Understanding your pelvic floor can change your life. 

Seriously!

Whether it’s giving your postpartum body some much-deserved attention or facing frustrations with the pee leaks head-on (aka stress incontinence), there’s never a downfall to focusing on our pelvic health. 

Over a third of women experience a problem with their pelvic floor muscles within their lifetime. Unfortunately, it’s not a problem that “fixes itself.” That’s why finding pelvic floor exercises that you can fit into your life is crucial.

Pelvic-related issues can reveal themselves in different ways. Common symptoms are backpain, urinary incontinence, pain during sex and even an unsettled stomach. When dealing with these grievances day in and day out, women can start to feel disconnected from their bodies—frustrated and confused. To make matters worse, many don’t feel comfortable talking about it, which can make the issue feel even heavier as we deal with it alone. 

Most importantly, know that you’re not alone. At Optimize, we have a very busy women’s health physiotherapist for that very reason. While many of us think a visit is meant more for new mothers (trauma can follow pregnancy and childbirth), pelvic health is for ALL women. Whether you’re a brand new mother or not a mother at all, pelvic symptoms aren’t pinpointed according to age, fitness-level, weight or other health markers. 

If you “leak” during exercise or suffer from another issue related to the pelvic floor, “learning to live with it” is not a thing. Not at Optimize anyway! We believe all women deserve a stronger pelvic floor for better quality of life. The question is, what can we do about it?

Pelvic Health at Optimize

We strongly recommend a visit to Courtney, our women’s health physiotherapist who is specially trained to rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles. However, she’s also happy to share the exercises that can help you start the journey of optimizing your pelvic health at home. <link to video>

Courtney helps her clients increase mobility and strength and reduce pain with manual techniques, gentle stretches, and exercise. This involves an assessment of the muscles, joints and connective tissues of the pelvis, low back, and hips. 

You’ll likely respond well to pelvic health rehabilitation if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Stress incontinence (urine leakage with laughing, coughing, or exercise)
• Urgency and frequency of urination
• Pelvic pain
• Postpartum recovery
• Diastasis recti
• Birth preparation
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Postpartum return to exercise

A general assessment starts with detailed discussion of your current concerns, bowel and bladder function, and pelvic goals. If an internal exam is required, we give you privacy and do all we can to make you as comfortable as possible. As each client’s issues are truly unique, treatments vary. However, most include myofascial release, aiming to stretch and relax tight muscles. This may include working on the back and hip muscles, as well as the internal release of pelvic floor muscles, if necessary. Even though they seem different, pelvic floor muscles are the same as any other muscle in the body—just like when you strain your hamstring and the muscle tenderness and tightness are relieved with massage, pelvic floor muscles also benefit from manual techniques. 

Whatever it takes, it’s about optimizing your pelvic health so you feel and live better. 

Download the Pelvic Health Brochure.

CONTACT US today for your pelvic health assessment.