Month: June 2022

Benefits of Pool Exercise for the Pelvic Floor

https://youtube.com/shorts/e2L0hBoxMog?feature=share

Exercising in water has many positive benefits for the pelvic floor. It creates less load on the pelvic floor because the body is more buoyant, decreasing your weight. Your weight is pressing down into the water and the water is pressing back up against you. Buoyancy is working in your favor! This means that traditional movements on land like squats, which can be challenging, are easier when performed in the water.

Being in the pool decreases the effect of gravity on the pelvic floor muscles. The internal organs ‘float’ taking more pressure off weak pelvic floor muscles, which will make it easier to contract and relax weak pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, you may experience success in the water that you do not normally experience on land with pelvic floor contractions or squeezes. For some people, the buoyancy effect gives people the freedom to do exercises in the water that would normally cause leakage on land such as walking, jumping or running.

The compression the water provides against your body can give support for women with diastasis recti and pelvic congestion syndrome. The compression of the water is also beneficial for pregnant women suffering from swelling in their legs. The compression can help facilitate lymphatic vessels during exercise and push water out of the legs.

Here are other positive aspects of water exercise:

Water’s natural viscosity or resistance strengthens muscles
Warm water increases blood flow and delivers needed oxygen and nutrients, and draws blood into the muscles that are working.
Warm water also decreases muscle spasm and tension, which can decrease pain.
Due to less pressure being put through joints, joints can move through a greater range of motion.
The hydrostatic pressure of water supports and stabilizes patients with balance deficits to perform exercises without a fear of falling.

Group exercises are easy to find. Look at your local gym or YMCA!

Water provides good support for the pelvic floor and is a great option for women who are overweight, pregnant, those who have pain, those with weak pelvic floor muscles with conditions such as prolapse and diastasis recti.

Tips for Pool Exercise:

No one is watching you! No one truly cares what you look like in a bathing suit!
Enter the pool slowly. If you plunge right in – the pelvic floor reflexively tightens.
You do not need to have equipment. Your exercise plan may simply include focusing on contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor, varying your hold times and trying to hold the pelvic floor contraction for longer periods of time. If you want to use equipment, usage can increase both muscular strength and endurance and can also be used for cardiovascular conditioning, making them beneficial for anyone with pelvic floor issues.
Water walking is great exercise if you don’t want to do traditional ‘water aerobics.’ If you’re up for it, swimming laps can also be beneficial for the pelvic floor.

If you would like advice on a pool exercise program, contact us for further information! It will be imperative that anyone wanting to start exercising in the water for the benefit of the pelvic floor knows how to properly contract and relax the pelvic floor and coordinate pelvic floor work with proper breathing.

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Ph (205)202-0874

Fax (205) 573-3709

www.magiccitypt.com

Instagram @magiccitypt

How Does Breathing Affect the Pelvic Floor?

https://youtube.com/shorts/EJjTrPu1un4?feature=share

As a Pelvic Floor and Orthopedic Physical Therapist, I spend a lot of time teaching my clients how to breathe! Proper breathing is a great way to directly stretch not only the pelvic floor but also the low back. When you are breathing incorrectly, it can create an abnormal pressure response on the pelvic floor and contribute to urinary leakage, prolapse, and abdominal hernias.

When you inhale, does your stomach cave in? Does you chest rise? Do your shoulders lift to your ears? That means you aren’t getting any breath down into your pelvis, creating tighter pelvic floor muscles.

Are you clenching your abdominal muscles throughout the day, or sucking in your stomach to flatten it? By cinching your middle you hold too much tension in your middle Transverse Abdominals. If you can control your Transverse Abs moreso in your lower abdomen, you’re less likely to increase belly pooching and pressure downward on your pelvic floor.

There are different schools of thought on the best way to engage your core for stability.

Many people inhale before they lift and actually hold that inhale breath. The problem with this method is when you put that much pressure down on your pelvic floor it puts the pelvic floor under a lot of stress. Whether you just gave birth or have incontinence issues, this can cause you to leak. Second, if you have pelvic floor issues like prolapse, taking a deep expanded bracing approach to lifting can make the prolapse worse.

You do want to inhale and expand down first, but before lifting, exhale, engage your pelvic floor up and in along with your lower abdominal muscles and then lift.

Place a finger inside your sit bone and inhale. You should feel muscles gently coming into your fingers. If you don’t, your pelvic floor muscles are likely tight along with an uncoordinated breathing pattern. Also, a tight muscle can also be weak and unable to handle the job of normal daily tasks.

How Should I Be Breathing?

When you inhale, you want to feel the sides of your ribs, back, belly, and pelvic floor all expanding in unison. Your chest should rise minimally.

In the exhale, your lungs deflate and your pelvic floor should move up naturally (to resting position). Your core comes inward on its own. A forced exhale you will facilitate greater core engagement, which is needed with heavy lifting.

Do you find yourself breathing incorrectly, leaking urine, or have symptoms of prolapse/ pressure? Contact us for greater help coordinating your breathing, pelvic floor, and abdominal muscles!

