Julie Gray Physiotherapy

Urinary Incontinence is normal after childbirth and as we age Pelvic pain and pain with intercourse is normal after vaginal childbirth Having a C-Section will prevent all dysfunction of the pelvic floor... Pelvic floor dysfunction only happens if you're a woman All pelvic health concerns are related to weakness in the pelvic floor Kegels will cure all of your pelvic health concerns All pelvic health dysfunction is caused by a problem in the pelvic floor The vagina should be cleaned with soap for optimal pelvic health E D U C A T I O N Educating you on why you are experiencing the symptoms you are having as well as why we are taking a certain approach on your rehab is a priority when you come to clinic. I believe that by understanding your body and empowering you with knowledge things seem a little less scary and intimidating. Understanding why you are doing a certain exercise gives you the encouragement to be an active partner in your rehab rather than just going through the motions. You know your body best and I am here to partner with you and give you the tools to move in the direction of your goals. Reference: https://physiocanhelp.ca/blog/top-eight-myths-pelvic-floor/

"They gave their tomorrows so that we could have our today..."

Y O U. C A N. D O. H A R D. T H I N G S.

M E D I T A T I O N When you think of pelvic floor physiotherapy, many people assume that we only focus on the physical tissues of the pelvic floor. When you come to see me in clinic, I am very "whole person" focused. That means not only am I assessing your pelvic floor, but I am also looking at your mental and emotional wellness.... Recently, I have been seeing a lot more pelvic floor tension in my clients. We are living stressful lives, trying to balance it all and often placing our emotional needs at the bottom of that list. M E D I T A T I O N is something that I suggest for many of my clients that are experiencing pelvic floor tension and are having high levels of stress and/or anxiety in their lives. If you think of it this way, your pelvic floor is a lot like your trapezius muscle (shoulders and neck). Often when we are stressed or had a long day, we experience shoulder and neck tension. If this is left untreated and becomes chronic we can even experience tension headaches. There are many different types of meditation out there. Some varieties that I enjoy are the traditional guided meditations, guided body scans as well as walking meditations. You can find a lot of these on Youtube for free and there are also a lot of great apps out there too. It doesn't need to be fancy or complicated. Even a couple of minutes per day of uninterrupted deep breathing can be beneficial. It's like pressing the reset button when your mind is going in circles.

O N E Y E A R It has been 1 year since I decided to venture out on my own and open Julie Gray Physiotherapy. What a year it has been! There have been some challenges...like a worldwide pandemic....but there have been SO many blessings.... I have had the privilege to meet so many amazing women and I feel so honored to have shared in some of your most intimate experiences. Everyday I am reminded how much I love what I do. Thank you to my family for your unwavering support on this new adventure and especially to my kiddos (they did a great job tip-toeing at home while Mama worked during the lock-down). But most of all, thank you to each and every one of my clients for trusting me to care for you. T H A N K Y O U

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. If only I could carry your pain for you for a moment. You are not alone.... Image Source: https://waitingforbabybird.com//5-comforting-miscarriage-/

So you've been doing kegels or pelvic floor strength exercises for quite some time now and for some reason you still seem to be rushing to the bathroom to pee. Sometimes you don't make it on time and you end up having leaks in your underwear. This all seems confusing to you since you've been so diligent on strengthening your pelvic floor but you keep having this problem and it seems to be getting worse. You have even been drinking less water to try and reduce the number of ...bathroom trips! For some reason running water or knowing you're almost home seem to trigger things even more. You might even start to notice that you're having pain with sex. And for some reason...things have really started to exacerbate since the start of COVID. Does this sound familiar? What you may be experiencing is something called Urge Urinary Incontinence which can be wet (leaks) or dry (you have strong urges and frequency to void but you don't leak). A lot of women think that they just need to strengthen their pelvic floor to help with this concern, when in fact the opposite is true. These symptoms are often a result of too much tension or over-activity of the pelvic floor muscles. You need to work on relaxing and lengthening those muscles as well as starting a bladder re-training program. A Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist can help you get started on this journey to less frequency and rushing to the bathroom. We focus on taking a look at you as a whole person, body, mind and spirit. Some of our strategies may include lifestyle modification strategies, internal and external tissue stretching and relaxation exercises, guided meditation, connecting your breath to your pelvic floor, and bladder retraining programs. If you'd like to be assessed and see how I can help, email me at [email protected] www.juliegrayphysio.ca

