We have the job for you! We’re looking for a new receptionist to join our growing team.

About the Role

This role provides an opportunity to join a vibrant team working at this well-established and flourishing health provider.

Based across our two sites at Unley and Magill you will work with a team of passionate health professionals who provide exceptional service to their clients. Your role is to support them and our clients by providing exceptional customer service and undertaking a variety of administration tasks.

Supporting the health professionals and being a part of our small yet effective team you will be responsible for:

• Undertaking tasks in all aspects of reception and supporting the team in providing a warm, friendly and effective service to clients
• Effective scheduling and managing of appointments
• Accurately processing invoices and payments
• Maintaining the tidiness of all areas of the practice
• With an interest in wellness and a passion for customer service, this role will suit you if have a real desire to make a difference and love working as part of a dynamic team

We would love it if you can offer the following talents and attributes:

• An ability to make customers feel truly special by employing good listening skills, empathy and kindness
• Exceptional organisational and administrative skills
• A strong desire to work in a beautifully presented work place with a flair for making it so!
• Confidence in communicating with diverse people both face to face and over the phone
• Real desire to make a difference and contribute to people’s well being
• The grace to be a true team player in further developing the business while having fun!

Want to apply?

Please email applications (including cover letter, CV with 2 references) to peter@moveforbetterhealth.com.au.

Applications will close Sunday 8th March 2020.

The post Receptionist Position appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

• Monday – Ticker Time (Heart Health)
• Tuesday – Taking Time (Mindfulness)
• Wednesday – Time to Love Your Bones (Bone Health)
• Thursday – Time to Move (Physical Activity)
• Friday – Craving Pillow Time (Sleep)

To celebrate Women’s Health Week, and help women become aware of these areas of their lives, we’ve put together some information to outline where to start.

Women’s Health Week has also prompted us at Move to take the opportunity to support women who may be less fortunate – but more on that later.

Women’s Health Week: 5 Focus Topics

If you were to guess the leading cause of death for Australian women, it’s unlikely that you would’ve guessed heart disease. Heart health is really important for women as well as men, but unfortunately heart disease is vastly under-recognised in women. As a result, heart health is the first topic of Women’s Health Week.

The Heart Foundation recently ran a campaign aiming to raise awareness of heart disease in women, which you can find out more about here. This campaign highlighted the fact that 90% of Australian women have one risk factor for heart disease and half have 2-3 risk factors. Learn more about your risk factors here.

One of the unexpected healthy heart tips listed in this campaign was the benefit of looking after your mental health. Mindfulness is one great way to do this, and involves being more present in the here and now, rather than continuously ruminating about past events or worrying what might happen in the future.

Getting enough sleep is another important factor in both our mental and physical health. Both mindfulness and sleep and fatigue are focus topics in Women’s Health week. If you’d like to know more about this, Marelle Wilson runs numerous courses and 1:1 sessions on mindfulness and meditation here at Move. If you are suffering from fatigue or having trouble getting enough sleep, then you may find the information here useful as well.

Many women are aware that as they age, their bone health may decline, due to the increased rate of bone loss following menopause. However, many women are unaware of their risk factors, or that they need to start looking after their bone health early in life to protect against future problems. Osteoporosis Australia has a lot of fabulous information on bone health including risk factors for osteoporosis, and steps you can take to prevent problems or improve bone density if it is low.

The linking topic throughout Women’s Health Week is something we love here at Move  – physical activity. Being physically active is important for a healthy heart, can help improve bone health and can assist with improving mental health and sleep.

There are so many ways for everyone to be physically active, so it’s a matter of finding something that you enjoy, and then getting out there and doing it! We have a number of suggestions for different exercise options at Move or you can come and speak with one of our Physiotherapists if you need help returning to your favourite exercise, or maybe some tips on how to optimize your performance.

It’s in the Bag

Finally, I would love it if you could be involved with us in helping women who are less fortunate. Last year I heard about a great group providing handbags filled with essential toiletries to women in need. Can you imagine being homeless or living in a shelter, and not being able to afford things like shampoo, toothpaste and sanitary products? It must be awful.

This year, Move will be a collection point to drop off your handbags filled with goodies for the #itsinthebag Christmas collection. Please see details for recommended items to include (and things you cannot include) at this link.

I really hope you can help us to make Christmas better for many women in Adelaide.

Yours in great health,

Jenny

The post Women’s Health Week 2017 appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

We’ve all heard this phrase, but for some this is the reality. And there’s no better way to ruin a good belly laugh than worrying you might leak.

