Pebbles falling into ponds will get you doing it right!

 

Pelvic floor strengthening or ‘Kegels exercise’   has recently hit the mainstream gyms and news. The importance of the pelvic floor is finally  being realised more, which is a great thing. It not only keeps our bladder and bowel control in check, but it also helps us with sex, supports our pelvic organs and gives our spine and pelvis great support. Yes, it is one of the ‘core muscles’.

However, doing it right may not be the easiest.

There are many tips to make Kegels exercises better or more appropriate. Try our ‘pebble in the pond’ method to have you contracting your pelvic floor with targeted appropriateness! 

Are you contracting your pelvic floor correctly?  

The pelvic floor can be thought of as a hammock at the base of your pelvis, connecting your pubic and tail bones. It incorporates the muscles that are part of your urethra, vagina and back passage. It does NOT involve your buttock, inner or front hip muscles, so isolating the contraction to only the hammock is the trick. It is also the way to get the best out of your pelvic floor strengthening.  

To help with this, picture the falling pebble into the pond.

‘Picture a still pond and a pebble falling into its centre. Visualise the circles of ripples this makes spreading slowly out to the edges of the pond.  Now rewind this picture, so you can see the ripples moving back evenly to the centre of the pond and the pebble lifting out of the water.’

Now try to relax and then contract your pelvic floor hammock in this way.  Can you feel how this image beautifully depicts the relaxing of your pelvic floor (dropping the pebble) and contracting (lifting the pebble) of your pelvic floor hammock?

Have you kept your buttocks and hips soft and isolated the contraction better to the vagina and back passage?

Make it a new habit!

Quietly lying on your back with your knees bent or sitting comfortably, imagine this picture as you very gently activate your pelvic floor muscles. Check that you

• don’t try too hard – just begin with a small and easy contraction
• keep your buttocks soft and relaxed
• keep breathing. Please, no breath holding!

When you feel you have mastered this contraction, make each and every pelvic floor contraction feel this way. Remember, ‘close’ then ‘lift’ subtly when:

• At the gym, yoga or Pilates classes.
• Lifting weight, both at home with the washing basket or at the gym.
• You feel a cough or sneeze coming on to prevent embarrassing leaks.
• You are getting your pelvic floor strong again after having your baby.

Contact us if you wish to chat more about your pelvic floor muscle function and control.

Read More

Draft term 4 timetable is subject to change. This timetable is for our all of existing and NEW Pilates clients. These classes will run for 11 WEEKS for all classes on Monday- Thursday, or 10 WEEKS for all Friday classes.

Term 4 commences on Monday 10th October, and ends Thursday 22nd December.

Classes are recommended and scheduled for:

• Beginners level Pilates
• Intermediate/advanced level Pilates
• Pregnancy specific Pilates
• Mums&bubs Pilates

Read More

Draft term break timetable is subject to change. This timetable is for our existing Pilates clients who do not wish to break between our Term 3 and Term 4 10 week programs. These term break classes run for 2 WEEKS ONLY and will run straight to our Term 4 commencement date of Monday 10th October.

Classes are recommended and scheduled for:

• Intermediate/advanced level Pilates
• Pregnancy specific Pilates

Read More

From pregnancy incontinence to pelvic pain to post natal weakness and prolapse.

As physios who treat women’s only pelvic floor problems, we are always overwhelmed by the lack of awareness out there amongst our female friends that this type of physio even exists! Also overwhelming is the lack of proper education and information out there about incontinence, sexual pain and prolapse which can actually be treated well by women’s health physios.

Ban those TENA incontinence pad ads!! Don’t put up with a leaky bladder, pelvic pain or sexual pain. Bladder and bowel control and wellness in women is our philosophy.

At The Fix Program, we have physiotherapists who are expert clinicians in the management of conditions unique to women. They have clinical expertise and excellent diagnostic and therapeutic skills. We specialise in the management of pelvic floor problems. We can help you if you have:

• Urinary incontinence or poor bladder control in pregnancy and beyond
• Bowel incontinence and constipation
• Over active bladder and urge incontinence (going to the loo more than 8 times per day, with ‘eye watering’ urgency sometimes associated with bladder leaks)
• Pregnancy and post-natal care (pregnancy incontinence, post natal pelvic floor weakness, pain, scar management after tearing, prolapse and sexual pain)
• Vaginal prolapse (also known as pelvic organ prolapse, where the bladder, uterus or bowel drop low into the pelvis)
• Painful sex or ‘vaginismus’
• Pelvic and lower back pain

We understand every woman’s pelvic floor physiotherapy needs are different.

OK, all assessments and most treatments will involve an internal vaginal examination. But as a woman, we hope this is tolerated just as we do with our PAP smears every few years. This, along with extensive questioning about your pelvic floor function and habits allow for the best diagnosis and then treatment. The internal examination will also allow for the physiotherapist to properly assess any weakness, spasm or change to your pelvic floor muscles and to assess for any degree of prolapsed (or descent) of your pelvic organs. All of this cannot be achieved externally.

Read more about pelvic floor disorders at our website.

