Yoga: A Secret Way to Take Charge of Pelvic Health

What do you think of when you think of yoga? Relaxation? Flexibility? Strength? Balance? Community? Sure, yoga can provide all these things, but were you also aware of the potential benefits to your pelvic floor? 

 

Surprising but true: Yoga is one of many tools that puts a patient in control of their own recovery, and that is something we love to see as physical therapists! Patients need interventions they can rely on when they are not in our offices. And even though yoga does not involve medicine or a physical therapist’s touch, you can still see big changes. It is such a powerful tool that even Herman & Wallace, a respected pelvic health institution, teaches it.

 

So what is yoga again, exactly? 

 

Yoga is a practice that uses breath, meditation and movement. It involves both the mind and the body, and has the ability to lower stress and blood pressure, promote weight loss or maintenance, and improve heart and blood vessel health. So you could be getting a lot of bang for your buck here!

 

Yoga’s long history

 

Its roots are deep — it was created over 5000 years ago in India, but yoga as we know and love it today spread in the West by the 1970s. The 1970s was a time, very much like now, when being healthy was popular. The natural food craze hit after the excesses of the 1950s and 60s, and activities like roller skating and jogging were being revived, so yoga fit right in! 

 

But how can yoga help?

 

Different poses help in different ways. According to US News & World Report, a squat can feel good if you have pelvic pain or tightness and improve bowel movements, while Yoga Journal reports that Reclining Bound Angle Pose can relax the vagus nerve, which in turn can contribute to the lessening of uncontrollable pelvic muscle contractions.

 

Where do I go for yoga that will help my pelvic floor?

 

Finding a good yoga teacher — especially one who understands the connection to the pelvic floor — might be a challenge. You shouldn’t just go anywhere. Your therapist is a great place to start for a recommendation. You can also ask him or her for yoga exercises you can do on your own. It might even be worth it to ask your local hospital. In New York, Northwell Health has created a yoga class for pelvic health, for instance. I personally like Your Pace Yoga, taught by Dustienne Miller, a board-certified physical therapist and yoga teacher, who offers at-home yoga instruction for constipation, vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis and more. 

 

Now that being said, you don’t want to cause any more pain. And although injuries aren’t super common in yoga, if you have hypermobility, you can have a higher chance of being hurt. Or yoga just might not feel right to you or be something you like to do. Never force it! Take your time. Read about it, like you are doing now! Especially ask your doctor if it is right for you, and come to your own conclusions. 

 

But once you safely embark on a regimen that includes yoga — along with other treatments from your physical therapist and medical team as needed — you may find yourself that much closer to the end of your healing journey. And as anyone who has recovered from pelvic floor dysfunction can tell you, that is an amazing place to be.

 

Resources:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/

 

https://www.everydayhealth.com/yoga/

 

https://www.realsimple.com/easy-pelvic-floor-exercises-7505291

 

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/slideshows/the-best-yoga-poses-for-male-pelvic-floor-health?slide=7

 

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/anatomy/pelvis/yoga-for-pelvic-floor-dysfunction/

 

https://yourpaceyoga.com/shop/

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/yoga-for-flexibility

 

https://www.nytimes.com/article/yoga-stress-relief.html

 

https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/history-of-yoga/the-roots-of-yoga/

 

https://www.uwhealth.org/news/preventing-yoga-injuries

 

https://archive.curbed.com/2014/10/23/10034408/history-of-the-roller-rink

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1979/09/30/the-runner-phenomenon-of-the-70s/ba9e2a3d-a353-4f89-a3ba-b8c38b354034/

 

https://hermanwallace.com/continuing-education-courses/yoga-for-pelvic-pain-remote-course#

 

https://www.mindbodyonline.com/explore/fitness/classes/yoga-for-pelvic-health-hatha-yoga-basics-northwell-wellness#245413499-2023-10-17

 

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/01/24/hippie-food-jonathan-kauffman

 

https://www.mindbodyonline.com/explore/fitness/classes/yoga-for-pelvic-health-hatha-yoga-basics-northwell-wellness#245413499-2023-10-17

 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/yoga-can-cause-injuries#benefits

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286745#history

Could Physical Therapy Be Even Better Than Surgery or Medicine?

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job as a pelvic floor physical therapist is helping patients realize that treating pelvic floor conditions doesn’t have to mean having surgery or taking medicine. Yes, surgery and medicine can be vital tools when the body is misbehaving, and you should always consult with your doctor when deciding on a treatment, but surgery and medicine are not without their drawbacks. Surgery is risky. Medicine can have side effects. Pelvic floor physical therapy is a less frightening option, and helps with a wide range of pelvic floor conditions.

In fact, according to UC San Diego Health, the majority of pelvic health conditions do not require surgery and can be resolved by more conservative methods, including the pelvic floor physical therapy I regularly administer in my practice as a pelvic floor physical therapist in New York City. Of course this isn’t just limited to the pelvic floor. Patients with other conditions can benefit from physical therapy as well. Harvard has noted how it can be “as good as surgery and less risky” for lumbar spinal stenosis, a form of low back pain.

The New York Times recently published an article entitled “When to Try Physical Therapy Before Surgery.” The article looks at Dr. Lindsey Plass, a physical therapist who was diagnosed with the hip issue femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (F.A.I.). A surgeon told her that she had to have hip arthroscopy if she wanted to have any chance to run in marathons ever again. Despite the recommendation, Plass was unsure it would help. But taking a chance on physical therapy paid off. She was able to get back into marathons and never had to go under the knife thanks to physical therapy.

One drawback to physical therapy? It can require more patience, as it is a process that can take months and sometimes years, but for so many, it is the better option. Still doubt the power of pelvic floor physical therapy? Many of my patients have seen life-changing improvements from the pelvic floor physical therapy they’ve received from Revitalize Physical Therapy. On my Google reviews page, for instance, Anya mentions how we cured (yes, cured!) her prolapsed bladder after childbirth in only a few weeks, while Elka raves about how I helped her diastasis recti, a postpartum abdominal muscle separation.

Do you have a pelvic floor condition that’s getting in the way of you being the best and happiest version of yourself? Or do you just feel weird “down there” and you’re not really sure what’s going on? Have you heard about pelvic floor physical therapy, and are you perhaps curious how or if it might be able to help? It costs nothing to find out if pelvic floor physical therapy can
change your life, and you have everything to gain! Click the button on the upper right corner of this page to schedule a free phone consultation with me to discuss the difference pelvic floor physical therapy can make in your life.

Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22346-diastasis-recti
https://health.ucsd.edu/care/gynecology/urogynecology/#treatmenthttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/in-depth/bladder-control-
problems/art-20044220
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/colorectal-surgery/pelvic.html

https://www.ajmc.com/view/pelvic-floor-disorders-part-2-barriers-to-effective-treatment
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/physical-therapy-as-good-as-surgery-and-less-risky-for-one-
type-of-lower-back-pain-201504097863

                   ©2024 Revitalize Physical Therapy | 630 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10040 | 214 W 85th St, New York, NY 10024 | 3736 Henry Hudson Pkwy, Bronx, NY 10463
732-595-1DPT (1378) | riva@revitalizephysicaltherapy.com

Stay Connected:
Site Design by GMCT Solutions LLC