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Now you can practice Pilates in the comfort of your own home!

We have just launched Zenith Workouts!

Can’t make it to class?  No problem, you can work out with Rebecca whenever you want in the comfort of your own home by going to www.zenithworkouts.com!

Videos online cover everything from level 1 to 3, pre and post-natal pilates as well as specialized videos.

Registered class participants get free access, non-members pay $19/month, just email us for a code to try it out for a week. info@zenithphysiopilates.com

We offer classes for all ages and fitness levels

Pilates Basics  is a therapeutic class focused on improving posture and balance, decreasing joint stiffness, and developing core strength.  Participants are introduced to the essential principles of  Physio Pilates with emphasis on proper, safe technique.This is a great starting point for anyone recovering from an injury/surgery, or for those interested in improving their general health and well-being.

Level 2 and 3 are designed for active, healthy living.  These classes focus on core strength, stability, muscle balance, and flexibility.

PreNatal sessions are designed specifically to maintain a strong core during pregnancy and to help the body prepare for labour and delivery. These classes include pelvic floor training, stability exercises, and education on appropriate and safe activities throughout pregnancy and afterwards.

Pre & Post Natal Pilates is a special class to prepare your body for pregnancy and delivery, and restore your core after birth. Designed to prevent and treat low back and pelvic pain, to prepare the pelvis and pelvic floor muscles for delivery and enhance recovery, and to improve core stability and strength.

Pilates for Strong Bones This class is appropriate for people who have Osteoporosis or Osteopenia (low bone density). With a diagnosis of Osteoporosis it can be difficult to know how to exercise safely. Exercise (or rather, the right exercise) is known to be a great treatment for Osteoporosis and can help improve bone density, maintain a tall spinal posture, and improve balance/ reduce the risk of falls. This class focuses on dynamic weight-bearing and participants are taught safe exercise and activities for living with Osteoporosis.

5 post-birth exercises to restore your core

Photos: Rebecca Judd for Restore Your CoreSource:BodyAndSoul

When model Rebecca Judd wanted to get her body back into shape after her twins, she headed to women’s healthy physio Shira Kramer, who has been working with women on their post birth recovery for past decade.

But you don’t need to be a celebrity to tone your tummy and strengthen your core, lucky for us, Shira has launched an 8-week online program that kick-starts mum’s recovery and fitness post baby by offering 5 daily exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Here Shira gives us a sneak peek into some exercises new mums should be doing daily. The best bit? They don’t take long and can be done anywhere:

Exercise 1: Pelvic Floor

Pelvic floor muscle exercises are the priority to assist in your recovery after childbirth (and forever after!).

These important muscles are responsible for controlling your bowel, bladder and uterus. They also have an important role to play in controlling where and when you go to the toilet (continence). 1 in 3 women who have had a baby will suffer from pelvic floor issues. By exercising your pelvic floor muscles effectively you will be in better shape to control what goes on down under.

  1. Find good posture in any position – sitting, standing or lying down
  2. Imagine letting go like you would to pass wind and to pass wee. Let your tummy muscles relax too.
  3. Tighten and lift around your back and front passages as if you are holding on to go to the toilet (imagine your are stopping wind and wee / or imagine lift doors that are closing and lifting)
  4. Hold this contraction as you take a breath in and out comfortably

Do 5 lifts, 3 times everyday

Exercise 2: Deep Abdominals

The deep abdominal muscles are important in supporting your back and pelvis. They are often stretched and weakened through pregnancy leading to back pain, poor posture and pelvic floor problems. The outer abdominals can also separate in the centreline (called DRAM diastisis rectus abdominus muscles). This occurs in 2 out of 3 women in the 3rd trimester and often persists after delivery. By exercising the deep core muscles your back will cope better with the demands of motherhood and assist in recovery of DRAM. Also the stronger you keep your insides the faster you will recover and return to your pre pregnancy shape.

  1. Find good posture in any position – sitting, standing, lying down or in a four point kneel position (all 4’s).
  2. Imagine letting go like you would to pass wind or to pass wee. Let your tummy muscles relax too.
  3. Lift your pelvic floor and then gently and slowly draw in your lower abdominal muscles. Imagine you are narrowing your waist or drawing in your bikini line muscles. Hold this contraction as you take a breathe in and out comfortably.

Hold for 1-2 breaths, do 10 reps 3 times a day and whenever you’re lifting.

Technique Tips (for exercises 1 and 2): Nothing above the belly button should tighten or tense. If you cannot feel your muscles contracting, change your position and try again. For example, if you cannot feel your muscles contracting in a seated position, try lying down or standing up instead. After a contraction it is important to relax the muscles. This will allow your muscles to recover from the previous contraction and prepare for the next contraction. Avoid tensing your upper abdominals, thighs or buttocks – these are internal exercise and correct technique is vital.

