Tag Archive for: pelvic health

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Physical therapy services at MOVE Wellness

MOVE is thrilled to be partnering with Melissa Trauger to provide on-site physical therapy services at the studio to pelvic health and orthopedic populations. 

“We know that a continuum of care is important to our clients as they work to get stronger and care for their unique bodies. Partnering with Melissa means that it will be easy for clients to have collaborative care right in the building. Working with a PT who understands the impact and scope of Pilates and GYROTONIC® exercise is the best service possible for our clients. Not only is Melissa a highly skilled orthopedic and pelvic floor specialist Physical Therapist, she shares our values and commitment to care for our clients. We could not be more excited to welcome her to the studio.”

—Elaine Economou, MOVE Wellness Co-Founder 

“I am extremely excited to partner with MOVE Wellness to provide on-site physical therapy services to the pelvic health and orthopedic populations of Southeast Michigan. My mission is to improve and maintain your quality of life when it comes to your specific goals, as well as, to bring awareness to an aspect of life (ahem, pelvic health) that should be talked and taught about, early and often.”

—Melissa Trauger, Rhapsody of Motion Concierge Physical Therapy

Benefits of physical therapy at MOVE

Collaborating with area physicians and physical therapists is important to providing our clients an excellent continuum of care. Quite often, when clients are working through a particular issue in their body, it is helpful to work in partnership with their physical therapist (or another medical professional like a DO or Physiatrist) to provide manual therapy, assess injuries and collaborate on movement goals. Post surgical clients can benefit in particular. Our scope of practice is movement and working with healthcare professionals for diagnosis and care plans for post-surgery, neurological issues or pain is the best service possible for our clients. 

Long time clients may recall our previous partnership with Julie Simpson of Mend PT so we know how well this kind of partnership can work. We are now so happy to be partnering with Melissa Trauger and Rhapsody of Motion to again offer PT services within MOVE. Melissa works independently inside MOVE Wellness studios, but is knowledgeable about the systems we teach. She is also an eager student of Pilates and GYROTONIC® exercise herself, which is key for us. 

Melissa works with orthopedic issues and has a special focus on pelvic floor dysfunction. We know that this affects both women and men and can play a role in low back pain, and hip issues. Pelvic floor PT can also be part of the solution for imbalances throughout the body. At MOVE we work a lot to help people have a healthy functioning pelvic floor. So much of what we teach focuses on coordinating breath with movement and the pelvic floor is part of the musculature involved in breathing. Working with Melissa can help clients identify pelvic floor imbalances and learn to release the muscles and regain coordination. She will be a wonderful resource for our clients to help resolve a number of issues.

Meet Melissa Trauger

Melissa Trauger is a physical therapist who treats patients with the mindset that everything is connected in the chaos of the body. This view, along with her love of music, led her to finding the rhapsody within the human body. Both require many moving parts working in concert creating harmonious movement.

Melissa received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Dayton in 2016, and continues her education to diversify her skills when treating pelvic health and orthopedic populations. Her undergraduate was spent at the University of Michigan where she earned a B.S. in Movement Science. She followed that up with several years spent in Chicago working as a massage therapist and personal trainer.

When Melissa isn’t helping her clients relieve their physical pain, she spends her time with her husband, Ryan, and their dog, Coco. She enjoys writing and playing music, running, and providing comedic relief among friends and family.

Start Now

By partnering with MOVE, Melissa can promote early access to physical therapy through individualized care that includes manual therapy, neuromuscular re-education, therapeutic exercise, and more. Please feel free to reach out to Melissa directly via the contact information below to schedule a call and learn more!

Rhapsody of Motion Concierge Physical Therapy
Phone: 734-519-0020
Email: info@rhapsodyofmotion.com
Website: www.rhapsodyofmotion.com
Instagram/Facebook: @rhapsodyofmotion

Book your appointment directly with Melissa online, by email, or by calling 734-519-0020.

BOOK NOW
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Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Pilates for pelvic floor health

We’re proud to share that this blog post has been published in the April 2022 issue of The Brick Magazine!

