Category Archives: Uncategorized

Nervous system and chronic pelvic pain(CPP)

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The thing about chronic pain is that it ramps up the nervous system, which in turn surpresses respiration making breathing shallower.

This is especially destructive with CPP as deep respiration and calming the nervous system are pivotal to lowering pain levels and helping treat the underlying problem.

posture also plays a major role. When a woman feel pain in her pelvic region she tends to round forward over the area to protect it. Breathing thus becomes shallow as your diaphragm and lungs cannot function correctly.

Try standing up straight and breathing into your diaphragm now round your shoulders and stoop forward and try it again- feel  how different it is!

Not breathing properly decreases movement in the abdominals and pelvic floor.

Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP)

Chronic Pelvic Pain, Core, Incontinence, Pelvic floor, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Uncategorized,

Chronic pain ramps up your nervous system this in turn reduces respiration- respiration is particularly affected with pelvic pain as women suffering tend to round forward over the pain. This altering of posture does in itself also limit the ability to breathe as the lungs and diaphragm cannot operate at full function when one is stooped over .

Try it: curl your head and spine forwards and trying doing a diaphragmatic breath. Now try it upright – see the difference?

Try it: Lying on your back take a rolled up towel and place it across your shoulder blades. Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. This mobilises your thoracic spine, opens your chest and encourages improved upright posture. Now use diaphragmatic breathing, inhaling through your nose for a count of 2 and exhaling through your mouth for a count of 4. This will help calm the nervous system, move your diaphragm and relax your upper back.

When we inhale the respiratory diaphragm drops yo help expand our lungs. The  pelvic diaphragm mirrors this and lowers adding mobility and circulation to the pelvic floor – by working to increase the depth of respiration we can improve pelvic floor movement.

 

Incontinence (you are not alone)

Core, Incontinence, Pelvic floor, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Post Partum, Uncategorized

Too few women and men discuss incontinence. It can have a marked effect on quality of life, social engagements, friendships. It is makes your world smaller. I used to ‘joke’ that I needed to know where all the public toilets were before we left the house. I would plan a route. I got really good at quick outdoor peeing. I wouldn’t spend the day on the beach or go out on the town with my friends (the taxi ride home was too painful)..

Incontinence effects more people than I once realised it needs to be spoken about, with the growing use of forceps, oxytocin and induced labour comes a rise in incontinence and a reliance on incontince pads. Women use Tena ladies to be able to exercise, live, laugh and go about their daily tasks. Kegels and Tena lady don’t appear to be solving this problem.

Let’s look at the reasons:

Hormonal and physical effects of pregnancy and childbirth are the main reasons why women are much more prone to incontinence than men.

Statistics show that women who have had a baby vaginally are 2.5 times more likely to suffer incontinence than those that haven’t.

During pregnancy there are changes in renal physiology resulting in changes to frequency of voiding and stress incontinence- other symptoms during pregnancy and post pregnancy are: urinary urgency, urge incontinence, incomplete emptying and slow stream.

The increase in stress incontinence during and after pregnancy is the result of damage to the fascias, ligaments, pelvic floor muscles and nerves supporting and controlling the bladder neck and uretha.

Post partum incontinence increases the likelihood of long term incontinence- women post partum who suffer from incontinence are more than 3 times likely to still suffer five years later.

I know all too well how invontinence can lead to depression. You want to be enjoying your baby, meeting friends etc. but every decision/event is ruled by your incontinence. I lost friends, I was too ashamed to explain. My intimacy with my husband changed. I felt dirty all the time. I needed the toilet all the time. Most women don’t want to talk about it. But talk we must!

I had no idea that oxytocin during labour increased my risk of incontinence in later life….did you?

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT

Hypopressives have helped to strengthen my pelvic muscles and the connective tissue supporting my bladder. I pee like I did before