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Pregnancy & postpartum

It’s usually spoken of like this:

“I’m having pain during pregnancy (either new, or old pain that is getting worse), and everyone tells me it will go away. I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome...my hands keep going numb. I leak pee when I cough/sneeze/bend down (with link to incontinence page). I can hardly walk or turn over in bed due to pain. My abdominal muscles have a big bulge/gap down the middle even though I gave birth weeks/months ago. I feel loose down there. I feel my bladder/uterus bulging into my vagina.”

While it’s true that the human body is amazing in its ability to heal itself, it is not entirely likely that your pain will magically disappear before or even after you give birth. While pain during pregnancy is common, you should still be able to function and do the everyday activities that you need to do. And it should not get progressively worse. research shows that while some problems during pregnancy do go away after delivery, it also shows that some get progressively worse as time goes on. It’s terrible to suffer with symptoms that you can get help with. And it’s important to realize that even those many of these symptoms are common, they are not normal: there is help!

  • Low back pain [Ann to provide description]

  • Neck pain [Ann to provide description]

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome [Ann to provide description]

  • Incontinence [Ann to provide description]

  • Prolapse [Ann to provide description]

  • Diastasis recti [Ann to provide description]



What can pelvic physical therapy do about it?

Treatment options include:

  • Manual therapy to address muscle and joint imbalances; and to address scar tissue resulting from episiotomy, tears, or C-section

  • Exercise and education throughout surgery so that you learn what to do to reduce or eliminate pain and continue living your life throughout pregnancy and postpartum. It’s not just a matter of doing Kegel exercises or sit ups: those can actually do more harm than good if not done correctly.

  • Specific pelvic floor treatment which will include strengthening if/when you are able to selectively isolate the pelvic floor muscles. The traditional Kegel exercise has a place, but there is much more to the pelvic floor—and about 50% of women do Kegels the wrong way! I will design a program based on your own function and functional needs.