Exercise 3: Squat with Arm Openers

Pregnancy along with the daily activities being a mum (changing nappies, feeding, pushing a pram etc) affect your posture which can lead to aches and pains. By strengthening your postural muscles you will feel (and look!) a whole lot better.

  1. Stand tall with your shoulders back and down. Stand in the middle of your resistance band with your feet hip-width apart. Cross the band over and hold on to each end.
  2. Lower into a squat (by sending your hips back) and raise the arms wide to just above shoulder height.
  3. Lower arms with control as you push through the heels and return to an upright position.

Technique Tips: Your palms face forward at the top of the movement. Keep your wrists neutral throughout. Increase or decrease resistance by adjusting your grip on the band.

Do 10 reps

Exercise 4: Four Point Kneel

Opposite arm and leg slide

  1. Position yourself on all fours, with your hands positioned beneath the shoulders and knees directly under hips
  2. Set the core and raise one arm up as you slide one leg back.
  3. Return to starting position and alternate sides

Hold for 2 breaths, do 10 reps.

Technique Tip: Keep elbows soft and lower back still. Progress by increasing hold time.

Exercise 5: Standing Rotations

  1. Tie a resistance band between feet and hip height to a secure anchor point
  2. Stand tall with your spine in neutral and your shoulders back and down
  3. Keep your arms straight out in front as you hold onto the end of the band with both hands side by side
  4. Set your core, rotate by drawing both arms around to the side of your body
  5. Return to starting position, slow and controlled
  6. Reset and repeat, turn to the other side when set is complete

Do 10 reps

Technique Tip: Lift through crown of your head as you rotate to elongate spine and keep the pelvis and hips facing forward throughout the movement.

(Original article 16th May 2018: https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fitness/mums-fitness/5-postbirth-exercises-to-restore-your-core/news-story/5273dbc917bb7a2996ab5c024b667654)

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Pelvic physical therapy: Another potential treatment option

This treatment approach may help provide relief for many women with chronic pelvic pain and urinary symptoms.

The exact cause of pelvic pain for many women can be elusive, despite lots of tests and scans. In some cases, the symptoms are related to a problem that is often overlooked, says Dr. Eman Elkadry, an instructor in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. Pelvic pain may stem from a pelvic floor muscle problem that can be helped by a specialized form of physical therapy known as pelvic physical therapy.

“Although pelvic physical therapy may not work for everyone, it can be quite effective for certain individuals,” says Dr. Hye-Chun Hur, director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate faculty editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She stresses that pelvic physical therapy is normally undertaken by a trained female practitioner.

An underdiagnosed issue

The pelvic floor is essentially a bowl-shaped set of muscles that supports your bladder, bowel, rectum, and uterus. Pelvic pain sometimes occurs when muscles of the pelvic floor are too tight, says Dr. Elkadry. This causes a condition called myofascial pain, or pain caused by muscle irritation.

Sometimes this pain is mistaken for other conditions or missed entirely. A 2012 article in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing estimated that myofascial pelvic pain in women may be the underlying cause of chronic pelvic pain in 14% to 23% of cases and up to 78% of cases of interstitial cystitis, which is a type of otherwise unexplained bladder pain.

Myofascial pelvic pain may go undetected because it can only be identified by a focused internal examination, says Dr. Elkadry. “It’s very poorly recognized. Doctors often don’t understand it and don’t look for it,” she says. “Before my fellowship, I had never heard of this.”

Doctors in the field of gynecology are trained to focus on organs, not muscles. “If someone has unexplained pain in the shoulder, of course we would look at the muscles,” says Dr. Elkadry. But when it comes to pelvic pain, doctors tend to ignore the muscles and look for other causes, such as a problem with the bladder, uterus, or vulva.

Diagnosing the problem

Myofascial pain affects women of all ages, from teenagers to women who have already gone through menopause, those who have had children and those who have not. It’s not clear why some women are more prone to the condition than others, says Dr. Elkadry. Some women develop it after menopause, possibly because tissue becomes more sensitive as a result of hormonal changes, which can make women more prone to discomfort, she says.

Before making the diagnosis of myofascial pelvic pain, doctors should rule out other potential causes of pain, such as fibroids or bladder problems. Once myofascial pelvic pain is diagnosed, pelvic physical therapy should be considered, says Dr. Elkadry. It can be prescribed separately or alongside other treatments or medications. However, while medications may dull pain temporarily, they don’t address the underlying muscle problem as pelvic physical therapy is able to do.

What is pelvic physical therapy?

Pelvic physical therapy can help not only with myofascial pelvic pain but also reduce symptoms of other conditions caused by pelvic floor problems, such as urinary and fecal incontinence, painful intercourse, and sexual dysfunction. For myofascial pain, a specially trained physical therapist uses her hands to perform external and internal manipulations of the pelvic floor muscles, which are accessed through the woman’s vagina or rectum.

Relaxing contracted and shortened muscles can help alleviate pain in the pelvic floor, just as it would in other muscles in the body.

