Let me just start by saying...my number one treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction is pelvic physical therapy. It is my answer to anyone who asks “What should someone do if they experience pelvic floor discomfort?" or  "What kind of treatments are there for pelvic floor dysfunction?”  In my opinion, pelvic floor physical therapy (or pelvic floor physiotherapy if you are in Canada or the UK) should be the first line of defense for things like incontinence, prolapse, chronic back pain and even diastasis recti.  

Do I need pelvic floor therapy?

While many pelvic floor related challenges are common, like post-partum leakage or stress urinary incontinence, they aren’t necessarily “normal”. Folk wisdom suggests these are things that should be endured, but the truth is that there is help available and you can significantly improve your quality of life by taking the time to treat pelvic floor dysfunction with pelvic floor physiotherapy...

Have you been told to do kegel exercises to help with your incontinence?  Urinary incontinence in women is very common and kegel exercises are often the initial prescription but Kegel exercises are a bit of an elusive exercise that people know they should do but are never sure if they are doing them correctly.

Kegel exercises were designed by doctor, Dr. Kegel, who used a biofeedback device called a perineometer, to help women learn how to contract and relax their pelvic floor after childbirth. Read that again...contract AND relax.

Studies have shown that over 50% of women are doing kegels incorrectly and many are simply trying to squeeze as hard as they can and end up using their inner thighs or their glutes instead of their pelvic floor and they fail to consider the relaxation portion.  But it is not their fault.

What's happened to the kegel over time is that its regularly prescribed, but rarely taught and seldom do people have a proper pelvic floor evaluation to...

Can I Do Kegels On My Period? 

A Look at Pelvic Floor Exercise Throughout the Menstrual Cycle

While you may not feel like it, you absolutely can do kegels while on your period.  Your sense of motivation may be lower and your perception of ‘engaging’ the muscles may also be less but that doesn’t mean the muscles aren’t working.  Pelvic floor exercise may feel more or less effective depending on where you are in your cycle and if you are nearing menopause or past it.

The Menstrual Cycle

During menstruation (the follicular phase), estrogen and progesterone are relatively low but there is more estrogen relative to progesterone. Estrogen and testosterone are highest at ovulation and just after and then start to decline in the luteal phase followed by a drop in progesterone which starts the cycle once more.

During the first 14 days of the cycle the follicle is maturing and after the uterine lining has shed it starts to build back up again and...