One of the most important things to understand about pelvic health is that your pelvis is part of a larger integrated system. Each of us has a unique physical structure. And once we take the time to understand the structure of our bodies and how individual parts work together, developing our overall health and well-being becomes considerably easier.

Equally important is the simple fact that anyone can improve their pelvic floor health through smart, effective movement and exercise. Simple Pilates exercises can help strengthen your pelvic floor and bring more awareness to your body.

Sign up for an introductory package for an assessment of your individual needs and customized instruction.  

A Pilates trainer explaining pelvic anatomy to a client

What is the pelvic floor?

Your pelvic floor is a network of muscles that spread across the bottom of your pelvic cavity like a hammock. They have many functions including supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum. They also help to withstand increases in pressure that occur in the abdomen with activities such as coughing and sneezing, and they help to enhance the sexual response. These are the muscles you are targeting when doing Kegels. 

Many women have probably heard of Kegels, but did you know that studies have shown that most women are unable to perform a proper Kegel contraction without some education? It takes diligence, awareness, and practice to perform an effective pelvic floor contraction or a Kegel. This is where body awareness and Pilates can be helpful.

Benefits of Pilates for the pelvic floor

  • Releases stress 
  • Relieves low back pain
  • Builds core strength 
  • Helps improve pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence

“How can I tighten my pelvic floor muscles fast?” It’s not just about Kegel exercises

When it comes to your pelvic health, “slow and steady” truly does win the race. Unfortunately, so many of us are taught to approach exercise fast and furiously. So, if you’re one of those people who always assumed that any good exercise requires squeezing the bejesus out of whatever muscle you’re trying to work, congratulations, you don’t have to do that anymore.

True pelvic health means moving beyond the notion of simply doing targeted exercises like Kegels and muscling through things, and instead working more organically, starting with our basic alignment and breath.

Performing isometric exercises like Kegels without a basic understanding of your own structure and the shape and needs of your pelvic floor can actually have a negative impact. Which is why working through pelvic pain or discomfort is never a good idea. The goal is always to reconnect your body’s natural movement system to restore healthy patterns.

A Pilates trainer working with a client on the Cadillac

Gentle Pilates, GYROTONIC® exercise and pelvic floor awareness

Engaging in specific simple exercises on a daily basis will have the greatest impact on your body. Which is why working with someone who has professional expertise can be essential for starting things off right.

Movement professionals such as pelvic health physical therapists, Pilates instructors and GYROTONIC® method trainers can see things in your body and the way you move that you simply can’t or are not yet aware of. Having eyes on your body in that way can help you more quickly unravel any postural issues or imbalances you might have and help you find proper alignment to help you work effectively on your own.

Just becoming aware of your pelvic floor – what it is and how it feels – is a helpful first step for most of us. Because although we think we understand it in theory, many of us very rarely take the time to stop and get a true sense of how it feels. You can help build awareness of the pelvic floor with these four easy steps: 

Step 1: Try this exercise for pelvic floor awareness

Sit upright on a chair with a lengthened spine. Take a few deep breaths, letting your ribs expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.

Take notice of the bony parts on either side of your pelvis, which are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” While continuing to sit upright, just gently rock from side to side, from one sits bone to the other. As you do this, try to imagine your Take notice of the bony parts on either side of your pelvis, which are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” While continuing to sit upright, just gently rock from side to side, from one sits bone to the other. As you do this, try to imagine your tailbone in the back and your pubis symphisis in the front, which is the joint between your two pubic bones. You won’t really be able to feel the tailbone or pubis symphisis, but imagining them centrally situated in relation to your sits bones can give you an overall sense of your pelvic floor.

A MOVE Trainer sitting on a Gyrokinesis stool

Step 2: Gentle engagement of the pelvic floor

Now with all those four points in mind, settle into the middle of your chair again and think about the tissue contained within those four points. That’s what you want to think about when we talk about engaging the pelvic floor. But that engagement should be a subtle sensation, not an intense squeeze.

The muscles and tissue here work differently; it’s not like flexing a bicep or squeezing a glute muscle. Performing gentle Kegels should feel like a lift and narrowing of the pelvic floor tissue rather than a squeeze.

