Ever since I have been treating constipation and bowel dysfunction as a pelvic health physical therapist, I’ve had many clients ask if the laxative they are taking is safe and if they should continue using it, or if they can start their child on a laxative such as Miralax. Many of my clients are afraid they might become dependent and will always have to be on it for their bowels to function. Or they have been told to stop taking it because it is not safe. To have a better understanding of the risk of dependency on a laxative and its safety, let’s first discuss what it actually is, how it works, its side effects, precautions, why you would use it, and the current research on kids taking it.

I’m sure there are a lot of people who can relate to the feeling of constipation. Tummy distended and full; pain in the stomach; a sensation you cannot completely empty your rectum; back pain –– all are symptoms of constipation. We probably have been told to increase our fiber intake and doing so will help loosen our stools. While this is true, there are several things you should know about what type of fiber and how much you should be consuming if you’re trying to improve constipation. 

Now that we have a better understanding of what a Diastasis Recti Abdominis (DRA) is, let’s talk about what physical therapy can do for you. Physical therapy is a conservative treatment option, because there is no surgery involved and you allow the body to heal itself with specific exercises. Diastasis Recti are diagnosed measuring how many cm or mm of separation there is on the linea alba (i.e. the midline of your six-pack muscle).

Do you leak stool with walking, running, or other physical activities? Do you have urgency of your stool and can’t make it to the toilet in time? Do you have to wear disposable underwear because you leak fecal matter?‍ As a pelvic health physical therapist, I see this quite a bit in my practice and everyone always asks the single question: “Why?!!!”

Whether you’re new to motherhood or a seasoned Mom, I would like you to envision a scenario. You’ve just had your little one and you’re at home navigating through mommahood. As your baby is growing, your body is healing. You’re adjusting to a new life balance and trying to sleep whenever you get a free moment. And to top it off, there’s doming on your core every time you get out of bed. Does this sound familiar?

Have you ever heard of the Squatty Potty? Advertised as the Original Bathroom Toilet Stool, the Squatty Potty was invented in 2010 by the Edwards family. After dealing with constipation themselves, they were told to try squatting to pass their bowels. This gave them the idea of the Squatty Potty. Now you are probably wondering: why would squatting help with passing stools? Let’s get an understanding of how digestion and bowel mechanics work.

If you’ve ever dealt with sciatica, the very mention of it may give you the chills. It can be rough and nearly mind-bending discomfort –– or you could experience it as “tingling” or “tightness” that comes and goes. I would describe sciatica as symptoms radiating down the back of the glute, thigh, lower leg and foot. This is a gross oversimplification, but at least it embraces many of the phenomena that would qualify as stemming from your sciatic nerve. If you’re like most people, you’ll probably either let it go and think it’ll eventually go away on its own, or you’ll make one of the common mistakes below. Unfortunately, these mistakes can land you in a heap of trouble and you may find your life becomes more limited in the process. Take a look and see if you may be making these mistakes:

You may have heard that strengthening your ‘core’ by doing core exercises can help with low back pain. This is true, but what exactly is your core? Most people think of their core as their abdominal muscles, but this is only looking at one piece of the puzzle.

So you just had your 6-week postpartum check-up and have been medically cleared for exercise for your doctor. That’s great news! ‍If you were a runner before giving birth, I’m sure you're eyeing your running shoes and feeling eager to get back out there.‍ But not so fast!...

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I see many new moms with pelvic floor dysfunction who are also breastfeeding. Common postpartum pelvic floor issues include pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence. How does breastfeeding affect these issues?