“Stretching in general helps muscles relax and prevents excessive cramping and tightening,” says Dr. Hur.

The therapist may recommend internal vaginal manipulation and massage. This component of treatment may not be an option for women who have a history of sexual abuse or assault or who have difficulty with internal vaginal exams, says Dr. Elkadry.

Finding a pelvic physical therapist

Pelvic physical therapy is performed by physical therapists who go through specialized training. Individual practitioners are regulated by the states where they are licensed, and state rules vary, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). However, APTA recommends that only physical therapists who have completed a particular type of training, including lab training, perform internal pelvic examinations and procedures.

APTA offers two types of certification to physical therapists who have completed this training.

  • The Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP) is awarded to physical therapists who have completed a comprehensive education, training, and testing program for the management of patients with diagnoses of pelvic health dysfunction, such as urinary incontinence and pelvic pain.
  • The Women’s Health Clinical Specialist (WCS) certification indicates proficiency in evaluating and treating a variety of women’s health diagnoses, including pelvic floor pain.

Looking for these certifications can help ensure that your practitioner has received recommended training.

It may be challenging for some women to find a pelvic physical therapist because there are a limited number of these providers, and they are often booked months in advance.

The APTA provides directories of certified providers on its website, at pt.womenshealthapta.org for WCS-certified providers or www.womenshealthapta.org/capp for CAPP-certified providers. Or you can ask your doctor for a referral.

Pelvic physical therapy is covered by insurance, although coverage may vary.

An unusual therapy that provides relief

Although pelvic physical therapy may sound a little unusual and invasive to some women, it can be effective. Dr. Elkadry says her patients have seen a good success rate using the procedure. “How effective pelvic physical therapy will always depend on the severity of the case,” she says.

Treatment for myofascial pelvic pain using pelvic physical therapy typically takes six to eight hour-long sessions. It can take longer, sometimes several months, to help women with more severe cases. Often women will need to return to physical therapy periodically to keep the problem in check.

If you’re hesitant to try the internal component of pelvic physical therapy, external physical therapy could also be an option to strengthen other muscles in the pelvic area, which may also help reduce symptoms. “Pelvic physical therapy can also serve as an adjunct therapy and does not always have to be the sole treatment,” says Dr. Hur. It can be performed in conjunction with other types of pain treatments or medications such as muscle relaxants or injections of Botox, a drug best known for its wrinkle-smoothing uses in the cosmetic industry.

Women should know that pelvic pain is not normal in menopause or at any other time. Getting treatment early is important, says Dr. Elkadry. The longer a woman experiences chronic pain, the more likely the nerve receptors will become sensitized to it. This heightens the body’s reaction to pain, often making it more severe and more difficult to treat. So, if you’re suffering from unexplained chronic pelvic pain, it may be wise to consult a urogynecologist who specializes in pelvic floor disorders.

Original Article: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/pelvic-physical-therapy-another-potential-treatment-option

 

Here’s Why Sex Can Be Painful Sometimes, According To A Doctor

Sex is so often depicted in movies and on TV as this hot, magical thing that always goes well for all parties involved. Everyone finishes at the same time in the same way (seriously?!), and no one seems to worry about things that real people have to deal with when they hook up IRL, like why sex can be painful sometimes.

To get more insight into why some people experience pain during sex, I reached out to Rachel Gelman, DPT, branch director of the San Francisco Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center. And first thing’s first: If you are feeling pain during sex, you’re not alone.

“I always want people to know that they are not alone,” Gelman tells Elite Daily. “It is estimated that 75 percent of women will experience pain with sex at some point in their life.”

So, what are some of the reasons sex can be painful, and how do you deal with it if it happens to you? The answer is that there are multiple things that can cause pain during sex, and any combination of these factors is a possibility, too — which means dealing with it varies from person to person. But regardless of the cause, the good news is that there are plenty of ways you can still enjoy having sex. Here’s what you need to know.

It can be caused by various medical conditions & infections.

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According to Gelman, there are a variety of medical conditions that can cause pain during sex — namely, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), fibroids, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), all can cause pain during sex. One common issue, Gelman says, is pelvic floor dysfunction. “The pelvic floor is a muscular bowl in the pelvis and it supports the pelvic organs (bladder, colon, uterus or prostate),” Gelman explains. “Just like any muscle in the body, the pelvic floor can become restricted, spasmodic or hypertonic. This can lead to pelvic pain in general or difficulty inserting anything in the vagina, including tampons, dildos, or a penis.”

Along with medical conditions like these, sometimes an infection (be it a UTI, a yeast infection, or an STI) can be a factor in painful sex.

“Certain STIs [and] STDs can also contribute to pain with sex, along with things like urinary tract infections, and yeast infections,” Gelman says.

Hormone levels & birth control can cause pain, too.

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Another thing that can contribute to experiencing pain during sex? Your hormones.

