sessions are tailored to individual needs, and after the initial session, the program will be modified based on your first session's response. We know you’ll enjoy it!

Help, my gut is in a rut!

10/16/2017

Written by Michelle Dela Rosa, PT

What can I do to calm this bloated belly? What can I do to get things moving? What can I do for all this abdominal pressure and gas?

These are common questions we hear at Connect PT. One possible remedy that can be performed at home is what we call a bowel massage. The technique can help constipation, diarrhea, or any associated abdominal discomfort.

Start by lying on your back. Use a fist, heel of your hand, or fingers to apply gliding pressure on the left side of the belly from the left ribs down to the pubic bone. This works on the descending colon. Next, use the same pressure to glide just under the rib cage from right to left. This works on the transverse colon. Lastly, glide from the right side of the pubic bone straight up toward the right ribs. This works on the ascending colon. Each glide should be performed 10 times on the descending, transverse, then ascending colons. Use light to moderate pressure to comfort; nothing should hurt!

You can use a heating pad on the abdomen to soften the tissues prior to the massage. It can feel nice to do the massage before bed as you are winding down, but it can be performed anytime. So take some time out, slow down, and get those bellies feeling happy again.

What the research says: does mode of delivery affect perineal trauma and painful intercourse?

10/12/2017

Written by Michelle Dela Rosa, PT

1500 women who had never given birth were recruited during their first and second trimesters of pregnancy from six maternity hospitals in Australia. Researchers studied data from baseline and postpartum questionnaires about pain with intercourse (dyspareunia). 98% resumed intercourse by 18 months and 24% reported dyspareunia. Women who had an emergency cesarean section, vacuum extraction, or elective cesarean had an increased risk of reporting dyspareunia at 18 months postpartum, compared to women who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery with an intact perineum or unsutured tear.

McDonald EA, Gartland D, Small R, Brown SJ. Dyspareunia and childbirth: a prospective cohort study. BJOG 2015;122:672-679.

Recommended Resource: BabyBod

10/6/2017

Connect PT likes BabyBod, written by Marianne Ryan, PT. The book details how to stay fit during pregnancy and get back into shape after delivery with the guidance of an experienced pelvic physical therapist. Moms will benefit whether they gave birth yesterday or many years ago.

BLOG

Finally! Time to Relax…

Help, my gut is in a rut!

What the research says: does mode of delivery affect perineal trauma and painful intercourse?

Recommended Resource: BabyBod

Categories

Archives