Step 3: Learning to breathe optimally

Breathing. Meditation. Mindfulness. We talk and hear about these concepts a lot, and know they’re important. But it can be hard to really understand why and then put them into practice in ways we find useful.

Breath work is what I like to think of as a “clean slate” exercise. We have little to no sense of how we actually feel or what’s going on with our bodies if we don’t take a moment to breath first. For most of us, we often skip this step simply because we feel like we don’t have the time for it. But beginning with the breath gives us a starting point; a place where we can become aware of what’s happening with our body and can gauge any changes as we progress through movement.

A MOVE Trainer stretching in an X shape on the floor

You can work on breathing while sitting upright or lying down. Start by simply letting your body relax and taking a few easy breaths. And as you breath, notice where you feel the breath expanding in your body. Chest? Ribs? Belly?

From there, picture your full ribcage. And as you breath, think about sending the breath into the back and sides of the ribcage.

Then, imagine your body as similar to a balloon. On the inhale, fill the balloon with air, and then picture the tissue and muscles of your pelvic floor gently lifting with the balloon on the exhale, all while keeping the rest of your body fairly still.

Your abdominals might contract slightly, but otherwise you should try not to move your pelvis, glutes or hip flexors. Keep your bones and bigger muscles still.

Step 4: Gentle breathing and lifting the pelvic floor

It will take some time and practice to do this without automatically trying to force or overwork your muscles. And that’s why starting small with that simple pelvic awareness is important. It helps you build the organic contractions and stimulation you’re aiming for and avoid any bearing down or pushing out. Ultimately, it should feel as though there’s a little sling or hammock lifting everything up and releasing down.

Safe, effective pelvic floor exercises

There are several simple, everyday Pilates exercises focusing on the spine, hips, abdominals and legs that are perfect for building and maintaining pelvic health. And you’ve most likely heard about or tried at least a few of them.

Stretches for the back and spine such as cat stretch, hip rolls, hip release and spinal rotation. Simple abdominal exercises like leg slides, single leg lifts and the side leg series. All of these stretches and exercises can be learned quickly and easily performed at home on a daily basis.

MOVE Co-Founder Elaine Economou doing a hip roll exercise

Learn pelvic health exercises with gentle Pilates training

The primary reason we encourage newcomers at MOVE to sign up for an introductory package is because it’s hands down the best way for us to assess your individual needs and help you develop a safe, effective routine going forward.

One size does not fit all when it comes to our bodies and our pelvic health (or anything else for that matter), which makes customized instruction essential. Having expert eyes properly assess your body’s movement patterns and then having a one-on-one conversation with someone about your individual lifestyle and health goals is something we all need and deserve.

A Pilates Reformer small group class

Private Pilates training vs. small group classes

For some people, starting with private training to get that extra individual support works best. And for others, signing up for gentle and beginner level Pilates classes and Gyrokinesis classes after an initial assessment is the perfect way to get hands-on training in a small, supportive group environment.

Ready to find that pelvic lift? Call our studio at 734-224-2560 or email us at office@movewellness.com to sign up for an introductory session today.

There will be no pelvic floor left behind!

/0 Comments

Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Pilates for pelvic floor health

We’re proud to share that this blog post has been published in the April 2022 issue of The Brick Magazine!

One of the most important things to understand about pelvic health is that your pelvis is part of a larger integrated system. Each of us has a unique physical structure. And once we take the time to understand the structure of our bodies and how individual parts work together, developing our overall health and well-being becomes considerably easier.

Equally important is the simple fact that anyone can improve their pelvic floor health through smart, effective movement and exercise. Simple Pilates exercises can help strengthen your pelvic floor and bring more awareness to your body.

Sign up for an introductory session for an assessment of your individual needs and customized instruction.  

A Pilates trainer explaining pelvic anatomy to a client

What is the pelvic floor?

Your pelvic floor is a network of muscles that spread across the bottom of your pelvic cavity like a hammock. They have many functions including supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum. They also help to withstand increases in pressure that occur in the abdomen with activities such as coughing and sneezing, and they help to enhance the sexual response. These are the muscles you are targeting when doing Kegels. 

