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This Is An Excerpt From Dr. Allison Feldt's, PT, DPT Book That Will Be Out Early Summer
My friend and patient Ashley recently gave birth to her third child. According to her, this pregnancy was her most difficult. She experienced excruciating lower back and hip pain that was not present in her other two pregnancies...
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Remember how you used to be terrified of needles as a child? How thinking about the glinting needles probably helped you forget you were sick at all? Yes, we all know that feeling and remember it well. So, what changed? As we grew up, became braver, and started listening to our bodies a little less, our distrust of needles seems to have dwindled. Now, we run to the doctor for all manner of injections, and while vitamin B shots and flu jabs are at the lower risk end of the spectrum, many injections pose a very large, very scary risk to our health and wellbeing.
If your desk area consists of a sofa cushion, and low coffee table, then we’re taking a stab in the dark and guessing you’ve converted your living room into an office. And while that’s all fun and games, working from home can actually be quite stressful on your muscles and joints – despite the extended periods sitting down! In this post, we discuss the ways in which you can stay healthy and active while working from home. So, let’s adjust the couch seat, make a fresh brew, and get stuck in!
“I have right lower back pain, that is kind of in my hip. It feels like a deep ache in my BUTT. It gets so bad sometimes that I feel like I can’t even walk.”
Said Brandi, a worried 32 year old who can’t recall a specific event where she hurt herself but is now experiencing unbearable pain. Problems in the bedroom? Is discomfort or pain getting in the way? Many women get to a point in their life where sex becomes a scheduled task. They quite possibly dread it but know they must do it so their partner will continue to feel valued and loved. One worrisome thought is that your relationship could fail or your partner would cheat or leave perhaps if they aren’t getting the “love” or “feeling loved.”That is scary and a huge burden to put on yourself. We never want you to feel like you have to just grit your teeth through sex because of discomfort or pain.
Pregnant Client with low back and hip pain, diastasis and incontinence.
A 31 year old mother of a 7 year old was pregnant with her second child. This has been a bit of a hard pregnancy. She works full time and spends a ton of her time driving around for work and for her sons sporting events. She always has to pee, her back is killing her and she is seriously stressed and anxious. She has always dealt with anxiety, sometimes it’s so bad it gives her heart palpitations. Congratulations! You created a human and are keeping them alive! We here at Body Motion Physical Therapy applaud you and are so grateful you took a moment for yourself to read this article. Regardless of your postpartum weight or pants size we want this generation of mothers to feel empowered postpartum. We Help Women Through Pregnancy And Beyond So They Can Live Active Confident Healthy Lives Without The Need For Surgery or Medications. We want the women in our community to feel confident, strong and healthy. Free from worry in regards to their personal health so they can focus on what they truly find joy in.
Pelvic PT Leads To Successful VBAC Births Women that have C-sections don't get the rehab and recovery that they should. Often times they will have subsequent cesareans. Some women will not have a choice and some will choose to attempt a VBAC, a vaginal birth after cesarean and they really want to have a vaginal delivery. Maybe they are dying to just have that experience, maybe it was taken away from them in the first place, maybe they're having another baby and they just want to experience that natural delivery. I want to talk a little bit about why it's so important to not just hope for a VBAC, but to train your body, optimize your body, and really prepare for what you want to happen.
By Dr. Allison Feldt, PT, DPT
Have YOU ever been told that peeing or leaking in your underwear is just one of those things that comes with being a mom or a woman? Worse, have you been told by your doctor that you have to accept it, take medication or rest for weeks on end, because nothing else can be done? Peeing without intention? Even just a little bit should be concerning. Everyone has heard a friend say, oh "I just peed!" or "I laughed so hard, I peed!" Maybe you don’t walk or run with friends or you don’t use the trampoline because you will pee. Maybe you’re okay with pee in your underwear. You just know that if you go for a run, you will pee your pants and maybe that’s okay with you. If you're age 30+ and you have answered YES to any of those questions, and you have suffered with incontinence for longer than 7 days, then please pay special attention to what I am about to tell you....
Women who have C-sections tend to get by pretty okay for the first, 5 to 10 years. They might have a little low back pain, maybe some hip pain, and they attribute it to like not losing all the weight or maybe they're pushing their body too much during exercise. But don't want to slow down, and they don't need to because the pain is just there and totally manageable. I mean, for goodness' sakes, you've had abdominal surgery. So maybe your pain tolerance is really, really high. Important considerations post C-section, that are never talked about, are the effects in 10 years and beyond. [...]
Getting injured can really set your exercise and fitness routine back a notch! And worst of all… it can be a total pain in the butt in more ways than one. Can you guess what we mean? If you’re reading this, you may have heard of piriformis syndrome before, or perhaps your just curious – either way, we’re here to tell you what it is, what causes it, and what you can do about it. That way, you’ll know why you’re in pain and you can “butt to the chase”, so to speak! [...]
