The past 2 years have seen a sharp increase in the media presence of urinary incontinence.
The general tone to many of these campaigns is "hey, this is common, it happens to everybody, get over it, it's NORMAL."
Don't get me wrong, I'm very much PRO SHAME BUSTING! Let's not be afraid to talk about these issues. I don't want women or men to be in the dark, feeling alone when it is in fact a staggeringly common problem (and not just in postpartum moms). I don't want folks struggling with incontinence, overactive bladder, prolapse, pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction to suffer in silence. But I don't believe the way out is normalization:
Normalization: social processes through which ideas and actions come to be seen as "normal" and become taken-for-granted or 'natural' in everyday life.
I don't want folks to take these things for granted as something that they have to deal with, or that nothing can be done about. I don't want the most oft-discussed solutions to be those with million-dollar ad campaigns behind them such as products that catch leaks, pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures; not that these things are intrinsically bad, but an increasing amount of research shows that most of these folks could be helped by pelvic PT to the point that they don't need the products, pharmaceuticals or surgical procedures - especially when things are caught early!
So, let's shift to shame-busting mode, shall we?
Let's talk about the fact that just because it's common doesn't mean you have to live with it.
Let's talk about the fact that these issues are a SIGN of the central stability & intratorso pressure system being out of balance.
Let's talk about pelvic health neuromusculoskeletal screening to catch things before they become big problems
Let's talk about the fact that pelvic physical therapy can and should be a first-line treatment for any of the above mentioned issues.
Let's talk about the complex factors and mind-body implications.
Don't keep it a secret from your medical professional! Whether it's your primary care physician, your chiropractor, your orthopedic physical therapist...and if they brush it off, keep looking for someone who will listen.
Don't keep it a secret from your fitness instructors - especially when something they've taught you has worsened your pelvic symptoms! This is unfortunately extremely common, and without the feedback, how will they know?
Don't keep it a secret from your friends and family members, especially when you discover conservative management solutions such as pelvic physical therapy, pelvic floor savvy yoga and fitness, and pelvic health nutrition and health coaching.
Will you join me in being a shame-busting pelvic health ambassador?!?
Check out previous blog posts for some more basic pelvic health info, and join my mailing list for updates on live and online programs to educate yourself about these topics in greater depth.
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There's this viral video from the CrossFit Games
- Ad campaigns from Depend and Poise
- Incontinence lingerie hitting the runway
- A viral video of a young girl peeing while backflipping on a trampoline
- and much more...
The general tone to many of these campaigns is "hey, this is common, it happens to everybody, get over it, it's NORMAL."
Don't get me wrong, I'm very much PRO SHAME BUSTING! Let's not be afraid to talk about these issues. I don't want women or men to be in the dark, feeling alone when it is in fact a staggeringly common problem (and not just in postpartum moms). I don't want folks struggling with incontinence, overactive bladder, prolapse, pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction to suffer in silence. But I don't believe the way out is normalization:
Normalization: social processes through which ideas and actions come to be seen as "normal" and become taken-for-granted or 'natural' in everyday life.
I don't want folks to take these things for granted as something that they have to deal with, or that nothing can be done about. I don't want the most oft-discussed solutions to be those with million-dollar ad campaigns behind them such as products that catch leaks, pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures; not that these things are intrinsically bad, but an increasing amount of research shows that most of these folks could be helped by pelvic PT to the point that they don't need the products, pharmaceuticals or surgical procedures - especially when things are caught early!
So, let's shift to shame-busting mode, shall we?
Let's talk about the fact that just because it's common doesn't mean you have to live with it.
Let's talk about the fact that these issues are a SIGN of the central stability & intratorso pressure system being out of balance.
Let's talk about pelvic health neuromusculoskeletal screening to catch things before they become big problems
Let's talk about the fact that pelvic physical therapy can and should be a first-line treatment for any of the above mentioned issues.
Let's talk about the complex factors and mind-body implications.
Don't keep it a secret from your medical professional! Whether it's your primary care physician, your chiropractor, your orthopedic physical therapist...and if they brush it off, keep looking for someone who will listen.
Don't keep it a secret from your fitness instructors - especially when something they've taught you has worsened your pelvic symptoms! This is unfortunately extremely common, and without the feedback, how will they know?
Don't keep it a secret from your friends and family members, especially when you discover conservative management solutions such as pelvic physical therapy, pelvic floor savvy yoga and fitness, and pelvic health nutrition and health coaching.
Will you join me in being a shame-busting pelvic health ambassador?!?
Check out previous blog posts for some more basic pelvic health info, and join my mailing list for updates on live and online programs to educate yourself about these topics in greater depth.
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