Urinary incontinence is surprisingly common, with a third of all women who have ever had a baby suffering this problem. In fact, 20% of all Australians have problems with bladder and or bowel control – that includes men and women.

June 19-25 is World Continence Week 2017, and this year’s theme is “Incontinence – it’s no laughing matter”. Leaking urine when you laugh is a form of stress incontinence – and this can also happen with coughing, sneezing and exercise. Giggle incontinence is another form of this leakage, usually occurring in young girls when they laugh uncontrollably. Other types of urinary incontinence include urgency incontinence, with leakage related to a sudden, strong desire to urinate, which cannot be deferred.

The Continence Foundation of Australia is wanting to raise awareness of urinary incontinence during World Continence Week, and highlight the fact that many “laugh it off” or dismiss their symptoms.

“It’s just part of getting older..”

“Well, I HAVE had a baby ..”

“Isn’t that just a normal part of pregnancy?”

“It only happens sometimes..”

These are all phrases I have heard before. While urinary incontinence is common, it is not normal, and there are things you can do about it. Seeing a Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapist, like myself, can really help. I can teach pelvic floor muscle exercises, bladder training techniques and look at lifestyle factors which may be impacting your symptoms. It’s always best to get checked, as treatment is different for everyone, and works best when it is individualised and supervised.

This World Continence Week, I ask you not to laugh off your little leakage problem. Seek some help so you can laugh your head off, rather than laugh until you wet yourself!

Yours in pelvic health, Jenny.

The post World Continence Week 2017: No Laughing Matter appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

PCOS is characterised by a presence of excess and rogens (eg testosterone) in the body that can lead to symptoms such as acne, irregular menstrual cycles, excessive body hair, scalp hair loss, weight gain, insulin resistance and issues surrounding fertility.

Previous literature suggests modest weight reduction of about 5–10% might play the most significant role in restoration of ovulation and fertility in obese women with PCOS.

Exercise has been proven to contribute to weight reduction in PCOS patients by instigating the following changes:

1. Improved insulin sensitivity
2. Increased frequency of ovulation
3. Reduced cholesterol
4. Reduced waist and hip circumference

What type of exercise programme is best?

When people ask this question my first response is… A SUSTAINABLE ONE!

Trials which have yielded weight reduction results between 5-10% in PCOS patients have lasted beyond 20 weeks which indicates that for any exercise program to be successful it must be sustainable.

So when you’re ready and willing to commit to a sustainable exercise programme, what sort of exercise should you do?

While there are currently no specific recommendations for exercise and PCOS management, recent studies that have shown the following works well:

• Moderate intensity aerobic fitness 5 x per week for 30 minutes per session
• 2 x per week resistance weight training
• Dietary adjustments
• A combination of independent and supervised exercise settings to assist with compliance

Literature supports that higher levels of aerobic fitness and resistance strength training can increase energy demands which assists in better managing insulin sensitivity,improving muscle mass thus moderating testosterone production and normalising ovarian function to increase fertility.

Due to our current understanding around hormonal function and its variability between individuals, we understand that each patient’s medical history and exercise journey will be different. As a result, we tailor our exercise programmes to account for this.

If PCOS is a condition that you carry and you are after a lifestyle plan to assist in its management, contact us today and enquire about Exercise Physiology.

The post My Hormones are Affecting My Weight: Exercise & Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

Reported prevalence rates of endometriosis vary from 2-10%, but as under-diagnosis and under-reporting are quite common, actual rates may be higher.

Endometriosis involves cells like those in the lining of the uterus, appearing in other parts of the pelvis or elsewhere in the body. Typical symptoms include very painful and heavy periods, pain at ovulation or other times, bladder and bowel problems including urgency and frequency, pain with intercourse and fertility problems. However, symptoms can vary significantly between individuals, with not all women having all of these symptoms.

Many women with endometriosis also suffer from stress, anxiety and depression, with ongoing pain and poor diagnosis and management contributing to these problems.

Ultimately, women need laparoscopic surgery to diagnose endometriosis, although diagnosis can be suspected from the presenting symptoms. However, many doctors may not have a good understanding of endometriosis, and may dismiss teenage girls or young women complaining of “period pain” as just needing to “toughen up” a bit.

Treatment of endometriosis often involves managing symptoms, and their cascading effects, as best as possible, as there is no known full cure. Many women find laparoscopic surgery to remove their endometrial lesions can be helpful. Some women find having a baby helps, although for others it will get worse. Medical management with hormonal treatment and pain medications can also be important in overall care.