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

www.magiccitypt.com

Instagram @magiccitypt

Phone (205)202-0874

How Can I Decrease Pain with Sex?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTYgTkG-rgY

Dyspareunia is the term for pain with sex. It is a condition that is not talked about often but it is one that is commonly treated by a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist. One in five women will suffer from painful sex at some point in their lives. Many women will unfortunately suffer from dyspareunia for months or years. If they bring up the topic with their doctor, they are often told they need to relax or even given the advice to “drink a glass of wine.”

Painful sex can take many different forms. It can be present at initial penetration, with deep penetration, after the act, or only with certain positions. The pain can be diffuse in the pelvic region or in a very specific location within the pelvic cavity. A common cause of painful sex can be dysfunction within the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles form a bowl of muscles that span from the pubic bone to the tailbone. These muscles contract and relax just like any other muscles in the body. When these muscles are working properly, they give support to the pelvic organs, aid in proper bowel and bladder health, and assist in healthy sexual function. Pain with sex can often stem from pelvic floor muscles that do not have flexibility; other terms for this are that they muscles may be in a state of spasm or tightness.

There are many reasons why a person may develop Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and dyspareunia. Childbirth injury, scarring, pelvic surgeries, and hip injuries can be common causes for a person to develop pain with sex. Stress and chronic holding patterns like butt clenching or ab clenching or doing too many kegels can contribute to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and potentially cause pain with sex. Hormonal changes and/or menopause can contribute to vaginal dryness and tissue irritation during sex.

If this sounds familiar to you, there is help available! Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists like myself treat women with dyspareunia on a daily basis. A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist can help by guiding you through breathing exercises and stretches to lengthen and relax the pelvic floor, perform manual therapy techniques to assist in getting the muscles to relax, and help to identify other factors that may be contributing to the pain.

Are you having pain with sex? Partner with us to take the first step in obtaining an enjoyable sex life!

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone (205) 602-1848

Fax (205) 293-3895

Pubic Symphysis Pain During Pregnancy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb5uPqI78fI

About 1 in 4 women have Pubic Symphysis dysfunction at some point during pregnancy. Women are often told this is “normal” during pregnancy. Pelvic pain should not be considered a common occurrence and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy can help to decrease most pains during pregnancy!

The Pubic Symphysis is the bony part in front of your pelvis at your lower abdomen. It is normally an extremely stable joint and can accept a lot of load from our bodies, even during pregnancy. However, hormone changes during pregnancy can impact the stability of this joint and cause increased movement of the ligaments that surround the joint. Pubic symphysis pain can also be accompanied by pain in the hips, low back, or abdomen.

For some women, the extra ligament movement causes structures to slip and move in this area, causing alignment issues, contributing to pubic symphysis pain. When this bone gets irritated, it can cause pain in the area of the bone, or it can cause radiating pain to the groin. Another affectionate term for Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction is “lightning crotch.” It can cause a sharp and sudden pain deep in the pelvis causing a mom to gasp during mid-step or trying to roll in bed. It can interfere with a woman’s ability to stand, walk, lift, roll, or do household chores comfortably. Pain is the most common complaint of Pubic Symphysis dysfunction; however, other signs include a change in how you walk. Often patients complain that they are having to ‘waddle” due to increased pain.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction, I highly encourage you to see help from a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist. A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist can help decrease pain and improve your comfort during pregnancy. We will look at not just the Pubic Symphysis, but also the pelvis, hips, back, posture, and even your feet. Treatment can include manual therapy techniques including massage, joint manipulation, and dry needling. A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist will know precautions and contraindications to abide for the treatment of someone who is pregnant. We will give you safe and effective management strategies including stretches and strengthening exercises. We can also fit you for the optimal pelvis/ belly braces to best help with your specific type of pain.

There are a few ways you can start to self-manage your pain:

You can put ice over your pubic symphysis. Ice for 10-15 minutes at a time to decrease pain and inflammation. You can do this several times throughout the day. You do not want to put heat on an inflamed joint! You can simply use a bag of frozen vegetables if you do not have an ice pack.
While sleeping, place a pillow between your legs to keep your pelvis in a neutral position to avoid strain on your pubic symphysis.
Watch your posture! Try to practice “ribs over pelvis” during your day to day activities.
Breathe! Practice exhaling while you lift, stand, roll, or anytime you exert yourself.

Do you need help managing your Pubic Symphysis dysfunction during pregnancy? Contact us!

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone (205) 602-1848

Fax (205) 293-3895

How Do I Stop Leaking Urine?

Bladder leakage is a common occurrence for many individuals. 30% of people will experience bladder leakage at some point in their lives. Bladder leakage is any unwanted loss of urine. It can come in the form of leakage when you cough or sneeze, run or jump, or when you’re trying to get to the bathroom and can’t make it on time. Just remember, bladder leakage is not normal, no matter what type of leakage you may have!

Below are some common mistakes we see when people are trying to limit bladder leakage.

