Physiotherapy: Why "I Love You" Makes a Difference

Well it’s been over a month or so of intense physiotherapy and I am seeing some improvements with my pain levels, not to mention my flexibility. Strength, well that ranges from day to day. Sometimes I can easily open up a jar and other times “Bill, can you come please help open this!”  Side note: one of the best presents Bill ever got me for the kitchen: This gadget rocks when i'm solo and no one is around to assist me: Easy Twist Jar Opener

My personalized physiotherapy program was designed exactly for the issues that I asked for help with, along with problems that they saw when I did my assessments. I won’t go into a ton of detail on what I’m doing because it may not be what you are actually needing for your own recovery. I will though include some parts that I think are really helpful for everyone, but I would encourage you to book a consultation to assess your individual needs. 

For pelvic floor physiotherapy, you need to be comfortable with your physiotherapist. If you’re not, it’s going to be a clenching fiasco, which for most of us who suffer with tight pelvic floor muscles is a nightmare.  The internal exam and on-going internal “work” is really important. I did ask Catherine if she sees patients who forgo the internal part and she said yes, but when that is the case, there is only so much she can do. 

I’m past the point of being shy. I cannot count how many specialists have seen my tush and other intimate areas. It still is a bit of a source of trauma for me on an emotional level because of what I have been through, but in order to heal, those trigger points inside need to get some much needed tlc and external only does so much.  I am doing a lot of work at home because let’s not kid ourselves, therapy is expensive. My coverage has ran out for the year and so everything now is paying out of pocket.  This is why I am really happy with my time at Physiofit because they realize that we’re not all money trees. I have plenty of exercises to do daily at home between visits, so it’s kind of like Santa Claus knowing if you are awake or have been good or bad (not in the same creepy way though). The physio team knows if their clients have been diligent in the exercises or slacking.

Just some of the exercises that I do on a daily basis at home and also at Physiofit (amongst others that they have special equipment for). I get assessed and different exercises get put in and others get taken out, depending on how my body is responding and what they think I should work on next.

Now for the physiotherapy part that doesn’t involve any internal work, there is still a lot of parts of the body that I knew I had some pain but didn’t realize the difference when I started to activate those muscles properly.  Posture, a big one. I have “sitting syndrome” which I think a lot of us can relate to, whether we’ve worked in jobs that have us sitting a majority of the day or have been in bed-ridden situations where our muscles just become very weak from lack of movement.  My upper back is super duper tight, which is part of the area where I hold my stress, and so with the all the targeted exercises I have been doing, I can really feel a positive difference and Bill also uses his magical hands when i'm really achy. Incorporating everything and also making the time to book massages, which works well for me.

I recall my first time on the treadmill, which has been my warm-up, and I didn’t realize how much I swayed with my hips and shoulders. Being aware of these things helps to break the habit, although most of us probably don’t even realize that we’re walking incorrectly and causing so much extra pain.  The best part though is investing your time with a professional team and giving a whole stack of effort, it can get better.

Now I am sure you are wondering about my title of “I love you” and how that relates to this blog.  While positive words of affirmation are always encouraged, I am actually referring to a specific exercise that I have been taught a few times now called the I love you massage.  This helps with cramps, gas, constipation, and all those fun digestive symptoms. I have a video here to show you basically how it’s done. It may not work the first time for you, or the second, but keep at it. It’s simple to do and really helps to move things along. Some videos you will see show immediate relief, but from my own experiences, it can take a few hours to even overnight. It just depends on how congested my body is. 

A great video that shows how the technique is done.

I am doing a lot of other things along with physiotherapy, so i'll have another blog up on those details soon!

As always, thank you for the on-going support.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me over e-mail, leave a comment on my blog or find me on Facebook.

The Weak Core Complexities

Hey everyone. I hope you are enjoying Labour Day weekend!  After the massive flood we had here in Windsor, it's nice to see the sun shining again.

I just wanted to give an update on my first visit to Physiofit last week. I had my initial consultation which went very well.  Catherine Norcia, a Registered Physiotherapist, Pelvic Floor & Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist really helped to explain a lot of what is going on with my body.  We talked for quite a while going through my medical history, as she wanted to get a full picture of what has been going on. Then she did a full internal assessment, as well as external, which included assessing how I walk.  

I learned quite a few things, which will be helpful in my recovery, including that I have an anterior pelvic tilt and quite a bit of a hip sway when walking. I also have a very weak core and so that affects the spine, hips, pelvic region, etc...  I knew that staying in bed for long periods of time because of pain would take a toll on my body. However, we can work on strengthening my core, which will help in all areas.

Another interesting discovery is that many people who have any kind of abdominal surgery can develop pelvic floor issues. This makes sense because this pain did correlate around the time when I had my gall bladder surgery. The muscles get weak and so if you're not aware of it, then those muscles become very inflexible and cause a lot of pain.  For me, I had so much going on physically and emotionally that my body just felt on fire.

I was given a few specific exercises to do until the next time we meet, so I have been diligently following the routine daily.

The plan is to do weekly pelvic floor physiotherapy WITH regular physiotherapy to build/strengthen my core. If I was only to do pelvic floor, it wouldn't address the other issues.  Ugh, my insurance is almost up for coverage, but I think this is definitely something that I need right now to get back on the path to recovery, and so once there is progress, I can spread out the visits more.

What do I like about Physiofit so far?

• Cleanliness. The environment is very clean. I know to a lot of people that's not really the first thing that they look for, but considering how intimate sessions are with the internal work being done, I really appreciate the extra time they take to make sure everything is clean and sanitized.

• Professionalism. The staff I have met so far are friendly and Catherine is so knowledgeable in her areas of study. I felt the assessment was extremely thorough compared to anything I have had prior with their bio-mechanical physiotherapy approach.

• Engaging Communication. Ever go to an appointment and feel like you're talking to the wall? It's the most frustrating experience ever. Having someone who is aware of your limitations is awesome, as well as showing genuine compassion. It's great to have detailed explanations with verbal speech, visuals and written information. 

• Flexibility. Extremely accommodating with scheduling sessions! 

• Accountability. Giving me "homework" to do at home. I love this idea because it makes me accountable for healing as well.  If I don't do the work, I won't see the benefits.

• Collaboration. I signed a form giving permission for Catherine to retrieve any medical documents from my family doctor that will better help with my treatment and provide updates. I really like this idea so everyone is in the loop.

At the end of the session, I received a goodie bag! As you can see with the photo, I was given brochures of all different services, including some muscle gel and lotion. 

All the services offered here

So that's where things are at the moment. My next session is on Tuesday, so i'll update again soon!

If you have any specific questions, you can always leave a comment or just send me a note by e-mail or Facebook.

As always, thank you for all the support!

*Update 2019: Catherine moved back to Montreal, so she is no longer at Physiofit. However they hope to have another pf therapist in soon.