From a conservative point of view, a multi-disciplinary approach to endometriosis management is very beneficial.

Here’s how a Women’s Health Physiotherapist may be able to help:

Many women with endometriosis will have over-activity of their pelvic floor muscles, but weakness of other muscles around the hips and pelvis. A women’s health physiotherapist can teach women how to relax their pelvic floor muscles, which will often help to improve bladder and bowel pain and urgency, sexual pain and general pelvic pain.

They can also guide women into beneficial forms of general exercise, including gentle Pilates, yoga and walking for overall chronic pain management and to help provide more support for the pelvis, but without over-working the pelvic floor muscles.

Some physiotherapists or psychologists can also assist with teaching mindfulness, breathing techniques and stress management ideas, which helps with pain control and to deal with general stress and anxiety.

Improving your diet is also beneficial, and a nutritionist or dietician can recommend a number of anti-inflammatory foods, including whole foods, turmeric and leafy greens, while eliminating inflammatory foods such as highly processed carbohydrates and sugars.

You can find out further information about endometriosis from PelvicPain.org.au.

Jenny Phillips, a Titled Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapist, can also assist you with managing your endometriosis.

The post Endometriosis: How Physios Can Help appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

Breastfeeding is such a great way to improve the health outcomes of both the infant and mother – even many years later. Many new mums would be familiar with the phrase “breast is best”. This is because babies who are breastfed receive a number of important advantages. They are less likely to become sick, as they receive some of the mother’s immunity to illness and disease through the breast milk. Breastfed babies also have improved outcomes later in life, including reduced risk of obesity and a higher IQ, compared with formula fed babies.

What is less well-known is that breastfeeding has many health benefits for the mother too. Breastfeeding mothers have lower risk of persistent pelvic girdle pain, and improved mood, compared with non-breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding also reduces the mother’s risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Interestingly, later in life, women who breastfeed also have a lower risk of both ovarian and breast cancer, and a lower risk of macular degeneration in older age.

When you look at these combined benefits for both the mother and baby, breastfeeding gives lots of important health advantages – and these equate to economic benefits too.

These include the immediate benefits of reduced morbidity and mortality for mothers and babies, and also the long-term costs to the community from chronic disease and reduced work productivity that is linked with not breastfeeding.

If you would like to read more on this, has more information and statistics on the economic benefits for entire nations that breastfeeding can bring. However, many of you may be saying – that’s all very well, but this breastfeeding malarkey was a lot more difficult than I imagined!

So many women either do not manage to establish breastfeeding or wean earlier than they intended due to problems including mastitis, pain and a perception of low supply. And that’s really sad, because in so many cases, the correct advice and a bit of help may have made all the difference for these women.

Low supply is actually a lot less common than many women are lead to believe – and the problems may actually lie in things like mastitis, poor attachment, uncomfortable feeding positions and sheer exhaustion for the poor mother.

What is mastitis?

The Australian Breastfeeding Association explains mastitis as:

“Usually the result of a blocked milk duct that hasn’t cleared. Some of the milk banked up behind the blocked duct can be forced into nearby breast tissue, causing the tissue to become inflamed. The inflammation is called mastitis (also sometimes called ‘milk fever’). Infection may or may not be present.”

Watch this video to learn what causes mastitis, what the symptoms are, the various forms of treatment, and alternatives to antibiotics.

So what can we do to help?

One of the most important things for any mother trying to establish breastfeeding or recover from mastitis is REST!

It is important to try to keep baby and mother together as much as possible – but well-meaning family members often try to give the mother rest by taking the baby away. Instead, why not offer some other support?

A few cooked, ready to go meals or putting on a load of washing and doing the dishes are really practical and helpful things to offer. The next thing is for the mother to get some advice and support from a lactation consultant or physiotherapist as soon as possible. This is especially important if mastitis develops, as it can make you feel very sick very quickly.

What treatment can help?

Getting advice on baby’s attachment and trying some different feeding positions to make you and the baby as comfortable as possible can be invaluable.

If there are problems with mastitis or blocked ducts, some other treatment can be really helpful. Warm packs on the breasts before a feed and cold packs afterwards can help.

Ultrasound and massage to the breasts can make an enormous difference to mastitis as well. Many Women’s Health Physiotherapists can provide this treatment and show you how to massage your breasts, as well as offer advice on posture and feeding positions. Although antibiotics are often prescribed for mastitis, they may not always be needed.

