Can Kegel chairs fix your pelvic floor issues?! Is your “unstable pelvis” causing pain during pregnancy? Tune into this episode to find out!

Surabhi chats with Dr. Sinéad Dufour, leading researcher and pelvic physiotherapist in a conversation all about incontinence, pelvic girdle pain and HIFEM technology.

We get into:

1. The benefits of virtual and hybrid models of care when it comes to pelvic physical therapy

2. What the research says about pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP)

3. Reducing fear of movement and getting moms moving

4. Understanding physiologic vs structural pain

5. Pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence

6. High-intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM) like Emsella and other “Kegel chairs”

A pessary is like a sports bra for your vagina! Surabhi is thrilled to interview Cara McDougall, a pelvic health physiotherapist specializing in pessary assessment and fitting. Cara discusses how pessaries support people with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, and who makes an ideal candidate, including the success rate. Let’s debunk common myths and ditch the stigma around pessary use (it’s been around forever!).

We answer these questions:

What is a Pessary?

History of Pessaries (it was around in ancient Egypt!)

Helping Patients with Pessary Care

Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)

Who is the ideal candidate for Pessary Use?

What are unsafe circumstances for Pessary Use?

Common Myths about Pessaries

Gaining relief of symptoms with a pessary

Trial Pessary

Sex & Pessary Use

Periods & Pessary Use

What are pessary fittings like?

Pregnancy & Pessary Use

Pessaries & Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Kegels, or pelvic floor contractions, are a strength exercise often recommended for people with pelvic floor concerns like leaks, prolapse or pain. The problem is, Kegels often make these symptoms WORSE, and can be really problematic. Kegels can worsen pain with seggs, exacerbate leaks and even create more symptoms of heaviness.

Tune into this Mom Strength episode so learn why NOT to do Kegels!

Do you find yourself leaking? Or having to only wearing black pants? Avoid jumping, running, or even going out with your girlfriends because you’re afraid to pee yourself when you laugh? The answer isn’t Kegels or surgery (for most people).

Tune into this episode where I answer:

✨is leaking normal

✨ the shame associated with leaks

✨main causes of leaks including caffeine, dehydration, constipation, increased tension (eg due to postures, stress, cold, trauma)

✨why too much tension in your pelvic floor can lead to leaks

✨stress urinary incontinence (SUI) - leaks during sneezing and coughing and laughing

✨the Knack to help manage SUI

✨the role of pelvic floor relaxation and full body strengthening in managing leaks

✨some positions to relax and lengthen the pelvic floor

✨the power of breath and unclenching and releasing tension in your pelvic floor