Easy answer: as soon as you want! Generally we wait 6 weeks postpartum to begin pelvic floor physical therapy. However, this applies to assessing and treating the pelvic floor muscles only. There are other regions of the body (hips, spine, shoulders, etc.) that are affected during pregnancy and the birthing process which can affect your posture, strength, stability and mobility.
Read MOREAs a pelvic health and lymphedema physical therapist, I am frustrated with the stereotypes associated with aging and menopause. For example, “Oh, you just pee when you sneeze as you get older,” is not true. Additionally, the notion that as we age, sexual activity and sensuality cease due to lack of interest and body function is also not true.
Read MOREA few weeks back, I shared my take on the Pilates copyright lawsuit that is being heard soon in federal court in New York. Parties on both sides of the lawsuit claim to want to protect Joseph Pilates’ work and legacy, albeit through different mechanisms.
Read MOREPain is often caused by an inflammatory process of some type causing an irritation in a tissue like a bone, muscle, tendon, or ligament. When seeing a PT, you’re usually assigned exercises to address your goals. Typically these goals are oriented around reducing inflammation and optimizing movement function. But exercises aren’t the only thing that can assist with achieving your goals.
Read MOREWhat is a diastasis? Most people know the diastasis as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle. While this is not completely wrong, it is also not completely true either. A diastasis is actually a thinning of the linea alba which is a connective tissue sheath that lies in the middle of the abdominal wall and connects the abdominal muscles.
Read MOREOn October 14, 2022, The New York Times published an article titled “The Fight for the Soul of Pilates.” The story was on the front page of the paper’s print edition style section the following weekend. It was a huge amount of visibility for the Pilates community. The topic? A new copyright-related lawsuit filed in federal court.
Read MOREI would like to discuss something that takes suspension based physical therapy to the next level. It’s called the Redcord Stimula. Developed by physiotherapists in Norway, the Stimula is a vibrating mechanical unit that attaches to the suspension ropes in order to provide extra vibration that manual “perturbation” simply cannot match.
Read MOREI wanted to share something that happened to me while recently evaluating someone for physical therapy. A mother of two elementary school children comes in with complaints of right hip pain and a long history of hammer toes on both feet. Neither of these issues are urgent or in an acute stage. She just wants to prevent them from getting any worse.
Read MOREAs a Doctor of Physical Therapy with advanced education specifically in running biomechanics, I see some common running mistakes that contribute to low back pain, knee pain and/or ankle pain. The three that I see most often are overstriding, bounce, and compliance.
Read MOREOur knees take so much wear and tear for us, but maintaining proper knee health ensures we can stay active during any phase of life. The knee is a complex joint consisting of bones, tendons (connect muscle to bone), ligaments (connect bone to bone), muscles, and nerves (that innervate those muscles).
Read MORE