While there is a definite inflammatory reaction occurring in the breast tissue with mastitis, this does not mean there is an infection. Some women also find antibiotics can upset their baby’s tummy.

It may be worth while trying some of the other treatment options first, as with or without antibiotics, these will often help things to settle down within a few days.

As always, if you have any queries about breastfeeding or anything else in this blog, please feel come and talk with Jenny at Move. You can read about Mastitis here.

Find out more about Jenny Phillips here, or make an appointment to see her by calling 8373 5655 or booking online here.

The post Breastfeeding & Mastitis appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

As part of World Continence Week 2016, we’re promoting the different ways which you can easily modify your bowel and bladder habits, which is not only important to practice for new mums & mums to be, but for everyone.

Many people have heard that pelvic floor muscle exercises can help manage urinary or faecal incontinence. While there is good research to show pelvic floor muscle exercises, performed correctly and regularly, are effective in improving bladder and bowel control, many people aren’t aware that additional simple lifestyle changes can also make a big difference.

The Continence Foundation of Australia has published guidelines which outlines how eating and drinking well, exercising regularly (including pelvic floor muscle exercises) and practicing good toilet habits can help prevent or improve bladder and bowel symptoms.

Eating and drinking well are often they key. A healthy diet, with sufficient fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, but limited fats, sugars and heavily processed foods, will help to maintain a healthy body weight.

We know being overweight or obese are major risk factors for many common diseases, and this includes urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. So now there is another reason to maintain a healthy weight.

A good diet with sufficient dietary fibre, and drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a day also helps prevent constipation. Constipation is another major contributing factor to urinary and faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, as frequent straining puts downward pressure on your pelvic organs and the pelvic floor muscles.

Even the way you sit on the toilet can make a big difference for constipation. Placing your feet on a footstool and leaning forward from the hips with a straight back and relaxed tummy can aid bowel opening. Try not to hold your breath and strain.

Some with chronic constipation or disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Crohn’s disease may also need some medication to help improve the consistency of their stool. You should seek medical advice if this applies to you.

Regular moderate exercise can also be helpful. Studies have shown people who exercise regularly at moderate intensity commonly have a healthier body weight, and a lower incidence of constipation and urinary incontinence. However, conversely some high impact exercises, especially those involving regular jumping, are associated with high rates of incontinence.

As in so many things, moderation is the key. We know that drinking enough water is helpful to prevent constipation and irritation of the bladder. But on the other hand drinking too much water can overfill the bladder and increase your chance of urinary urgency. 1.5 – 2 litres a day is about right for most people, depending on body weight and exercise intensity.

Likewise, it is not a good habit to go to the frequently toilet ‘just in case’, but conversely going too infrequently can contribute to constipation and bladder overfilling. Emptying your bladder 4-6 times daily and your bowels 1-2 times daily, or at least every second day, is usually about right for most people.

So in World Continence Week, I ask you to have a think about how these things apply to you, and what little changes you could make to your own habits and lifestyle to help improve your bladder and bowel health.

Please seek assistance from your doctor of Women’s Health Physiotherapist if you are experiencing incontinence, prolapse or chronic constipation.

Jenny Phillips is an APA Titled Women’s Health & Continence Physiotherapist, treating at Move.

She has extensive experience with incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction, pre and post natal issues, and pre and post natal exercise. Find out more about Jenny here.

You can book an appointment to see Jenny online here, or by calling us on 8373 5655.

The post Improve Your Bottom Line: World Continence Week 2016 appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

I am absolutely thrilled and proud to be awarded this title, as it has involved countless hours of hard work to achieve this. However, you may be wondering what becoming a Titled Physiotherapist actually means.

Titling is a form of recognition by our professional body, The Australian Physiotherapy Association, of specialisation in a particular area of physiotherapy. In many ways it is similar to medical graduates becoming specialists in different fields. It can be awarded for a number of different areas of Physiotherapy, including Musculo-skeletal, Cardio-respiratory or Sports Physiotherapy for example.

It is a great honour to be awarded and recognised for this specialisation by our professional body, as not every Physiotherapist will achieve this.

In the field of Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapy, there are two main pathways for achieving Titling. One consists of doing a Masters in that field. However, as the only currently available Masters program is run from Perth, this would have meant a lot of time away from work and family. The other method involves fulfilling many different criteria. It was a long and challenging process – which I’m now happy to have completed!

The first step was demonstrating you’ve accrued sufficient time and years of experience in the field. As I have been doing increasingly more work in Women’s Health over the past 10 years, I was pleased to be able to fulfil this first criterion.