Do not limit your overall fluid intake. Most people think that if they drink more fluids, they will urinate and leak more. The problem with this is that decreasing fluids will cause your urine to be more concentrated, which will irritate the lining of the bladder and cause you to feel more urgency and potentially experience more leakage. The general rule to follow is to try to consume at least 50% of your body weight in fluid ounces of liquid daily. Your daily intake of fluids should be primarily water. You should aim to have the color of your urine be a very pale yellow; a darker yellow urine color means you need to hydrate more.

Do not empty your bladder “just because.” When people have trouble with urinary leakage, they often start going to the bathroom more often to make sure their bladder is always empty. This practice can unfortunately lead to greater bladder urgency, frequency, and potentially more leakage.

Do not stop activities you enjoy doing! In order to avoid leaking, many people simply stop doing the activities that are causing the leakage, like running or pickleball or “bootcamp.” This can put people into a downward spiral of being less active and contribute to declining health.

What is one of the best things you can do to decrease your urinary leakage? Find a specialty trained Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist. They will be able to evaluate your lifestyle habits, posture, spinal and extremity range of motion, strength, and other factors that may be contributing to your urinary leakage. They should be able to create an effective plan for eliminating your urine troubles!

Do you want to take the next step to eliminate your urinary leakage?

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone (205) 602-1848

Fax (205) 293-3895

Can Exercise Help Prevent Me from Getting Illness?

Why did I decide to write on this topic this week? Someone in my immediate household recently tested positive for the latest COVID-19 variant. This was the third time that someone in my immediate family has tested positive for the virus. I have a 3 and 4 year old in my home; you cannot quarantine from children. The COVID-19 virus is perplexing at times and scientists are still studying its complexities. I say it is perplexing because I have yet to test positive for the virus, despite the virus being present in immediate family members on three different occasions and the fact I work in healthcare. What has helped me dodge the virus? I believe my exercise routine and (mostly) healthy dietary habits have helped me greatly. I perform 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least five days out of the week, and this does not include the time spent walking my dogs. I try to eat a balanced diet and avoid processed foods. I’m not perfect by any means, but I feel my health habits have helped ward off the disease.

We all know exercise is good for your health, but you might be wondering, can exercise help ward off respiratory illnesses?

While we can’t change our age, we may be able to influence the impact of other comorbidities to reduce the severity of illnesses such as COVID-19. For example, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular health may all be positively influenced by physical activity. What this means is that the more we move (and make healthier diet choices), our risk of certain comorbidities can decrease. As we become more physically active, there can be a significant decrease in blood sugar levels, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced blood pressure, and improved cardiovascular health. Therefore, exercise may positively influence high risk comorbidities that are associated with more severe COVID-19 cases.

Engaging in a healthy lifestyle can help improve the immune system and may even reduce mortality rates from respiratory illnesses. What is the science behind this?

Exercise causes positive changes in antibodies and white blood cells. WBCs are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease.
Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways, reducing your chance of catching an illness.
Body temperature rise during and after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. The temperature rise may help the body fight infection.
Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress hormones increase the change of illness. Decreased stress hormones may protect against illness.

Our “defense” against COVID-19 through mitigation techniques such as hand washing, social distancing, and mask coverings can be helpful and effective. Yet, when it comes to overall health, our best defense may be our overall health status. We can play an active role and take more ownership of our fight against COVID-19 by proactively addressing aspects of our health. This simply can be becoming more physically active.

Physical activity does not always need to look like working out in the gym. It may be more appropriate to get your physical activity with walks, bike rides, yoga, dancing, or even taking the stairs versus the elevator. Just simply get moving! According the the ACSM, dedicating 30 minutes 5 days a week to moderate physical activity can generate significant health benefits.

You may be convinced that physical activity needs to be a top priority for yourself, but what if you are struggling with pain or limitations? A physical therapist can help you. We can assist in restoring your maximum functional ability .

Do you need help starting an exercise program to improve your overall health?

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone (205) 602-1848

Fax (205) 293-3895

Can Exercise Affect My Gut Health?

Our gut is made up of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes. While you may think bacteria is bad, bacteria within the gut can be good. If bacteria is either too high or too low, we can experience constipation, bloating, gas, and other digestive problems. When bacteria growth is excessive in the gut, our body reacts, causing inflammation. Think of how regular exercise and movement helps improve blood flow and management of swelling in a joint, exercise and movement can help manage the amount of inflammation in our gut.

Exercise helps maintain a healthy level of gut microbes which helps maintain a state of balance in the body, or homeostasis. When gut bacteria diversity decreases, there are systemic consequences, such as gastrointestinal and psychological distress. Gut microbes are essential to many functions of GI system. Think about when you are nervous or excited. Where do you feel it? Most people will say their gut. Stress can lead to an excess of inflammation in our gut, leading to conditions such as anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders. Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood. It improves self-esteem and cognitive function.

We all can likely say that in 2022 we’ve experienced added stress. The solution may be movement! I suggest starting small and adding 10-15 minutes of movement every day. This can be a walk in your neighborhood, light stretching, or anything that you enjoy. If you need help getting back into exercise or don’t know where to start, feel free to contact us! We can help if you are experiencing pain or any movement dysfunction.

Do you need help starting an exercise program to improve your overall health?

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone (205) 602-1848

Fax (205) 293-3895