I recently started offering pelvic health physical therapy services at our latest Activcore studio in Littleton, Colorado. It is located within a popular OB/GYN practice called Women’s Health Care Associates. This new venture has given me an opportunity to learn more about this amazing group of medical providers in the Denver area.

A diastasis recti (DR) occurs when the rectus abdominis, your 6-pack muscles, separate in the front of the body. This commonly occurs during pregnancy but can also be found in persons with stomach obesity. As the abdomen increases in size, it stretches the front abdominal wall leaving the linea alba (connective tissue between your abdominal muscles) vulnerable to separation.

The evidence for treating musculoskeletal pain has remained consistent over the years. It supports two basic aspects of physical therapy: to move your joints and to understand pain science. So why, early on in my career, was it so hard for me to successfully treat patients in pain? I guess moving without pain is harder than you might think. Just ask the old me that didn’t have access to a “zero-gravity” suspension exercise system.

Did you know that endometriosis affects 1 out of 10 women during their reproductive years (usually between the ages of 15-49), or about 15% of women worldwide (endometriosis.org)? The symptoms of endometriosis are cyclical debilitating painful periods, but can progress to chronic pelvic and abdominal pain, pain with intercourse, potentially leading to infertility.

As a physical therapist who specializes in the pelvic floor, I can assess, diagnose, prevent and prescribe treatment of pelvic floor related conditions. These dysfunctions include urinary incontinence, bladder and bowel dysfunctions, sensory issues and pain around pelvis, pain with sex and other sexual related dysfunctions, pelvic organ prolapse, pregnancy and postpartum recovery and more.

Has anyone taught you how to push your baby out during delivery? Are you experiencing any urinary incontinence, low back pain, pelvic/pubic pain, constipation, etc. and you're pregnant? Come learn the mechanics on how your pelvic floor works, exercises you can be doing during your pregnancy, exercises you can do before your 6 week postpartum check up, and a few other topics you don't want to miss.

If you have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, have undergone treatment, or you are a cancer survivor or thriver, check out this free one-hour Zoom webinar about how breast cancer impacts your pelvic health and how physical therapy can address these impairments.

Dr. Ashley Newton now teaches a weekly 60-minute LYT Yoga® Class for Pelvic Health via Zoom every Friday morning. This online class is designed to weave pelvic health concepts into the LYT framework. Concepts that are focused on include: coordination of breathing, pelvic floor contraction and relaxation, and core stabilization within the yoga flow.

While only a part of my life’s story, I had breast cancer in 2017. I am grateful to report I’ve been in remission since October of the same year. I was lucky enough to have already been accepted to PT school and knew the need to have PT to prepare for surgery, regain function and strength after my surgeries, and combat the horrid fatigue that was associated with chemotherapy. Prior to my double mastectomy, I was a very flexible yoga practitioner. After my double mastectomy, I could not lift my arm above my shoulder.

Do you need to rush to the bathroom when you hear running water or right after you park your car in the driveway? Ever pee, even a little, when you sneeze, cough, laugh, run, or jump? Do you have difficulty starting your stream of urine or need to go again right after you’ve peed? Check out this free webinar to learn how to control this.