The Pelvic Floor and Menopause

Yoga is a centuries-old practice but oftentimes, teachers have not adapted the style of teaching to reflect the demands of modern day life. If we take a critical lens to the demands of the modern worker, we see more sitting, phone use, and overall sedentary lifestyle than ever before. These prolonged postures have an effect on our muscles and posture in a way that we may not be aware of when we walk into a yoga class.

Why does my tailbone hurt when I sit on my once comfy couch? This question may become relevant for many of us during this COVID-19 pandemic.

June is Men’s Health Month. In the past, our blog has featured articles on men’s sexual health that have mostly focused on pain with sexual interactions. However, what if you don’t have pain with sexual interactions, but you are left troubled or dissatisfied following sex and/or intimacy? Would this issue be categorized as a sexual dysfunction?

In a time where we are fed article titles that boast ‘best ergonomic chair’ and ‘standing desks for home office’, we have become obsessed with the idea of ‘perfect’ posture and those devices marketed to us to correct ‘bad posture’. But what are we really looking for with these devices and what are we getting out of them?

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.

The average age of onset of menopause is 51 years old. Perimenopause begins in the 40s and continues into the late 50s. Menopause occurs when the menstrual cycle ends permanently due to the decrease in ovarian oocytes as a natural result of the aging process. Given that the pelvic floor tissues are extremely androgen receptive and are a part of the reproductive system, a change in hormonal levels undoubtedly has an effect on these tissues.

When you begin an exercise routine, it is helpful to develop a goal for yourself so that you stay on track. When making your goals, keep them simple and SMART. When goals are SMART, they give you the opportunity to make a concrete plan. SMART is the acronym for all components of a well-planned goal.

We depend on our nervous system to help us interpret the world around us. Our autonomic nervous system is the part of our body that gives us ‘fight or flight’ or ‘rest and digest’ responses. Fight or flight responses are directed by the sympathetic nervous system, while rest and digest responses by the parasympathetic system. However, in our modern day world, this part of our nervous system is challenged in an unprecedented way...

Pelvic floor strength is more than just the ability to squeeze the muscles while waiting in line for the bathroom. Pelvic floor muscle functioning is about a muscle’s ability to adapt and the amount of muscle activity it is able to generate and coordinate. So let’s dive into pelvic floor muscle functioning and adaptability in pelvic floor strength and overall pelvic health. 

‍‍Yes! If you have a pelvis, you have a pelvic floor which means that there is opportunity for that pelvic floor to be dysfunctional. The male pelvic floor has two fewer muscles than the female pelvic floor. There's also the prostate. But otherwise, the muscular anatomy is largely the same. Believe it or not, male and female anatomy have the same amount of erectile tissue!

When it comes to disordered eating and body image, the experience is physical as well as emotional. In treatment, one explores and works to change one’s relationship with food, self, others and beyond. Treatments often utilize a team approach and can include a psychologist, social worker, dietitian or nutritionist, and medical doctors. What may not be known, however, is the relationship between eating disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction and how a pelvic floor physical therapist can help.

Vaginal flatulence, queefing, or farting from your vagina. These are all the same thing and can take you by surprise when you're moving through a yoga class. So what is vaginal flatulence? Is it actually gas like what passes through your rectum? Short answer: vaginal flatulence is when air that is trapped in the vagina is released. It is not created by digestion but rather by air that gets trapped as we move through space.

The winter holidays are a special time of year for many. They are filled with family get-togethers, delicious treats, and heart-warming traditions. For as sweet and jolly as this time of year can be, it can also be a sneaky pelvic floor saboteur! Watch out for the following things around the holidays so you can be prepared to keep your pelvic floor happy...

Many people who give birth are ‘cleared’ at either 6 or 8 weeks by their medical provider. However, there is often a lot of confusion about what exactly someone is cleared for at that early postpartum checkup. Many people have questions about when they can resume exercising and often interpret that 6 or 8 week checkup as the green light to start their pre-partum exercise routine.

Intra-abdominal pressure is the pressure within the abdominal cavity created by the interaction between the abdominal wall and organs. This pressure changes with breathing and the resistance from the abdominal wall. When you are lifting an object or even lifting a limb, you increase intra-abdominal pressure.