The Pliable Pelvis is a blog for women. A resource. A conversation starter. For women beyond the clinic walls, beyond my home zip code, and beyond the state I live in. This blog is specifically geared toward postpartum moms who are struggling with pelvic girdle pain (PGP), which includes pain in the low back, sacroiliac area, hips, c-section scar, and the perineum (oh, and pain with intercourse, called dyspareunia). However, while pain might be the number one reason someone visits this blog or sees me in the clinic, pain doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Postpartum PGP often has more to it than what meets the eye. Other sequela associated with postpartum PGP can include prior gastrointestinal concerns, connective tissue disorders, endometriosis, history of abuse, history of abdominal surgery, endocrine dysfunction, urinary dysfunction, difficulties with sleep and balancing life demands, and hormone disruption. Put differently, pain is associated with more than just nerves, muscles, and fascia or lack of strength in an area. Like motherhood, pain has many different facets. Nourishing the whole woman and her livelihood is crucial for lessening the burdens of postpartum pelvic pain.
The pelvis is a region where I so commonly hear women describe it as painful, restricted, heavy, bound up, tight, and the list goes on. It’s an area of the body that I tend to reference as ‘Grand Central Station’, as it’s the confluence of the major body-wide systems: musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neuromuscular, urogenital, and integumentary (skin). If we combine that idea with the fact that postpartum women experience some of the most dramatic shifts in their anatomy and physiology head to toe and inside and out, prenatally and postpartum, then it makes sense that these women deserve a dream team of providers who speak on their behalf. As a pelvic health physio who enjoys integrative treatment approaches, a coaching communication style, and promoting lifestyle medicine, I am always thrilled to be a part of a woman’s journey. A postpartum mother’s intuition is what drives her in her daily life, and it helps drive her along the wild ride of her pain recovery. So, to all the postpartum mothers struggling with pelvic girdle pain – this blog is dedicated to you! To give your concerns a voice. To start conversation around postpartum pelvic pain. To help look at pain from different perspectives. And most of all, to lessen the burden of your painful, heavy pelvis and help restore the buoyancy and pliability of your own uniquely and wonderfully designed pelvis.