Here's a great post for those of you experiencing painful periods, also known as Dysmenorrhea. Your local pelvic health physiotherapist can help identify strategies to help you based on an assessment and individualized plan of care

Fact of the day: Your pelvic floor muscles do not push your baby out during a vaginal delivery. It's your uterus that does all the work, you know, that muscle that gives you all of those contractions. When you come to pelvic floor physiotherapy in preparation for birth, there is a lot of focus on actually learning to RELAX your pelvic floor muscles. You want to relax and soften the exit for baby, not tighten and contract. We can help you learn some techniques with muscle rela...xation and breath work to help prepare for the big day. If you practice these techniques regularly in different birthing positions, it will come more naturally and be more automatic when you are in labor. www.juliegrayphysio.ca

Having a baby is often one of the most beautiful and monumental moments in someone's life. During the post-partum period there are a lot of transitions and adjustments that you might experience. Your body might appear or function in a way that is unfamiliar to you now. ... A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help build your toolkit with ways to manage or improve some of the symptoms that you might be experiencing after bringing that little bundle into the world. Some areas that we focus on include but are not limited to: Scarring from c-section, tearing, or episiotomy Leaking urine, gas, or stool when you cough, sneeze, exercise, etc. or not making it to the bathroom in time Problems emptying your bladder or bowel completely or frequently Pain with intercourse Pressure, heaviness, or bulging in your vagina or rectum Ongoing pain in your vagina, rectum, pelvis, pubic bone, abdomen, or low back Bulging or tenting of your abdomen during any exercise These are not symptoms that you simply need to live with now that you've entered motherhood. To book a virtual or in-person assessment please email [email protected]

"Your new reality as a Mom doesn't mean that your body can't work optimally anymore" I love this video and the hope it can give to so many women out there. https://youtu.be/2GmAMwIjzv0

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Friday! I've got sunshine in my soul today

It's opening day and I am so excited to see you again! I am now offering virtual and in-person pelvic floor physiotherapy assessments and follow-up appointments. Please email [email protected] to book.

I am so excited for re-opening day next week! The clinic has been disinfected from top to bottom and I am following all of the guidelines to keep you safe, healthy and comfortable. Looking forward to seeing you all again so very soon

I am so excited to share that the wait is finally over and Julie Gray Physiotherapy is opening! Although things may look a little different from what you will remember, the care, compassion and guidance will still be there throughout your care. I am so excited to see all of my lovely clients again and to meet new faces (even if its behind a mask).... Please scroll through the photos to see how we are making your health and safety a priority. Feel free to book your next in-person or tele-health appointment with Julie at [email protected]. NOW BOOKING for June 24th and beyond.

#blackouttuesday

Some of you might have heard the news that physiotherapy clinics can now open! Although this is very exciting news for me, I am currently diving DEEP into following COVID-19 Re-Opening Guidelines and creating a plan on how best to serve your needs while maintaining the safety of my clients, my family and myself. I am just as eager to get back to seeing all of my lovely clients as you are, but your patience and understanding are so appreciated as I navigate this new territory.

I'm spending most of my weekend with @pelvichealthsolutions virtually learning more about pelvic girdle pain and pregnancy. I'm a nerd at heart and LOVE learning new things. Although I'm not seeing anyone in my office right now, I've been working hard to build my toolbox to serve you all even better when the time comes to reopen again!... Thank you @pelvichealthsolutions for making this course possible online

This is unrelated to pelvic physio but I know there are Mamas that follow me and maybe you can relate. Today the Provincial Government announced that the remainder of the school year would be cancelled. This news stirred some unexpected emotions in me and right now I can't help but feel grief for the time my little boy has lost with his peers and teachers at school. ... This was his first year of school (JK) and he LOVED school. He asks all the time when the virus will be over so that he can go back to school. My heart hurts for him that he won't be going back and when he returns in September it may not be the way he remembers it was. Who knew that when I picked him up from the bus on March 4th it would be the last time for JK. Ugh..it's so hard processing not knowing it was the last time until it was. My heart goes out to all of the kiddos right now especially the kids missing out on a last day of grade 8 or high school graduation. There are so many unknowns right now for us parents and our kids. Today I am struggling with giving my boy the right answers, making decisions in a world of unknown and trying to protect the ones I love. I wanted to share this so that maybe someone struggling with the same thoughts might read this and not feel so alone. It's wonderful to be positive and see the good but it's also ok to not be ok. Feel those feelings be it good or bad and know that one day a better day will come.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful infographic @juliewiebePT. Click the link below to see her post. Here are some great ideas of what you can do for exercise in the early postpartum period (first three months) while still allowing your body to heal. https://m.facebook.com//a.3817013585104/4374273209253269/