Contact us to chat about any pelvic floor issues you may be experiencing, or to book an appointment at Broadway (within the Fernwood Fitness womens’ gym) or Sydney CBD.

You do not need a referral from a doctor to see us. HICAPS rebates available on all physiotherapy treatments, but check your individual private fund provider for eligibility.

Read More

Knee pain troubles are rarely just about the knee. The hip and the foot are to blame!

Knee pain is such a common complaint- I would think that almost all of us have sometime suffered from pain in the knee- with running, walking, stairs, kneeling, the gym, or with all of the above!

In my time as a physio (over 20 years, mind you), I have seen the poor knee being almost like the piggy in the middle. The knee often suffers much pain and irritation from its location – by existing between problems of the hip region above and the foot region below.

The bully from above.

Weakness, instability and poor postures above at the hip and pelvis can alter how our weight and movement happens through the knee. These can include:

• Buttock muscle or ‘glute’ weaknesses.
• Tightness of the outer hip and hamstrings pulling down into the back of the knee.
• Twisting or not keeping the lower back and pelvis controlled with exercise, which then throws the thigh bone into poor alignments and stresses the knee down below.
• Weakness and a lack of balance of the thigh or ‘quads’ muscles which can cause a pulling of the kneecap from its preferred centre position on the front of your knee.

The bully from below.

The foot is the first to hit the ground when we walk or run and will send the forces from the ground up towards the knee. This can often not be too optimal. Problems here can include:

•  Feet arches that are too flat and rolling inward or too high and stiff.
• Tightness of the calf muscles and Achilles from all that high heel wearing!
• Movements of the foot which are compensated due to pain such as in the heel or in the big toe joint.
• Poor fitting shoes squashing up the foot, or old shoes that are not longer absorbing shock well.

The poor piggy in the middle.

As you can see and possibly feel yourself, the knee tries its best to cope with the bullies either side! It is pretty amazing and resilient at putting with some of this bullying, but over time, the knee decides it has had enough.

So, like most injuries of the body that are slow and happening gradually over time, it is the joint copping all the stresses that ends up giving up – pain, swelling, altered movement and generally an unhappy joint.    

Does this sound like you?

Your Fernwood and Fix Program physiotherapists are here to assess you from waist to toe, diagnosing the probable causes to knee pain. Knee pain responds extremely well to physiotherapy with fantastic outcomes when it comes to returning to exercise and a pain free knee.

Every knee is different, just as every body is different. With this in mind, careful assessment and targeted treatment , combined with an exercise program to correct the imbalances will get you back on track.

Contact us for an appointment and we can fix your knee pain.

Read More

Draft term break timetable is subject to change. This timetable is for our Term 3 programs and will run for 10 weeks. First class will start Monday 18th July and our final classes will fall on Friday 23rd September, 2016.

Classes are recommended and scheduled for

• Beginners Pilates
• Intermediate and advanced Pilates
• Pregnancy specific Pilates
• Mums&bubs post natal Pilates, safe for you and with your baby.

• 

Read More

Draft term break timetable is subject to change. This timetable will run for 2 weeks only in weeks commencing 4th and 11th July, 2016.

Classes are recommended and scheduled for

• combined intermediate and advanced classes
• pregnancy classes.

Read More

It’s not just about ab exercises

As a physio treating a lot of hip, pelvis and back problems, I am always asked about core strength. Most will ask about it with reference to their gym or exercise programs, what is it, how to make it better and specific exercises to challenge it.

I always start with a picture not too dissimilar to this below. We all know that visualisation is an amazing learning tool. Picturing a concept or an idea can allow the brain to learn better. Seeing the deep muscles of the lower trunk and pelvis can help you to understand and even activate them better within your gym routines or even in everyday life.

At the gym.

If you use your imagination a little, the diaphragm, transverses abdominus (the deep ab layer), pelvic floor and multifidis would cover the surfaced of a cylinder - the ‘cylinder or piston of support.’ This muscular cylinder is only the beginning of wonderful postural support for your pelvis, spine and body. They can not only prevent back injury and pain, but also hip pain, knee pain and upper spine issues with posture. And even better, they make your movement more efficient. You will feel stronger.

The subtlety of this cylinder’s effect sometimes takes a lot of practice, and your physio can show you how. But here are some basic tips to get started.

• Breathe! The diaphragm is the first step in getting your core to switch on. Try to avoid holding your breath with effort and instead, focus on breathing ‘deep and wide’. You should feel a wonderful movement into the base of your ribs with this type of breath and try to aim for soft relaxed shoulders.
• Pelvic posture awareness! Think of your pelvis as the foundation for your spine. Know also, that if the pelvis is held well, your deep ab layer and your pelvic floor will be working to hold the pelvis there. Brilliant! To help with this, visualize your pelvis is like a deep bowl of water. Try to always keep it level so that it doesn’t spill. Try this as you stand, sit, squat, lunge or at spin class.
• Become aware of muscles activating. Again, there are quite a few ways to visualise these deep muscles switching on. Could you imagine your activating pelvic floor muscles to be an ‘elevator with doors closing and travelling up to level 1’? Or could you imagine that your deep abdominals activating feel ‘below your navel and between your pelvic hip bones’?