“The vulva, primarily the vestibule (vaginal opening), clitoris and urethral tissue are all mediated by hormones, both estrogen and testosterone,” Gelman explains. “So, certain life events like menopause and childbirth lead to a decrease in estrogen, which can lead to these structures not getting enough estrogen — which can lead to vaginal dryness and pain with sex.”

And that means that birth control methods like the pill can impact how sex feels for you, too, since they affect your hormones.

“Things like oral contraceptives can also impact hormone levels by leading to a decrease in the same hormone levels, which again can lead to the structures mentioned becoming irritated, atrophic, and less supple which again can lead to pain,” Gelman says.

And it can be due to any combination of these things.

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As Gelman points out, there could be a combination of factors at play, and a person who experiences pain during sex might have more than one of these conditions.

“It is common for me to see someone that had multiple yeast infections, [has been] on the birth control pill for 15 years, and has endometriosis and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, so pain with sex often requires a team of providers to address the different components,” Gelman says.

Another thing to note is that some things that might seem like standalone issues, like vaginal dryness, could be due to a bigger problem.

“Things like vaginal dryness can also play a role,” Gelman says. “A good quality water-based lubricant can help, but it may not be addressing the root cause of why that is happening.”

What should you do if you’re dealing with painful sex?

via GIPHYBecause any number of medical conditions could be contributing to painful sex or penetration, it’s important for people who are experiencing it to talk openly about it to their doctors.”If possible, talk to a healthcare provider ASAP,” Gelman says. “I know patients report that providers don’t always ask about sexual function, but it is important to bring this up to a clinician because there are a lot of options to help pain with sex.”

It’s also important — always, but especially when it’s an issue like painful sex — to find a provider who will listen to you, be understanding, and take your pain seriously.

“There are many treatment options and providers who can help,” Gelman says. “So, if your provider dismisses you or tells you to ‘drink a glass of wine,’ find a new provider. And as frustrating as our healthcare system can be, don’t give up!”

Gelman also recommends asking your doctor for a referral to see a pelvic floor physical therapist, and finding a therapist to help you cope with how your pain symptoms could be impacting your mental health.

“Many patients also benefit from working with a therapist because pain with sex can be emotionally draining and having that kind of support is key,” Gelman says.

And what about having sex you can actually enjoy?

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The good news is, even if you’re experiencing discomfort with penetration or other painful issues during sex, there are still other ways to have sex and be intimate.

“I often remind people that sex is so much more than a penis in [a] vagina,” Gelman says. “Sex can be digital or oral stimulation, it can be mutual masturbation, it can be anything that feels good.”

Not to mention, the genitals aren’t the only part of the body that can be stimulated, Gelman notes. It’s all about finding what works and feels good for you. And if you want to make sex with penetration feel better, you have some options.

“If someone really wants to still be engaging in penetrative sex, using a good lubricant and communicating with their partner is important,” Gelman says. “[And] certain positions may be better than others.”

In the end, when it comes to sex, all that really matters is that you have consent, enjoy yourself, and put your health first — no matter how you do it.

Original Article: https://www.elitedaily.com/p/heres-why-sex-can-be-painful-sometimes-according-to-a-doctor-9119954  18/05/2018 – Brittney Morgan

Other Articles:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/28/pelvic-floor-exercises-pregnant-women/
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/30/6-exercises-that-help-stop-post-baby-pee-dribbles/

Our Services:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/services/pelvic-health/ 
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/services/physiopilates/

Common running injuries and what to strengthen

People in Delta love to run. I never really reflected on that until a little kid in Payette, Idaho made me realize it.

We were there a number of years ago visiting my father-in-law when I went for a run. About halfway into it I passed a young boy standing at the end of his driveway. As I ran past him he shouted at me, “What are you doing lady?” I laughed and turned around and replied, “Running.” He didn’t quite know how to answer back to that.

Running is convenient, you can do it anywhere (including Payette, Idaho), you don’t need a lot of equipment and, for that matter, a lot of skill either.

So, it’s understandable a runner gets ticked off when they are sidelined by an injury.

Most running injuries affect the lower body, which makes sense since it’s the lower extremities doing all of the work.

Why injuries happen are due to a number of reasons: too much mileage and too soon, poor biomechanics, or maybe your muscles aren’t healthy, flexible or strong enough.

The most common injuries for runners are: plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, patellofemoral pain syndrome (also know as “runner’s knee”) and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome.

Plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel and the bottom of the foot. The “itis” let’s you know It’s inflammation, and in this case it’s inflammation of a band of connective tissue on the underside of your foot.

It’s painful and can take a long time to heal, so if you are experiencing any foot pain, get yourself to a physiotherapist – STAT.

Some things you can do to avoid plantar fasciitis include: stretching your calf muscles, working on the mobility of your ankle joint, wearing proper footwear (go visit my buddies at The Run Inn), focus on relaxing your lower leg muscles when you run, run on flat surfaces, and when running land with a mid-foot strike, instead of a heel strike. This will keep your plantar tendon relaxed.