By now I’m sure you’re well aware of the benefits related to daily cardio, stretching, and resistance activities. Not only does your heart get a massive health-boost, but your entire body feels more supple and strong; your immune system is strengthened and you generally feel better. So, if you know all this, and have most likely experienced the positive effects of a daily workout routine yourself, why is it so hard to stick to a healthy pattern? Why is a daily exercise regime so difficult to maintain? The truth is, the reason we don’t stick to our guns is usually because of a busy work schedule; alternately, it could be because we can’t fit time into a hectic – and often delicate – work/family balance. We understand this predicament, and that’s why we’re offering you some useful tips on how to fit that much-needed exercise into your life, no matter the time constraints or pressures you face. Take a look! [...]
By Dr. Allison Feldt, PT, DPT
I’m so excited to share with you that I just had my first work out where I could really push my core and didn’t feel like I was hurting myself. I finally feel like I am getting back some of the innate stability my joints should have. Meaning that my joints aren’t as hypermobile or “loose” like they were during my pregnancy and during postpartum so far. Initially that hypermobility is from relaxin and even though relaxin leaves within 4 days of delivery, the joints take a lot longer to return to normal. [...] By Dr. Allison Feldt, PT, DPT
Tonight I sneezed and did not pee!!!! I am super pumped about this BECAUSE last week I got hit with a bad bout of allergies. I was sneezing and coughing and my pelvic floor could not sustain this and I was peeing myself every time I sneezed or coughed. I had to even change my pants a few times which I was embarrassed about. I’m a pelvic floor physical therapist, so you would think I would have my core together and my pelvic floor would be super strong! For the most part, it is. However, I have a pelvic organ prolapse and what happens to me when I get a flare up is I occasionally leak, aka pee. I want to share this with you because this is where training your pelvic floor and being aware of what things to do to help yourself can really ease symptoms and make you feel good, confident and strong in your body. So here’s where I started I put my pessary back in, which is something I wear to support my bladder. So I committed myself to wearing that throughout my times of being symptomatic. I committed to doing some downtraining of my pelvic floor muscles. Which means making sure I was fully relaxing my pelvic floor as I tend to be fairly tense. With breathing and meditation over the weekend, I had my tone more under control.I did a lot of pelvic elevating to help decrease the descent of my prolapse. So then I got back to doing some strengthening and could even do some weighted pelvic floor contractions with my pelvic floor weights. So what changed from last week to this week?How am I sneezing this week without peeing? I’m not sneezing as frequently as my allergies are more under control, so less overall pressure. So what changed from last week to this week?How am I sneezing this week without peeing? I’m not sneezing as frequently as my allergies are more under control, so less overall pressure. The next thing I was able to manage, was my tone and get back to doing the pelvic floor contractions with weights and retraining my pelvic floor, which let me tell you, the strength of my pelvic floor did not change between last week and this week. What did change was my nerve connection to the muscle. The ability of my nervous system to control my pelvic floor and therefore, I could control what was coming in and out of it. It’s really important that you’re not just doing a million “kegels” but you’re re-training your pelvic floor. A lot of people are so concerned about maintaining the strongest pelvic floor but what really needs to happen is a coordination of several muscles that will help keep your pants dry. Excerpt From First Episode:
Interviewer: So, clients who come to you are often caught in the cycles of dieting and constantly feeling like they're falling off the wagon, how can we change that? Natalie: Most clients who come to me, say "I know what to eat, I just can't seem to do it. I have a problem with my willpower. I'll do a diet, and it works, but then I just can't keep it together. It's something that I just have cravings, and I can't overcome them." That's one of the first things I talk about with clients is breaking down the diet cycle. And it begins with the "problem behaviors." So, for many people, let's say, emotional eating. There's a reason why we engage in our "problem behaviors."And so, for emotional eating, a reward at the end of a really long week or it's a way to connect with our partner at the end of a long day. Or maybe it's a way to get through a really boring project at work. So, there is this reason why it's helping us, but then we have that onslaught of negative internal dialog like, "Oh, what's wrong with me? Why can't I just get my act together? It's not like anyone's putting the food in my mouth. I'm never gonna be able to like fix this." And then that causes, for many people, a lot of shame and guilt or just feelings of frustration.Okay more healthy bladder techniques: You should be able to delay the urge. You should drink a good amount of water to hydrate the bladder lining (and reduce the acidity of the bladder, increased acidity can lead to false cues to void) You should never hover over a toilet seat, most American women can not relax their pelvic floor enough to be able to relax to fully void. Without full relaxation, you can give the bladder mixed signals leading to dysfunction. You should breath and rock back and forth after you pee, to fully empty bladder. If you ever pee, and it isn’t in the toilet aka it’s in your underwear or on the bathroom floor getting in and out of the shower, you should get help. You probably have some dysfunction with your pelvic floor. This dysfunction most likely will not improve on its own and can lead to much much bigger issues. Please seek a professional pelvic expert physical therapist for individual assessment and help. Don't be the mom depending on Depends. Neck pain and upper back pain may be two of the most common ailments people experience. From struggling to move your neck, to worrying about the position you sit in on your favorite sofa, pain in the upper torso is debilitating. Yet, many of those who experience these kinds of issues haven’t suffered a fall, twisted their necks unnaturally, or been on rollercoasters since their pain started. For most people, the cause of neck pain or upper back discomfort can’t be pinpointed: there is no single unique moment in which their backs or necks could have been injured. What then? How did they come to be in so much pain? And if you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking the same thing about yourself. Fear not, however, because we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll be investigating the hidden causes that have led to your neck and upper back pain. We’ll also be looking at what to do about it and which steps to take next. [...]
