I just took the weekend off to visit my family and returned to this freaky statement: You Have 1048 Emails.
I'm sorry, but, What?
I know, I've got a few friends, and I've got a city full of people who come to the Institute, and I even have 9 brothers and sisters. But even if all those people sent me an email, I still would not have 1048 emails.
In what can only be called a Pelvic Floor Frenzy, my inbox may actually be smoking. And, all I can say is: This is an Exciting Time. In graduate school, I focused on Pelvic Floor function with a passion that made me look, well, like a crazy person. My first paper was researching the Biomechanics of Birth (which I'm reworking for publishing purposes...yay!) My next paper was on the Prevalence of and Effectiveness of Therapy Procedures for Low Back Pain during Pregnancy.
My graduate thesis was Decreasing Risk Factors of PFD Through Exercise, during which, the treatment group was able to restore their lumbar curvature (missing curvature being a risk factor for PFD) in four weeks (wow!). It was a fun thesis to defend because it was blowing the minds of my department professors (all men, of course) who were like: Yeah, That Makes Sense. Someone should tell Women. Yeah, duh.
So, when I say it's an Exciting Time, I really mean It's About Time, because I have been working on optimizing Pelvic Floor Function (well, the whole body, really) based on the position of the bones for about TEN YEARS. The biggest issue in getting the information out has been the fact that the current treatment for PFD is held so dear to many and is woven so deeply into the fibers of Women's Health, that the resistance is higher than it should be for a scientific community. But, as more and more women (at least 1048 of them) following the current model of treatment realize it's not working for them, now seems like a good time to teach The Biomechanics of Women's Health. You with me?
So, how do I, whose work schedule barely allows me time to get my car smogged, (the notice has been sitting in my kitchen for 3 months...) answer 1048 emails to women who are ready to hear what they need to do? Women who are giving birth in the next few months who want the event to be even more magical? Women who have organs dropping down right now who want to get better right now?
Hmm.
Well, here's what I am thinking. I'm thinking I can write a quick list of things to start doing right now that will stop creating forces that make PFD worse or pregnancy harder. I don't have time to explain in depth why these things make a difference, but if you'll take my word for it for the time-being (and it's stuff like what shoes do to the pelvis, sucking in your stomach, etc.) you can start them ASAP.
I think I will also add an exercise video clip, once a week for you all to master out there.
I understand completely, that most of you are unable to squat because of poor knee health. And here's the kicker. Women tend to have much more ACL and patella tracking issues for the very same reasons they have PFD. That's why the two tend to go together. When I told everyone they needed to squat, it's really they need to Work Up to doing a squat, which could take you a month or two. My "Nutritious Movement for a Healthy Pelvis" DVD is really the most introductory of the pelvic alignment exercises - no squatting required yet. If you do the preparatory exercises and then add in the squats and the video clips, you should be on your way to a really great Pelvic Floor, Deep Hip, Deep Abdominal, Knee, and Foot Health program.
And then finally, I am thinking that I could teach a 5 or 6 week video webinar that would teach you all the amazing stuff that's going on with your pelvis and how to reverse the downward forces you are creating. It's a posture, musculo-skeletal, and neurological (brain and nerve) issue, but you would be amazed how easily you understand what it is you are doing that creates PFD and how to stop. You could take it for yourself, or, if you are a birthing professional, you can take it to distribute the information to your lovely moms-to-be. I'm thinking low cost. I'm thinking video, so you have about a 45-minute exercise session, fully modified for all participants. I'm thinking if you're interested, raise your hands. If there's interest, I'll see if I can pull it together quickly.
I'll add your first assignment tomorrow, instead of smogging my car of course. What's one more month?