A word with Candice Pell
Happy March everyone, hope you are all ready for the spring! I wanted to take this month’s blog and talk about something important (and probably pertinent to at least one person that you know in your life) that comes into question while I am at work.
One of the greatest parts of being a pelvic floor physical therapist in New York City is having the opportunity to see and treat many different pathologies because of access to a wider variety of cases.
Many people think that pelvic floor therapy is limited to those who encounter pain with intercourse, incontinence, and endometriosis but really the list is far longer than that. For any of you that have read my
previous blogs, these are topics I have touched upon and wrote about in the past, but pelvic floor therapy is not just limited to these few items.
Many women do not know that pelvic floor therapy is also completely normal before, during, and after pregnancy.
Pelvic Floor Q&A – Part 1
Although I could lecture you about the importance of this kind of therapy for this very special population, I was very fortunate to have the permission from a new mommy to discuss some of the most important aspects of Pelvic Floor therapy through her eyes.
We had the opportunity to film the segment for everyone to watch. Please watch the video below for highlights of part one of this series! Candice has done a magnificent job in describing some common new mommy occurrences and how we have worked together to help her grow after giving birth and re-connect with her own body.
Why should new mothers start Physical Therapy?
Candice starts the video by mentioning why she began physical therapy as a new mother. She was experiencing joint laxity, tightness by her C-Section scar, and was having difficulty breathing. Together we were able to implement a program that was specific to achieving overall core and body strength, mobility at her scar site, and ease of breath.Using delicate but highly targeted exercise to guide our treatment plan, we were able to work through her other medical conditions including asthma and fibromyalgia to achieve her goals.
Incontinence, Stability, and Scar Work
Candice also mentions how her pregnancy affected her pelvic floor. Thankfully this new mother was already very in tune with her body prior to becoming pregnant, so it was easier for her to identify some of the “yellow flags” (no pun intended) during pregnancy and after giving birth.
She proceeds to identify heaviness in the pelvis, an overloaded bladder, occasional dribbling, difficulty stabilizing her body, and ends with a funny story of her own.
Stay Tuned For Part 2 Next Month – Scar Mobility
Candice ends part one of our discussion with an important message for all you viewers out there! I won’t spoil it, but it made me smile! Check out her interview in the video below and stay tuned next month for part 2, where she discusses her C-section scar and how we have been working on it together to release it from the surrounding fascia and decrease her pain and tension in her lower abdomen and pelvic region.
Thanks again Candice for all your help, you are a superstar as a mother and an inspiration for us all!