With Achilles tendonitis, you will encounter pain on the back of the lower leg. To avoid ticking off your Achilles tendon, warm-up with a brisk walk before you run and keep your calf muscles strong and flexible.

However, if you do tick off your Achilles, ice, rest, a glass of wine and physiotherapy will get you back on track again.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain at the front of the knee, near or right under the kneecap. To sidestep this type of knee pain you have to hit the gym or a class. At the gym work on strengthening your glutes, hips and hamstrings, and then go hit up a yoga class to work on your mobility and flexibility.

Lastly is my foe iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. The IT band is a tendon that runs from the outside of the hip and attaches to the outside of the knee. If you have pain on the outside of the knee, and sometimes the side of the hip, chances are it’s your IT band.

This little tendon had me limping for a number of months back when I was doing triathlons. Luckily we have now come to an agreement.

Steer clear of IT band problems by strengthening your glutes and outer hips muscles, while also working your core, and stretching your calves, hamstrings, quads and hips on a regular basis.

If you are encountering any of these symptoms I listed, please don’t ignore them. The longer you leave things, the more damage you will do and the longer it will take to get yourself better once you finally do go to a physiotherapist.

OK? OK.

PJ Wren is a local personal trainer and writer who can be reached at www.thestudio.ca or www.fitnesswithpj.com.

(Original article 18th May 2018: http://www.delta-optimist.com/living/common-running-injuries-and-what-to-strengthen-1.23306282)

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Urinary Incontinence Is Real & It’s Time We Stop Joking About It

If you spend time in mommy groups on social media, you probably know that a lot of moms pee a little when we sneeze, cough, or run. It’s become such an acceptable part of new motherhood that we actually joke about it. But those jokes are starting to piss me off (pun intended). I mean, as someone who carried and birthed three babies, and now has urinary incontinence, I find it humiliating… not funny. So, can we please stop joking about urinary incontinence? It impacts so many new moms, so I don’t think it’s a laughing matter.

Like a lot of moms, I have urinary incontinence. I totally wish I didn’t, though. And what people consider laughable is what I consider to be particularly embarrassing. I pee when I cough or laugh. I pee when I run, which as a marathoner really gets in the way of me actually enjoying life. I also pee when I vomit, which made having severe morning sickness with my youngest totally unbearable. And if I try to play on the trampoline with my kids? You guessed it, I pee.

I am an adult woman who frequently has to change my pants more than once a day. I am a woman in my 30s who has purchased incontinence pads, underwear, and pessaries. I’m sorry, but WTAF? This is not what I imagined being an adult women would be like.

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Worse, I had no idea that other moms experienced the same. No, it’s not just me, my friends… not by a long shot. It turns out that postpartum is less of a punch line and more of a way of life for many, if not most, new moms.

According to one study published in the Journal of the Scandinavian Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, one third of new moms had postpartum incontinence three months after delivery. New moms who had a vaginal birth experience incontinence twice as often as moms who had a C-Section. Another 2015 study of 1,574 new moms showed that 49 percent still had urinary incontinence a year after giving birth. That’s half of new moms. A full year after childbirth. OMFG.

I HONESTLY THINK THE FACT THAT MOST MOMS HAVE TO DEAL WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE, AND ALSO HAVE TO HEAR JOKES ABOUT IT, IS A SYMPTOM OF OUR CULTURE’S GENERAL DEVALUATION OF WOMEN AND MOMS.

But before you schedule a C-Section in the hopes of side-stepping the whole incontinence thing, you should know that even C-section moms are not immune. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that women who had C-Section deliveries had a higher risk of urinary incontinence than women who had never been pregnant, so there’s really no way to avoid peeing all over yourself as you try to live your postpartum life.

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Given how prevalent it is, it’s kind of unbelievable that more of us aren’t talking about urinary incontinence. Instead, we suffer in silence, wear black pants, and hope no one notices that we vaguely smell like pee once in a while. Or maybe that’s just me. And, perhaps even worse, we make jokes about it, essentially making fun of any new mom in the vicinity who is too embarrassed to speak up and say something. You don’t have to be in high school to still be negatively impacted by high school-aged humor. Trust me.

I DON’T ACTUALLY WANT TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT MY PELVIC FLOOR ISSUES, AND I DEFINITELY DON’T WANT TO ADMIT THAT I CAN’T STOP FROM PEEING MYSELF RANDOMLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY.

I honestly think the fact that most moms have to deal with urinary incontinence, and also have to hear jokes about it, is a symptom of our culture’s general devaluation of women and moms. I mean, I think if men regularly peed themselves after becoming dads they wouldn’t think it was funny, either. Instead of an endless stream (another pun intended) of jokes, there would probably be a cure for postpartum incontinence. What plagues mom and is considered laughable would be taken seriously and addressed head on.

