The pelvic floor is a mysterious and unfamiliar part of the body for many women. There is some emphasis from providers on the importance of Kegels for a strong pelvic floor, yet a lot of misinformation and controversy around this topic. One in three women will have pelvic floor dysfunction including bowel and bladder issues and pelvic pain according to the American Urogynecologic Society. The National Association For Continence has reported that 40% of women are not performing a Kegel exercise correctly.

It is challenging to treat a coccyx injury.  Depending on the extent of the injury (bruise, sprain, strain, fracture) it can take 6 months to a year to heal with ongoing injury prevention and impact on the pelvic floor.  It is an injury that it is very difficult to rest and takes mindfulness in body mechanics and posture throughout the healing process.  The coccyx sits at the base of the spine and is extremely important because of its attachments to the pelvic floor. It is not meant to bear weight. However, when we sit backwards or slump, shift weight to one side (crossing legs), stand or bend in poor posture, this all affects the coccyx.

Solange Ross Featured On Romper

Join physical therapist Solange Ross of Complete Core for 5 core exercises that will promote better posture during pregnancy and they are functional! Click here to watch now!

Solange Ross Featured on FitBump

Posture is key during pregnancy. Workouts that may have been routine before, may need a little reassessment based on how your body is changing. We chatted with physical therapist and core specialist Solange Ross, founder of NYC-based Complete Core on the best way to engage our pelvic core to prep for our workouts.

By Elizabeth D’Annunzio Shah, PT, DPT, OCS of Thrive Integrated Physical Therapy

As a physical therapist, I have had a number of patients coming in with questions about their diastasis recti. As you may remember from my previous post, I recently had a baby and since then, the question of how to treat a diastasis recti has been on my mind. This seems to be an issue shrouded in concern and fear for many women, so let’s talk about it.

WHAT IS A DIASTASIS RECTI? Read more...

Strengthening exercises are an important piece of a prenatal exercise program. Strengthening exercises give the body postural stability and mobility. Strength is needed to balance the laxity in joints and ligaments that occurs from the increase in pregnancy hormones. There is an increased demand on a woman’s body due to normal weight gain, increased curves of the spine and changes in center of mass.

So what's the deal with this kegel exercise anyway? What exactly am I doing down there? If you have ever wondered this, you are not alone. Many health care providers talk about the importance of doing kegels during pregnancy and post-partum to tone the vagina. You can read about them all over the Internet. But does anyone really explain to you how to do them?

I knew I was going to go to physical therapy post-partum before I even had my baby. Why you ask?  Because it was my third baby and I've had my kids relatively close in age.  I’m also a women’s healthy physical therapist.  Perineal re-education and strengthening is a must post-partum especially if you've had more than one baby.

Most people by the time they reach their 30s and 40s will have some form of minor disc degenerative and arthritic changes in their spine but will not be symptomatic. Degeneration is just part of the normal aging process, which can be accelerated from trauma.

There will come a time in your practice, workouts, trainings where things come to a screeching halt. It's hard to keep things together all the time, sometimes your body just breaks down.