"The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the love of a Mother" Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful expecting Moms, Moms of one or many, Mother figures, bereaved Moms, and those yearning to be Moms. You make the World a beautiful place

Do you feel like you need to pee all the time? Some women think that to solve this symptom, they should reduce their water intake to decrease their frequency of needing to go to the bathroom. It seems like common sense... ... Yes, if you drink less there will be less liquid in your bladderbut the liquid that is in your bladder will be much more concentrated and irritating to your bladder. More irritation means more frequency or trips to the bathroom despite there being less liquid in your bladder. A good way to see what your urine concentration is, is to look at it in the toilet. If it’s very dark yellow, it’s likely too concentrated. Drink up that water and your urine should ideally be a light lemonade colour. A great goal is to consume about half of your body weight in pounds (lbs) to ounces. So if you weigh 160lbs divide that by 2 which is 80oz of water (approximately 10 cups). Try and sip your water throughout the day instead of gulping half of it in an hour. Other potential sources of bladder irritants in your diet may include: Smoking Alcohol Caffeine Soda Spicy foods Artificial sweeteners Vinegar Tomato based foods Food colourings and flavourings You can try and eliminate one of the above items from your diet at a time and see if your trips to the bathroom become less frequent. Happy hydrating!

With the nice weather just around the corner and gyms being closed due to Covid-19 many people are taking up running as a way to get in their exercise, manage stress and boost endorphins (running is amazing!). Although I am a huge fan of running, it is important to be aware of your physical symptoms as you start up, especially if you are post-partum (vaginal delivery AND c-section mamas!). Some symptoms which may indicate that you are not quite ready to run include:... -urinary and/or fecal incontinence prior to or during running -heaviness/pressure/bulge/dragging in the pelvic area prior to or during running -ongoing or onset of vaginal bleeding (not related to menstruation) during or after attempted exercise -pelvic pain prior to or during running This does not mean that you will never be able to run. It just means that your body likely just needs some more time to recover from childbirth (ideally more than 3 months post-partum). A pelvic floor physio can help assess you post-partum and develop an exercise plan appropriate for your stage of healing and to ultimately meet your long-term goals, like running. If you’re interested in a more in depth read of the above mentioned guidelines please refer to: (Goom, Tom & Donnely, Grainne & Brockwell, Emma. (2019). Returning to running postnatal - Guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals managing this population.)

Like a lot of people, with all the recent changes in life right now, I have been finding myself a little more stressed and tense these days. When I am feeling this way, I notice that I breathe a little shallower and I tend to contract or clench certain muscle groups (for me those include my jaw, pelvic floor and glutes). Has anyone else noticed this in themselves? If not, maybe just try and do a little scan of your own body and see if you can make note of any areas of tensi...on. Controlling the way you breathe is a great skill to learn and a great way to manage stress in your life. When we are constantly exposed to stress our sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight or freeze system) kicks into gear making us feel uncomfortable sensations such as increased heart rate, sweating or digestive issues. The sympathetic nervous system is great when we are in danger such as when we are being chased by a wild animal, but it’s not so great when we are dealing with emotional stress. The great news is that we can calm down this system by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest system) by simply focusing on our breath. Begin by either lying on your back with your knees bent or comfortably seated in a chair. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. Try to make your breath softer, longer and smoother as you breathe in through your nose. Your abdomen should start to rise or expand as you breathe in (like filling a balloon with air). Then exhale or breathe out through your mouth with pursed lips, like you’re blowing out birthday candles. Repeat. Continue this breathing technique for about 5 minutes each day. As your breathing becomes more natural try and make note of what your muscles are doing throughout this exercise. Try and relax any muscles that you feel are gripping or clenching by simply letting go.