Did you know that there are physical therapists who focus especially on female issues? In fact, there are physical therapists here in St. Louis who are Board Certified in Women’s Health Physical Therapy (WCS).
There are multiple times in a woman’s life in which physical therapy may be appropriate. We will talk about 2 important time periods in this article: 1) during pregnancy, and 2) postpartum
DURING PREGNANCY
Physical therapy can be a wonderful adjunct care provider during pregnancy to help with common pain complaints such as:
- Low back pain
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Sciatica
- Pelvic and pubic pain
- Foot pain
- Incontinence (bladder leakage)
- Round ligament pain
Physical therapy treatment during pregnancy may include:
- Posture education to avoid injury and decrease pain
- Manual therapy to restore alignment and improve soft tissue guarding
- Therapeutic exercises for improving muscle performance and posture
- Abdominal and pelvic floor training
- Fitting for various support belts to help with stability and pain
If you are like many pregnant women, you may have concern about what exercises are appropriate during pregnancy. A physical therapist is a great resource for instruction on the do’s and don’ts of exercise during pregnancy.
POSTPARTUM
The stresses of pregnancy, vaginal deliveries, and C-sections may lead to myofascial complications following the birth of the baby. Many women suffer in silence because they feel their symptoms are “Normal” after they have a baby. Fortunately, many of these symptoms can be easily treated by a physical therapist specializing in postpartum care.
Common Postpartum Complaints include:
- Low back and lower extremity pain
- Upper back and neck pain associated with breastfeeding
- Upper extremity pain or numbness associated with child care
- Diastasis recti: Separation of the abdominal muscles which commonly occurs during healthy pregnancies.
- Pain with intercourse or orgasm
- Clitoral, vaginal, rectal, pubic, or tailbone pain
- Pain and decreased mobility at scar of C-Section, episiotomy, or perineal tear
- Pelvic floor weakness
- Prolapse
- Urinary or fecal incontinence
- Urgency and frequency
- Pelvic pain
How Physical Therapy Can Help:
- Soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, deep tissue massage
- Therapeutic exercise for improving abdominal and pelvic floor muscle performance
- Posture, lifting techniques and biomechanics
- Home exercise program
- Abdominal binder/brace fitting
- Scar massage
- Therapeutic ultrasound to breakup clogged milk ducts
- Modalities for pain control
- Instruction in return to exercise safely
- Instruction in proper lifting/carrying of baby, stroller walking, and other activities of daily living to avoid injury
Pregnancy, childbirth and childcare are all events that result in significant physical changes and new stresses on a woman’s body. Women’s Health Physical Therapists are specifically trained to meet the special needs of women during this time of their lives and beyond.
Call us today at 636-225-3649 to set up your FREE SCREENING to see if physical therapy is right for you.