Many women have probably heard of Kegels, but did you know that studies have shown that most women are unable to perform a proper Kegel contraction without some education? It takes diligence, awareness, and practice to perform an effective pelvic floor contraction or a Kegel. This is where body awareness and Pilates can be helpful.

Benefits of Pilates for the pelvic floor

  • Releases stress 
  • Relieves low back pain
  • Builds core strength 
  • Helps improve pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence

“How can I tighten my pelvic floor muscles fast?” It’s not just about Kegel exercises

When it comes to your pelvic health, “slow and steady” truly does win the race. Unfortunately, so many of us are taught to approach exercise fast and furiously. So, if you’re one of those people who always assumed that any good exercise requires squeezing the bejesus out of whatever muscle you’re trying to work, congratulations, you don’t have to do that anymore.

True pelvic health means moving beyond the notion of simply doing targeted exercises like Kegels and muscling through things, and instead working more organically, starting with our basic alignment and breath.

Performing isometric exercises like Kegels without a basic understanding of your own structure and the shape and needs of your pelvic floor can actually have a negative impact. Which is why working through pelvic pain or discomfort is never a good idea. The goal is always to reconnect your body’s natural movement system to restore healthy patterns.

A Pilates trainer working with a client on the Cadillac

Gentle Pilates, GYROTONIC® exercise and pelvic floor awareness

Engaging in specific simple exercises on a daily basis will have the greatest impact on your body. Which is why working with someone who has professional expertise can be essential for starting things off right.

Movement professionals such as pelvic health physical therapists, Pilates instructors and GYROTONIC® method trainers can see things in your body and the way you move that you simply can’t or are not yet aware of. Having eyes on your body in that way can help you more quickly unravel any postural issues or imbalances you might have and help you find proper alignment to help you work effectively on your own.

Just becoming aware of your pelvic floor – what it is and how it feels – is a helpful first step for most of us. Because although we think we understand it in theory, many of us very rarely take the time to stop and get a true sense of how it feels. You can help build awareness of the pelvic floor with these four easy steps: 

Step 1: Try this exercise for pelvic floor awareness

Sit upright on a chair with a lengthened spine. Take a few deep breaths, letting your ribs expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.

Take notice of the bony parts on either side of your pelvis, which are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” While continuing to sit upright, just gently rock from side to side, from one sits bone to the other. As you do this, try to imagine your Take notice of the bony parts on either side of your pelvis, which are commonly referred to as your “sits bones.” While continuing to sit upright, just gently rock from side to side, from one sits bone to the other. As you do this, try to imagine your tailbone in the back and your pubis symphisis in the front, which is the joint between your two pubic bones. You won’t really be able to feel the tailbone or pubis symphisis, but imagining them centrally situated in relation to your sits bones can give you an overall sense of your pelvic floor.

A MOVE Trainer sitting on a Gyrokinesis stool

Step 2: Gentle engagement of the pelvic floor

Now with all those four points in mind, settle into the middle of your chair again and think about the tissue contained within those four points. That’s what you want to think about when we talk about engaging the pelvic floor. But that engagement should be a subtle sensation, not an intense squeeze.

The muscles and tissue here work differently; it’s not like flexing a bicep or squeezing a glute muscle. Performing gentle Kegels should feel like a lift and narrowing of the pelvic floor tissue rather than a squeeze.

Step 3: Learning to breathe optimally

Breathing. Meditation. Mindfulness. We talk and hear about these concepts a lot, and know they’re important. But it can be hard to really understand why and then put them into practice in ways we find useful.

Breath work is what I like to think of as a “clean slate” exercise. We have little to no sense of how we actually feel or what’s going on with our bodies if we don’t take a moment to breath first. For most of us, we often skip this step simply because we feel like we don’t have the time for it. But beginning with the breath gives us a starting point; a place where we can become aware of what’s happening with our body and can gauge any changes as we progress through movement.

A MOVE Trainer stretching in an X shape on the floor

You can work on breathing while sitting upright or lying down. Start by simply letting your body relax and taking a few easy breaths. And as you breath, notice where you feel the breath expanding in your body. Chest? Ribs? Belly?