You would think that with the postpartum incontinence prevalence rates being as high they are that women would receive information about these risks and effective treatment for urinary incontinence, especially from their OB-GYNs or midwives, but that wasn’t my experience at all.

As Fit Pregnancy reports, treatments are available for postpartum incontinence, including physical therapy and even surgery. But, as I have learned, in the U.S. that means spending money on co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance. If you can’t afford to “fix” your pelvic floor or urinary incontinence issues, you just have to deal.

UNFORTUNATELY, SQUEEZING THE HELL OUT OF MY PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES DIDN’T SEEM TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL WHEN IT CAME TO PREVENTING INCONTINENCE,

And it’s not something that anyone really wants to talk about, either. I mean, it’s more than a little bit embarrassing to admit that you pee when you don’t want to. Utterly humiliating, actually. And for me, it’s actually worse that everyone— especially other new moms — joke about it all the time. I don’t actually want to tell other people about my pelvic floor issues, and I definitely don’t want to admit that I can’t stop from peeing myself randomly and unintentionally.

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Part of the problem, I think, is the blame game that occurs when moms have incontinence. My OB-GYN led me to believe that if I did enough Kegels — or pelvic floor squeezes — during pregnancy, I wouldn’t have incontinence issues. Unfortunately, squeezing the hell out of my pelvic floor muscles didn’t seem to make any difference at all when it came to preventing incontinence.

A few weeks ago I finally saw a physical therapist for my incontinence issues. He — yes, a man, which was awkward AF — told me that postpartum incontinence was really common for moms. He also told me that a few weeks of physical therapy and at-home exercises could potentially make my pelvic floor issues and incontinence issues improve. He also told me that Kegels would not be a part of my treatment plan, which made me regret all of the time I had spent trying to tone my pelvic floor.

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This made me wonder why postpartum women aren’t regularly offered physical therapy as a part of their regular postpartum care. The American Physical Therapy Association has started offering a certification in Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Therapy for their members, who are trained to treat conditions such as urinary incontinence and pelvic pain, but my midwives and OB-GYN didn’t refer me for care.

As HuffPost reports, in France, apparently, new moms pretty much automatically get 20 weeks of pelvic floor physical therapy after childbirth. They also, not surprisingly, report fewer cases of postpartum incontinence than American moms. Go figure.

So yeah, I am done with jokes about moms peeing themselves. It’s not funny. It’s a medical condition. And instead of laughing, it’s time we demanded effective treatment for incontinence and as a part of regular postpartum care. After literally growing human beings inside our bodies, we totally deserve it. No joke.

Original Article: https://www.romper.com/p/urinary-incontinence-is-real-its-time-we-stop-joking-about-it-9159730  05/23/2018

Other Articles:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/28/pelvic-floor-exercises-pregnant-women/
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/30/6-exercises-that-help-stop-post-baby-pee-dribbles/

Our Services:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/services/pelvic-health/ 
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/services/physiopilates/

Physical Therapy for your Pelvic Floor – Video

 

I Tried Pelvic Floor Therapy After Having A Baby

“My bladder was like a slow faucet drip that refused to turn off.”

I used to think kegels were only done for the sake of stronger orgasms.

I’m not sure I’d ever truly done one—or at least done one properly—until last summer. By that point, I’d been peeing in my pants for oh, a good six months.

Something had to be done.

My beautiful baby girl is to blame for my current condition…well, at least the start of it. I’ll take responsibility for the lingering issues. When I gave birth to her in November 2016, I thought I’d prepared my body for her arrival.

I had a very uneventful pregnancy, with few physical complaints. I walked daily, and down-dogged my way through my second and third trimesters like a champ.

But when she dropped down into my birthing canal sometime around her due date, I felt a serious shift of pressure in my pelvis. I was full-on waddling everywhere for a week until I felt the first signs of labor.

I labored at home for six hours, then headed to the hospital for another 20 hours of very. hard. work until I could cradle my girl in my arms. I had one small vaginal tear as well as some tissue the doctor had to “retrieve” from my uterus, but otherwise, I seemed fine. In fact, the doctor told me the very next day that, because I was healthy, I’d physically feel back to normal in a few days.

I couldn’t walk like a normal person for six weeks.

‘SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG…’

…I told the doctor at a follow-up appointment I made two weeks after birth. He did a quick exam, said I was healing, and advised me to start taking sitz baths (a warm shallow bath meant to ease pain and swelling down under). That was the first time I’d ever even heard of such a thing.

Despite my thrice-daily sitz baths, I couldn’t ignore the nagging pressure on my pelvis. Something as simple as a short walk around the block with my dog made me uncomfortable, not to mention the leaks when I’d cough, laugh hard at a joke, walk down a hill—even the sound of water would do it. It was like a slow faucet drip that refused to turn off. Not catastrophic, but a real nuisance.