Through your day

Getting to know your core muscle system at the gym can greatly assist you with your everyday postures. Standing to wait for the bus, sitting at your desk, bending over or helping to lift a patient if a nurse. These are all times we may feel back or neck pain, but with a new awareness of your magical deep postural muscles, you may just beat that painful attack.

**Want more help?
**

These tips are just the start.

Contact us. For more assistance in helping you ‘find your core’ for your gym workout, to beat your back and neck pain, to prevent injury and to feel greater movement efficiency, our physios can assess and teach you more about yours.

For Fernwood appointments, call on 8005 2379, or email broadway@fixprogram.com

For York Street appointments, call on 9264 0077, or email sydneycbd@fixprogram.com

Read More

We are thrilled to announce a new clinic opening…just for women

On June 1st 2016, we will be opening a brand new clinic at Broadway Shopping Centre. We will be located within the beautiful Fernwood Fitness Women’s Gym.

Our passion for the wellness of women will shine on at this new clinic, bringing you all The Fix Program expertise and care that you have been used to at York Street. We will be there with:

• our physiotherapy services for you. Whether it’s your postural pain or sport-related niggle, with our expert physio’s treating you, we’ve got you covered.
• our specialised women’s health physiotherapists, managing pelvic floor and physical problems unique to women. Incontinence, pelvic pain, pregnancy related issues, prolapse, and pessary prescription are our forte.
• our pregnancy physiotherapy services for the best for you and your baby. Helping you through pregnancy with safe and appropriate pregnancy Pilates classes and physiotherapy for pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain, back pain and other aches at this special time.
• our post natal physiotherapy services with Mums&Bubs Pilates classes, post natal pelvic floor and abdominal separation checks and advice before safely returning to your pre-baby exercise routines.

And this is just the start.

Where are we?

Shop LG03 Broadway Shopping Centre, Corner Francis & Bay Street, Broadway. p: 8005 2379, and the best part…there is 2 hours FREE parking within the shopping centre!

What do I do next if I wish to make an appointment?

Contact us. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to see our physiotherapists. We’ll be happy to chat about your needs.

Read More

What makes The Fix Program a wonderful clinic for women?

Since 1999 we have taught thousands of women and men how to strengthen their backs, hips, pelvic floors and abdominals through a mix of Pilates, Yoga and core stability exercises. And yet we offer so much more.

As physiotherapists and women ourselves, we are passionate about the wellness of all women. We are expert clinicians in the diagnosis and management of conditions unique to women at all stages of life.

The active woman.

From niggly backs and hip pain, sore knees and feet, computer necks and headaches, we treat muscle and joint pain to get you back to what you love doing most. Massage, joint re-alignment techniques, postural awareness and exercise prescription are a start to how we achieve this. Education, empowerment and getting to the cause of the injury is our goal.

Incontinence, pelvic pain and painful sex, endometriosis and bowel troubles can also trouble the active woman. Bladder leaks with coughing, laughing, exercising or running is not normal and can be treated. Pain in the pelvis or when having sex is not normal. You do not have put up with it. Our Women’s Health physiotherapists are qualified to help you get back your pelvic floor function.

The pregnant woman.

In pregnancy, we want the best for you and your baby. Pelvic girdle pain, rib pain, back pain and other associated pregnancy aches can all benefit from physiotherapy. Pelvic floor weakness, abdominal separation and safe exercise while pregnant are issues we can help you with. You do not have to stop exercising just because you are pregnant. In fact, the right exercise can help with controlling gestational diabetes, cardiovascular health of mum, control weight gain and protect the spine and pelvis from the big changes seen in pregnancy. A strong body can support your changing posture and prepare you for labour and when baby arrives.

The new mum.

So, now that you have your baby, your body may still not feel quite right. Ongoing back and pelvic pain, upper back pain and pelvic floor issues such as incontinence and sensitivity are very common. When am I safe to exercise and what can I do? How do I bring back my belly separation and pelvic floor strength? Do I have, or am I a prolapse risk? What effect has breastfeeding on my hormones and return to exercise?

New mums are a special bunch and need special care. We can internally assess the pelvic floor function for any weakness or prolapse, manage abdominal separation, pains and aches, and educate and get you back to exercise and feeling in control of your body.

Every Woman.

It is well known that physios can help with muscle and joint injuries, postural pain, alignment and exercise. It is not widely known however that specialised physiotherapists can manage pelvic floor problems. At The Fix Program, we do just this. We can help you if you have:

• Urinary incontinence or poor bladder control
• Bowel incontinence and constipation
• Over active bladder and urge incontinence
• Pregnancy and post-natal pelvic floor weakness, scarring or pain
• Vaginal prolapse (also known as pelvic organ prolapse)
• Painful sex and pelvic pain.

Pelvic floor problems are more common than you think, and it is our mission and passion to get the conversation started. To seek help and to gain back pelvic floor control is life changing and sometimes takes a little bravery. Caring, sensitive and thorough assessment and management for each woman is our focus. We understand that every woman is different.

What do I do next?

Contact us. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to see our physiotherapists. We’ll be happy to chat about your needs.

Read More