From there, picture your full ribcage. And as you breath, think about sending the breath into the back and sides of the ribcage.

Then, imagine your body as similar to a balloon. On the inhale, fill the balloon with air, and then picture the tissue and muscles of your pelvic floor gently lifting with the balloon on the exhale, all while keeping the rest of your body fairly still.

Your abdominals might contract slightly, but otherwise you should try not to move your pelvis, glutes or hip flexors. Keep your bones and bigger muscles still.

Step 4: Gentle breathing and lifting the pelvic floor

It will take some time and practice to do this without automatically trying to force or overwork your muscles. And that’s why starting small with that simple pelvic awareness is important. It helps you build the organic contractions and stimulation you’re aiming for and avoid any bearing down or pushing out. Ultimately, it should feel as though there’s a little sling or hammock lifting everything up and releasing down.

Safe, effective pelvic floor exercises

There are several simple, everyday Pilates exercises focusing on the spine, hips, abdominals and legs that are perfect for building and maintaining pelvic health. And you’ve most likely heard about or tried at least a few of them.

Stretches for the back and spine such as cat stretch, hip rolls, hip release and spinal rotation. Simple abdominal exercises like leg slides, single leg lifts and the side leg series. All of these stretches and exercises can be learned quickly and easily performed at home on a daily basis.

MOVE Co-Founder Elaine Economou doing a hip roll exercise

Learn pelvic health exercises with gentle Pilates training

The primary reason we encourage newcomers at MOVE to sign up for an introductory session is because it’s hands down the best way for us to assess your individual needs and help you develop a safe, effective routine going forward.

One size does not fit all when it comes to our bodies and our pelvic health (or anything else for that matter), which makes customized instruction essential. Having expert eyes properly assess your body’s movement patterns and then having a one-on-one conversation with someone about your individual lifestyle and health goals is something we all need and deserve.

A Pilates Reformer small group class

Private Pilates training vs. small group classes

For some people, starting with private training to get that extra individual support works best. And for others, signing up for gentle and beginner level Pilates classes and Gyrokinesis classes after an initial assessment is the perfect way to get hands-on training in a small, supportive group environment.

Ready to find that pelvic lift? Call our studio at 734-224-2560 or email us at office@movewellness.com to sign up for an introductory session today.

There will be no pelvic floor left behind!

/0 Comments

Break Free from Pelvic Floor Disorders

Break Free from Pelvic Floor Disorders

Did you know that 1 in 3 women suffer from or will develop a pelvic floor disorder during their lifetime?

Pelvic floor disorders are problems related to bladder, bowel and sexual function. They include different types of urine leakage (incontinence) or bladder control problems like going frequently, getting up at night to urinate, or getting strong, uncontrollable urges to urinate. Pelvic floor disorders also include problems related to the bowels such as accidental loss of gas or stool. Finally, a condition known as prolapse, which is a feeling that the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, vagina or rectum) are bulging or falling out, is also a pelvic floor disorder.

The risk for pelvic floor disorders increases with age. While these conditions are often linked to having children, there are other reasons they can develop. There are also many conditions that make pelvic floor disorders worse that can be managed with relative ease. Many women suffer silently from these conditions. They assume that these conditions are a normal part of the aging process. They also assume that because their mother or sister had it, then they are destined to get it too.

Fortunately pelvic floor disorder are not life threatening. They primarily affect a woman’s quality of life. That means that they do not have to be treated right away. Depending on how bothersome the condition is, a watch and wait approach is often acceptable. However, a thorough evaluation is needed first to ensure it is safe to wait.

Once a pelvic floor disorder affects a woman’s quality of life, there are a number of treatment options available. Many of these options are conservative and non-invasive like lifestyle, behavior, or diet changes. Other treatments include medications, physical therapy and surgery in some cases. Each woman is different; therefore each woman’s treatment plan will be different.

Be open with your doctor about your symptoms and ask about treatment options. You can also ask about seeing a specialist and request a referral if needed. There are qualified specialists in your area that are willing to help you break free from pelvic floor disorders.