I eased back into exercise and tried to wish the issue away. From the outside, I looked like the picture of perfect postpartum health. I even signed up for dance classes with new mom friends just six weeks after birth. Who cared that I could never do the jumps and always had to wear a pad? Life is full of trade-offs, right?

At my six-month postpartum appointment I confessed to another doctor in the practice, “Something is still wrong.” She replied with a story about how one time her sister was walking down the street a few months postpartum and peed all over herself. “Just give it time,” she promised.

This response didn’t sit right with me—or my pelvic floor. But I wanted so badly to believe her. While some very lucky women do heal over time (although, let’s be honest, are our vaginas ever really the same after pushing a human out of them?), I didn’t seem to be one of them. An estimated one in three women suffers from some type of pelvic floor disorder, including urinary incontinence, according to a study from Kaiser Permanente. So why did I know so little about it?

‘AS TIME PASSED AND NOTHING IMPROVED, I KNEW MY BODY DESERVED MORE.’

Dr. Google brought me to the words “pelvic floor therapy” and my most research-obsessed mom friend confirmed that this was a thing and I should check it out.

At my first appointment with my physical therapist, Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, my suspicions were confirmed. She asked me a litany of questions—rating my pain, describing my accidents—before doing a physical exam.

What started out like a pap smear (I was naked from the waist down; she was gloved) turned into a series of tests on the current state of my muscles inside my vagina. She asked me to cough to see if the muscles would contract like they should (lifting up against the downward pressure of a cough), and then she very slowly and carefully used a finger to press on each tight muscle until it loosened up. The tighter the muscle, the more uncomfortable it felt for me. But as she loosened each muscle—which usually took around 20 to 30 seconds—I felt better. Her diagnosis: stress incontinence (when physical movement causes leaks) and slight urge incontinence (when the urge to pee can’t be controlled).

GETTY IMAGES

“The pelvic floor is like a hammock—stretching from your pubic bone to your tailbone and side to side—that holds up your bladder, bowel, and uterus. Just like other muscles in your body, your pelvic floor muscles can get tight, weak, function poorly or can become painful,” says Harm-Ernandes. “In your case, they’re weak but also tight at the same time,” she told me.

So anytime my bladder was put under sudden pressure, my muscles were too tight to contract quickly and block off the flow of urine. But there was good news! If I did daily kegels and core exercises to build strength and visited her on a regular basis, I could recover.

It turns out you can’t just start doing kegels and cross your fingers. You need a professional to assess the damage and tailor a recovery program just for you. “A proper kegel is an isolated contraction of your pelvic floor muscles without using other muscles around the pelvic floor,” she says. “Think of it more as a drawing-up-and-in sensation than a squeeze.”

The first kegels I did properly took an enormous amount of concentration, but now I’m doing five daily sets of them. I do 10 long ones—drawing up and in for 10 seconds and then slowly releasing—as well as 10 one-second ones. I also do core exercises, which include alternating leg and arm raises, one-legged squats and a marching isolation exercise. And to be honest, for being a fairly disciplined person, I’ve had a tough time making this a priority. I’ve made excuses to myself about being too busy, I’ve set alarms on my phone as reminders. I have good days where I do them all, and others where I’m lucky if I do it once.

I used to think kegels were only done for the sake of stronger orgasms.

Every two to three weeks, I visit my therapist and we walk through what I’ve done, I promise to drink more water (not drinking enough actually irritates the bladder and makes it worse), and then we finish with an internal exam. In an experience that could easily feel invasive and uncomfortable, her professionalism and empathetic approach makes all the difference.

Any progress is better than none, and besides a few setbacks (turns out it’s hard to hold your pelvic floor when you’re full-body coughing with the flu), the leaks are less and less frequent, and the pressure is slowly lifting overall. My goal is to go for a run this summer—something I haven’t been able to do in two years!—and sign up for dance classes again by the fall.

Original Article: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19725028/pelvic-floor-therapy/  04/12/2018 – Jourdan Fairchild

Other Articles:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/28/pelvic-floor-exercises-pregnant-women/
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/30/6-exercises-that-help-stop-post-baby-pee-dribbles/

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The Best Move To Make Sure Your Bladder Never Leaks Again

No, we’re not talking about kegels.

Whether you’re getting ready to have a baby and want to strengthen those below-the-belt muscles, you leak a little every time you do box jumps, or you just want to keep things nice and strong down there—it’s a good idea to start strengthening your pelvic floor.

“If someone is having symptoms of any kind of leaking urine, that means they have pelvic floor dysfunction—they inherently have a weakness,” says Debbie Cohen, P.T., C.S.C.S., owner of Fundamental Physical Therapy & Pelvic Wellness in Poway, California. She adds that while a lot of CrossFitters tout a little leaking as a badge of honor, no amount of leakage is normal.