For many of us, exercise is more than a general walk in the park. In reality, it’s a part of who we are, and our dedication to training programs, fitness, and health, goes above and beyond. From running, to swimming, to CrossFit, and to hiking, we just love to do it. Every day we push ourselves harder – we run faster, swim further, and lift more. Yet while our daily habits may seem outwardly healthy, we may actually be doing ourselves harm in the long run. Why? Well, for some of us the exercise routines we’ve come to love have turned from ‘healthy’ to ‘unbalanced’. In other words, as we’ve pushed ourselves on the court, in the pool, or on the bike, we’ve lost track of our personal limits - we’ve fallen prey to what is generally called Overuse Training Syndrome. Now, if the name intimidates you, don’t fear. In this post, we discuss the causes and effects of OTS and we give you advice on how to get back in the right gear. [...]
 Dr. Allison Feldt (Interviewer): Natalie, thank you so much for joining us today. I am so excited to spread the nutrition word about healthy eating and healthy habits to our community. And you are the inaugural "Edmonds Moms" podcast interviewee, and we can't wait to share all your knowledge. Personally, I've worked with Natalie in the past, and she is a magical practitioner, and just really helped me find a really good balance with food, and she can really help guide you on a healthy life cycle.
Tonight I sneezed and did not pee!!! I am super pumped about this BECAUSE last week I got hit with a bad bout of allergies. I was sneezing and coughing and my pelvic floor could not sustain this and I was peeing myself every time I sneezed or coughed. I had to even change my pants a few times which I was embarrassed about. I’m a pelvic floor physical therapist, so you would think I would have my core together and my pelvic floor would be super strong! For the most part, it is. However, I have a pelvic organ prolapse and what happens to me when I get a flare up is I occasionally leak, aka pee. [...]
Hi. Dr. Allison Feldt here, and I wanted to share a little philosophy that I have. This is simply food for thought and one of many considerations. I help many pregnant women and what really has been the highlight of a lot of conversations lately is talking about going into labor naturally and on your own. Without being induced. One thing that I think is really important to consider when you are planning to have a delivery is your current work schedule and or end date of working For may moms this is your due date. So, like, say you're due May 23rd. That was the due date with my son. And a lot of women will work up until that exact time.
Incontinence, also known as peeing your pants, is a continuous struggle for thousands of women. Although you may have accepted this as a fact of life for you, what if I told you that this meant you have a dysfunction of one of your essential core muscles? Would that make you care? What if those core muscles determined if you were going to be old in diapers or not? Or in a wheelchair or not? Would that help you care? I meet lots of women who don’t mind that they leak urine. It’s a fact. I mean they still run, CrossFit, Pilates, barre, orange theory and yoga. It doesn't matter. They leak, and they don’t care because it's been happening for so long and they want to maintain their exercise routine since that’s what keeps them “healthy”. However, what is very important to know is that incontinence is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction. What does that mean? You have a hole in your core. Your core is not functioning in the way it is supposed to.
 Healthy Pelvic Floor For A Healthy Life: The Importance Of Healing After Birth. The biggest concern I see with moms and women at my practice stem from not healing and restore their core and body after childbirth. Most women after childbirth get cleared by their MD, midwife or OB at 6 to 8 weeks after delivery. As long as the uterus is done “bleeding” they get cleared to go back to exercise, ease back into the gym, return to intercourse, pretty much they are told to ease back into everything they were doing prior to pregnancy. This is a huge problem. The body is still healing at this point.
This can be scary for most moms. Let's be honest. You grew a human in your belly, aka uterus, which is connected to your cervix which then expands to let the baby out or is cut open to pull the baby out. That may be graphic or hard to hear but birth is real. Both types of deliveries are massive events on a women’s body. Some women have lots of sex during pregnancy, others have very little or none. Whichever category you fall into, thinking about having sex or being intimate after you have just had a human extracted from your body is pretty hard to wrap your head around
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Author: Allison Feldt"We Help Women Through Pregnancy And Beyond So They Can Live Active, Confident And Healthy Lives To Prevent Surgery And The Need For Medications." Archives
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