Pelvic Health By: Rochelle Cowan, Women’s Health Physiotherapist
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here is a mitzvah in the Torah that tells us 'ׁשתֵיכ ֶם ֹ ְמאֹד לְנַפ ְ ׁשמַרְ ּתֶם ְ ִ 'ו ְנ- we are commanded to look after our bodies a lot. It is one of the only places in the Torah where the word מאֹד ְ - a lot, is used, which highlights the importance of this mitzvah. ׁשתֵיכ ֶם ֹ ְ נַפencompasses our mental, emotional and physical health and it is the responsibility of each person to look after themselves in all of these ways. As Jewish women, we have the potential to place a lot of strain on our pelvic floor muscles throughout our life cycles, and it is important to know the best way to take care of them. As many as a mind-blowing thirty three percent of women will experience some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction in their lives, yet unfortunately, only a small percentage of those will seek help. What are the pelvic floor muscles? The pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that sit like a hammock at the bottom of our pelvis. They have a number of functions in the body including bladder and bowel control and pelvic organ support. They also help to form ‘the core’ which creates our internal stability and gives us the strength to be able to live strong and healthy lifestyles. We use our core in a variety of functions of daily living, for example lifting, pushing buggies, sneezing, coughing, exercise and running. As women, we go through many different phases and stages in our lives from childbirth all the way through to menopause, and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction can occur at any stage. Symptoms can include urinary leakage, urgency and frequency, constipation, pelvic pressure or persistent pelvic pain. It is important to recognise that these symptoms, although common, are NOT normal and there is freely available help. A very common treatment for some women who suffer from pelvic disorders is to strengthen the pelvic floor by incorporating easy pelvic exercises into their everyday life. For those who would like
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to give them a try, here are three basic ones that you can do at home. 1. Breathing: allow the air to reach all the way down to your belly, and feel the pelvic floor expand with your breath. A nice position to do this in is lying on your back. Take 4 deep breaths, hold for 2-3 seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat 4 times. 2. Upon exhaling, squeeze your pelvic floor and hold for up to 10 seconds, making sure you are breathing at the same time. Repeat 10 times. 3. Upon exhaling, squeeze your pelvic floor. Hold for 1 second and release. Repeat 10 times. It is possible to perform a pelvic floor contraction incorrectly. If any symptoms increase, or if you are not sure that you are performing them correctly, then it is advisable to get checked by a Women’s Health physiotherapist who can help to teach and guide you. Rochelle Cowan is an Australian physiotherapist who currently lives and practices in London. After qualifying in 2001, she went on to obtain a post-graduate certificate in exercise for women. She uses her life experiences along with her professional knowledge to provide evidencebased treatment to help women alleviate their symptoms. Rochelle uses a very holistic approach to her work and her aim is to empower women with knowledge and tools to deal with their conditions and to normalise the conversation surrounding pelvic health. Whatever the goal, she will give you the tools and knowledge to improve your condition. Rochelle can be reached on 07415 50 5858, or through her website: vital-physio.co.uk