To learn more about about pelvic health and incontinence, join us for Incontinence Night at MOVE Wellness Studios, on May 4th. Click here for more information.

This article was originally published at www.ihacares.com by Dr. Adam Ziff on October 20, 2014, and was updated on March 30, 2017.

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How Pilates & Gyrotonic Can Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Urinary Incontinence – Are You Among the 1 in 3?

Urinary Incontinence – are you familiar with these words? I am sure you have heard the joke – “laugh until you leak” or seen the commercials for “discrete pads for women”.  Odds are, if you are a woman, then you or someone close to you is dealing with incontinence on a daily basis. Studies have shown that 1 in 3 women suffer from urinary incontinence – which is an uncontrollable loss of urine.  There are two main types of urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence which is when you “leak” when you cough, laugh, sneeze etc, and urge urinary incontinence which is the “gotta go” feeling some women experience and are then unable to hold their urine.  It is also possible to have a little bit of both types of incontinence which is referred to as mixed urinary incontinence. You may have heard from friends or read online that at certain times in your life incontinence is inevitable, like when you are pregnant, if  you have had multiple children, if you are nearing menopause, or if you are a runner. Well, I have great news for you! You are not destined to have “leaky faucets” just because you fall into any of these categories. There are steps you can take to help improve and even resolve incontinence.

Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor

The key to helping to gain your life back from incontinence lies in a few muscles that most people are unaware they have, or unaware of their function…the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor is a network of muscles that spread across the bottom of your pelvic cavity like a hammock. They have many functions including supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum. They also help to withstand increases in pressure that occur in the abdomen with activities such as coughing and sneezing, and they help to enhance the sexual response. These are the muscles you are targeting when doing kegels. Many women have probably heard of kegels, but did you know that studies have shown that most women are unable to perform a proper kegel contraction without some education? It takes diligence, awareness, and practice to perform an effective pelvic floor contraction or a kegel.

How Pilates & Gyrotonic Targets the Pelvic Floor

At MOVE Wellness Studios in our Pilates and GYROTONIC sessions, the pelvic floor is a target of our connection to the “core” and we cue and train the contraction of these muscles as regular part of our private sessions and classes.  You learn how to do this in your first session and we work to build tone of the pelvic floor and other related muscles.  As small, local stabilizing muscles, it takes a little bit of time and focus to “feel” this area of our body work but quite often, learning to breathe in a way that supports toning the pelvic floor has other benefits such as releasing stress, relieving low back pain and building core strength.

Kegel Exercise to Strengthen the Pelvic Floor

  • Sit on a flat surface like a chair or bench with a rolled up towel or pillow between your knees.
  • Take a few breaths releasing your shoulders and sitting up tall with your feet flat on the floor.
  • Take a breath in to prepare and on your first exhale gently squeeze the towel.  Notice the area of your pelvis that is in contact with the chair.
  • On your second exhale, try to lift the center of your body off the chair, while gently squeezing the towel.  Do not contract  your large gluteus muscles but keep the focus more to the center and keep it very gentle.
  • Hold the contraction for the length of your breath, relax and inhale and do it again.
  • Repeat 10 breaths, twice per day.

Note: this is just a basic introductory exercise and if you have pain or any other symptoms after practicing it, discontinue it and get help from your physical therapist or doctor.

Physical therapy can be a great option for women who are suffering from incontinence that is more severe and truly impacting their quality of life. A pelvic floor physical therapist has special knowledge in the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor and how dysfunction in this area can lead to issues such as incontinence. Your pelvic floor physical therapist will assess your pelvic and lumbar spine alignment, as well as the strength, endurance, and function of your pelvic floor along with related musculature such as your core and gluteal musculature. They will then identify areas of dysfunction to help formulate a treatment plan geared specifically to your needs to help decrease your incontinence and get you back to living your life without the hassles of urinary incontinence.

For more information, join us on May 4th at 5:30PM for Incontinence Night at MOVE Wellness Studios. Click here for more information.

This post was authored by Stephanie Hemker, PT, DPT and Elaine Economou, PMA-CPT

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