If you’re sick of kegels, a lot of the moves you do for glute and hip strength actually work your pelvic floor, too. “All the hip muscles attach at the pelvic bone, so those will help with strengthening,” says Cohen.

Two of the best: marching glute bridge and a goblet sumo squat.

Both use the pelvic floor as an accessory muscle to the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and adductors, Cohen shares. But beginners should start with the marching glute bridge.

“The main difference between these two moves is that one is against gravity and the other isn’t. In the sumo squat, your pelvic organs are weighing against the pelvic floor, not to mention the dumbbell in your hands, so it’s a little more challenging as you go down and up,” she explains.

The glute bridge, on the other hand, has your pelvis horizontal with gravity. As with any weakness, you want to fix it by starting with the foundational exercise with minimal resistance and work your way up to the one that’s harder as your strength progresses.

Cohen adds that while both these moves are a great addition to your workout routine, if you’re having semi-regular urine leakage or pelvic pain, you should consult with a specialist. “The best moves to strengthen your pelvic floor are personalized to the problem, so working with a trained professional can really help,” she adds.

Here’s how to do both moves:

MARCHING GLUTE BRIDGE

How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Lift one knee to your chest, lower back to the start, and lift your other knee to your chest. Continue alternating back and forth.

GOBLET SUMO SQUAT

How to: Grasp the head of a heavy dumbbell and hold it in front of your chest. Set your feet at about twice shoulder width, your toes turned out slightly. Lower your body down by pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Pause, then slowly push yourself back to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Original Article: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19760745/best-move-for-pelvic-floor/  04/13/2018

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http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/28/pelvic-floor-exercises-pregnant-women/
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/30/6-exercises-that-help-stop-post-baby-pee-dribbles/Our Services:

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These Common Myths Will Change The Way You Think About Exercise During Pregnancy

There are many myths out there about what you can and cannot do during pregnancy, and because I teach both prenatal and postnatal yoga, I spend a lot of time myth-busting and teaching mamas how to tune into their maternal instincts to figure out what is and is not good for their baby and body.

This is complex, because what is right for one mama may not be right for another. We are all unique, beautiful, fascinating creatures. So, how do we know which advice to take from friends and family, or from our personal trainer or yoga teacher? I recommend starting by sorting out the old wives’ tales from actual wisdom. Take a look at these myths and consider where they came from. Perhaps there is some wisdom in there after all.

Myth 1: Don’t lie on your back.

With the right props and pelvic alignment, you will absolutely get on your back in a yoga class. One of the concerns associated with lying on your back is vena cava syndrome, which involves the heavy uterus obstructing a major blood vessel, but that hardly means you should avoid lying on your back altogether. Instead, listen to your body, and take a look at this guide to give you insight into whether a pose isn’t working for you.

Myth 2: Do your Kegels every day.

Before you commit to a regimen of daily pelvic floor exercises, I highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist to help assess whether your pelvic floor needs to be strengthened or whether you need to learn how to relax. If you’re already a yogini, odds are that you need to focus your effort on learning how to relax your mula bhanda.

Myth 3: Don’t start any exercise you’ve never done before.

True, it’s probably not a great idea to start training for a marathon if you’ve never done one before. But the reality is that pregnancy is a time to modify your exercise regimen, which probably means trying something new (like prenatal yoga!). This is not about focusing on what you cannot do but tuning into areas of your body that you’ve possibly never considered before.

Myth 4: Inversions will turn your baby upside down.

This one depends on what you consider “upside down.” Inversions can help you to turn a baby that is breech (bum presenting instead of the head). I have personally worked with a few women who have used a modified shoulder stand to help their baby turn. That being said, don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with or that feels unsafe—especially if you don’t already have a regular inversion practice!

Myth 5: Don’t do any “core” work.

Yes, you can do work that enables you to properly engage your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. This myth is telling you not to do the old-fashioned “sit-ups” that mostly engage your rectus abdominus (the superficial “six-pack” abs at the front). There are several other core muscles that we should absolutely continue to work with because they will help you to birth your baby (and carry him/her around afterward!). I love the Tupler Technique™, which is outlined in the book Together Tummy.

After teaching thousands of women, my wise and beautiful prenatal yoga teacher Colette Crawford taught me to always explore the risks, benefits, and alternatives associated with any decision related to pregnancy, birth, and babies. So for every piece of advice (or myth!) you hear, please consider the risks and alternatives, get a second opinion, and then make up your own mind. You’ll probably end up busting a few myths of your own.

Original Article: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-top-five-myths-about-yoga-during-pregnancy by Blair Fillingham (https://www.mindbodygreen.com/wc/blair-fillingham?mbg_ifs=0&mbg_p=a&mbg_ref=body)

Other Articles:
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/28/pelvic-floor-exercises-pregnant-women/
http://zenithphysiopilates.com/2018/04/30/6-exercises-that-help-stop-post-baby-pee-dribbles/

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http://zenithphysiopilates.com/services/pelvic-health/ 
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