Stress is an inevitable part of modern life, affecting us physically, mentally and emotionally. One often overlooked area where stress exerts a profound impact is the pelvic floor—a complex network of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues crucial for supporting pelvic organs and maintaining bodily functions like urinary and bowel control. Understanding how stress influences the pelvic floor is essential for promoting overall health and well-being.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder affecting millions of women worldwide. It manifests through a variety of symptoms, including irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth, acne, and difficulty with weight management. But there’s another aspect of PCOS that’s often overlooked: its impact on pelvic floor health.

As we journey through the stages of life, our bodies undergo profound changes, and one significant transition that many women experience is menopause. This natural phase typically occurs around the age of 50 and marks the cessation of menstrual cycles. Beyond the commonly discussed symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings, menopause also brings changes to our pelvic floor health that deserve attention and understanding.

Bringing new life into the world is an extraordinary journey, filled with anticipation, joy, and, often, a whirlwind of preparations. Amidst the baby showers and nursery decorating, it's crucial not to overlook the importance of preparing your body for childbirth. One often overlooked but immensely valuable resource in this preparation is pelvic floor physical therapy.

Pelvic floor physical therapy isn't just for postpartum recovery—it's a proactive approach to optimize your pelvic health before birth. Here's why seeking pelvic floor therapy when preparing for birth should be on every expectant parent's checklist:

Pelvic floor disorders are often misunderstood to be primarily a women’s issue, especially during the pregnancy and postpartum years, but did you know that it’s common for men to suffer from pelvic floor issues as well? These symptoms can include pelvic pain, as well as urinary, erectile and bowel dysfunction, which can all significantly affect a man’s quality of life.

The weeks leading to the upcoming birth of your baby are a profound journey, filled with excitement and anticipation. As we gear up for our Birth Prep Workshop this month, we want to touch on the benefits of preparing for this important milestone with a designated birth support partner. This person is often your significant other, but it can also be a family member or friend. Or, you can have multiple support people, as many couples opt to also have a doula present to provide additional guidance.

Postpartum is a natural time for women to seek out pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT), but we are often asked by our patients if there are benefits to starting PFPT during pregnancy. The answer is YES-- PFPT during pregnancy is safe under the guidance of a certified pelvic floor physical therapist, and it can be extremely useful for reducing pregnancy-related symptoms and discomfort while preparing your body for labor, birth and beyond. Here at Movement Physio & Wellness, we are honored to support our expectant patients through this exciting time of change and transformation in their lives! Check out all of the ways PFPT can help you if you are currently expecting or are thinking about growing your family.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is when one or more pelvic organs begin to drop from their normal position, causing sensations of bulging, heaviness or pressure in the lower abdomen or genitals. This can occur because the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, and rectum) are supported by a complex “hammock” of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that attach to the pelvis known as the pelvic floor. When the pelvic floor  loses tone or strength, it cannot properly support these organs and they can descend into the vaginal or rectal openings. POP is more common than you might think, with more than 50% of women experiencing some degree of it in their lifetime.

The short answer is YES! Having a c-section does not necessarily mean that you are “saving” your pelvic floor. During a c-section your abdominal muscles were cut open, having a big impact on your core and your pelvic floor. There are 3 ways that your pelvic floor can still be affected after a c-section.

Diastasis Recti is a fairly common condition that affects pregnant and postpartum women. It occurs when the rectus abdominis muscles (commonly known as your six-pack muscles) separate during pregnancy from being stretched out for baby. When the tissue loses elasticity from being stretched too far out, the gap in the muscles doesn’t close as much as it should. This is Diastasis Recti. This condition can affect 60% of women postpartum but often resolves itself within 8 weeks. There are still 40% of women dealing with this six months postpartum.

October 10th is World Mental Health Day and often we don’t talk about the correlation between the pelvic floor and mental health. Mental health can play a huge part in our pelvic floor. Stress and worry can often cause us to clench our muscles. Tightening our pelvic floor muscles is a common stress reaction. When your pelvic floor muscles are too tight, it can cause constipation, painful sex, urgency and pelvic pain.

Preparing for postpartum life can be a little overwhelming. There's a list for everything a baby needs but not always a list for what moms need. We have put together a list of our favorite things for after birth.

Beautiful weather in Colorado is here! Warm weather is the best for getting outside to run, bike, hike, fish and other fun activities in our beautiful state. To keep you cool and hydrated, there is a greater need to drink fluids or eat high water content foods.