The next step involved a written take-home examination. I always think “take-home” makes it sound easy – believe me it involved an enormous amount of work! I spent seemingly endless hours and many late nights studying and writing papers, as well as working my usual hours in the clinic. If you saw me looking a bit frazzled in that period, I think you can now understand why. I felt a combination of immense relief and joy when I found out I had passed this component, as I really had not wanted to repeat it!

The final hurdle, which all candidates including the Masters graduates must fulfill, was a patient examination. This involved video-taping an examination of a new patient and the follow-up consultation. This tape was then submitted for assessment along with much supporting documentation answering a series of questions.

Once this has been assessed, the examiners conducted an over-the-phone viva, and could ask me anything and everything about that assessment. I won’t say it was easy, but I found this part of the examination less daunting than the written component. Although it was nerve-wracking to video-tape an examination, at least this felt more like my usual work, and was the whole reason I was doing this process in the first place.

I was so excited when I was told I had successfully completed all of these components. I am immensely proud to be an APA Titled Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapist. I am already having more to do with the work of our special interest group through the APA, and I hope to be able to offer more patients services in Continence and Women’s Health in the future.

You can find out more about the Continence & Pelvic Floor work here, my pregnancy and post-natal work here, and my pre & post natal exercise classes here.

The post Becoming a Titled Physio: What It’s All About appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

Michelle has copped a lot of criticism from many people, including Women’s Health Physiotherapists, who have warned about the possible implications for her own body, as well as the poor example she is setting to other pregnant women, who may see her as a role model and aim to follow her example.

So what is the issue? Is this exercise inappropriate for pregnant women, and if so, why?

Firstly let’s look at exercise guidelines for pregnancy. Daily exercise, including aerobic and strength training, is recommended for pregnant women as long as there are no medical complications that would specifically exclude exercise.

While for many pregnant women, their daily exercise may be at a lower intensity than Michelle Bridges’ regime, we also need to take into account each woman’s starting fitness and activity level. If like her, your body is accustomed to working regularly at a higher intensity pre-pregnancy, you may be able to continue doing higher level aerobic and strength training during pregnancy, under the guidance of your medical practitioner or physio, and as long as you and your developing baby are not experiencing adverse symptoms.

In many ways, Michelle Bridges is setting a good example by continuing to exercise throughout her pregnancy, as unfortunately this is a time when many women cease regular exercise. The important thing is that you consult a health provider who understands about pregnancy exercise guidelines before starting, or continuing, with exercise during pregnancy.

So as Michelle Bridges was already exercising at a higher intensity, the debate isn’t over that, but over the exercises she was doing. Doing crunches on a gym ball is particularly controversial because the guidelines for exercise during pregnancy specifically recommend against a number of the components of this exercise past 16 weeks of pregnancy.

1. The first reason this is discouraged is the position of the exercise: supine (or lying on your back).

In supine, the weight of the uterus may obstruct blood flow to and from the heart to the uterus itself and the lower part of the woman’s body. This can result in postural hypotension, which when mild just makes you feel dizzy and nauseous, but could potentially detrimentally effect the foetal blood supply.

Although Michelle was lying over a ball, she is still supine, and therefore not following correct pregnancy exercise guidelines. While she and her baby may well be fine, it just shows although she is a personal trainer, she is not necessarily aware of the guidelines for exercising in pregnancy.

2. The second point of concern is that abdominal crunches are generally not recommended for pregnant women in the second and third trimester, as it is questionable as to whether that kind of load on the abdominal muscles is appropriate.

As the foetus grows, the abdominal muscles become thinner, wider, and have reduced strength and endurance. So can they cope with crunches?

3. The third issue is the risk of separation of the rectus muscles along their connection centrally through the linea alba, and‘doming’ of the abdominal wall.

If you look at the picture of Michelle Bridges,you can see there is a bulging (doming) along the mid-line of her abdomen between her ribs and navel – no, it’s not just the baby!

This is the main point of concern that has many people jumping up and down. This separation of the rectus muscles along the linea alba is called a rectus diastasis, which has been linked to pelvic and low back pain and may also impact on pelvic floor muscle function.

Traditionally women have been told that curl-up exercises would make a rectus diastasis worse. However, a recent study has shown curl-ups actually reduce the separation in both pregnant and postnatal women, whereas drawing-in exercises(activating the deep abdominal layer) may slightly widen it.

And possibly the depth of the diastasis and herniation (doming) of inner abdominal contents through this separation are more concerning than the width.

Certainly postnatally, many suggest a controlled curl-up can be a useful exercise for restoring abdominal muscle tone, improving function and narrowing the rectus distasis.

In pregnancy though, when the muscles are still stretched,we just don’t know. Either pre or postnatally, an uncontrolled curl-up with abdominal doming and pelvic floor pressure may do more harm than good.

So if you are pregnant and looking for exercise advice, make sure you talk with someone who specifically knows about exercise guidelines for pregnant and post-partum women. Many Women’s Health Physios are able to offer good advice on this.

To find out more or book an appointment with one of our Physiotherapists, call us on 8373 5655.

1 Gilleard WL and Brown JMM (1996): Structure and function ofthe abdominal muscles in primigravida during pregnancy and the immediatepost-birth period. Physical Therapy 76(7): 750-762.

2 Lee DG et al (2008): Stability, continence and breathing:The role of fascia following pregnancy and delivery. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies 12: 333-348.

3 Mota PGF et al (2015): Prevalence and risk factors ofdiastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, andrelationship with lumbo-pelvic pain. ManualTherapy 20: 200-205.

4 Mota PGF et al (2015): The immediate effects on inter-rectus distance of abdominalcrunch and drawing-in exercises during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports PhysicalTherapy 45 (10): 781-788.

5 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2006): Exercise inpregnancy. Statement no 4.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists(2012): Exercise during pregnancy.

The post Exercise & Pregnancy appeared first on Move for Better Health™.

These problems certainly get the most attention from the media and other sources, and are the type of issues most people associate with pelvic floor dysfunction. The take home message we generally receive is “do your pelvic floor exercises!” so this tends to be what most women resort to when faced with pelvic floor muscle disorders.

What if pelvic floor muscle weakness isn’t the source of your problem however?

What if you actually have the opposite problem, and suffer from pelvic floor over-activity and can’t relax these muscles properly? If you do, pelvic floor exercises may be making your problem worse in some cases. Awareness is growing as to the range and prevalence of pelvic floor muscle over-activity and its contribution to pelvic pain disorders.

This can start as a primary muscle disorder. For example the pelvic floor muscles may react to the stretch and trauma of child birth by going into spasm. The continued contraction of the muscles restricts blood flow to them, triggering the release of the same kind of chemicals released with cramp or a‘stitch’. This then produces pain, which can stimulate more muscle spasm, and so the cycle goes on.

Alternatively, pelvic floor muscle over-activity can be a secondary response. Irritation of surrounding pelvic regions, for example from a urinary tract infection or endometriosis, can sometimes trigger a corresponding inflammatory response in the pelvic floor muscles.

This can be related to a sensitised nervous system and a shared nerve supply of these different regions.Regardless of the initial trigger, pelvic floor muscle over-activity can result in a range of distressing symptoms. Affected women frequently describe pain in the pelvic region, which can be hard to localise.

They may have pain with intercourse (dyspareunia) or be unable to have intercourse at all, or even insert a tampon, due to a reflex spasm of the pelvic floor muscles (vaginismus). Some may suffer from urinary urgency, due to the bladder or urethra also becoming sensitised, which can be severely restrictive to normal lifestyle activities.

Others may also have urinary incontinence, as although the pelvic floor muscles are always ‘on’, they may not be able to generate a co-ordinated and appropriate response to a sudden increase in pressure on the pelvic floor, such as with a cough or sneeze. Many with pelvic floor muscle over-activity often report other related problems,such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or endometriosis.

Management of pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle over-activity is generally quite different to how we would manage a pelvic floor weakness problem.

Many women need to be taught how to relax their pelvic floor muscles. In some cases manual therapy to help release the muscle tightness can be useful, as can electrical stimulation to help with de-sensitising the pelvis (rather like a TENS unit we may use for chronic back pain).

Those who have multiple other problems, or who have had an extended pain episode, generally find a combined approach with medical management(medication), dieticians (if needed for IBS symptoms), psychologists and physiotherapy treatment works best for them.

The important message is that there is help out there.

Many with pelvic pain can feel they are alone in their diagnosis, or cannot get a diagnosis. However there are now many health professionals, including Gynaecologists, GPs and Physiotherapists who specialise in this area. There are also numerous support groups who offer advice and understanding. So you can get help to deal with your pain in the pelvis.

The post A Pain in the Pelvis: Pelvic Floor Over-activity appeared first on Move for Better Health™.