Prenatal  physical therapy
strength, function & body image

Prenatal physical therapy can help alleviate a host of orthopedic pains that accompany pregnancy as your body grows and changes shape:  low back pain, sacral pain, pubic bone pain, radiating sciatic pain, hip pain, neck, shoulder and wrist pain.  Need I go on?? 

What can you expect in a prenatal physical therapy session?

It all depends on what you are experiencing, of course.  However, strengthening your core will almost always be emphasized.  Often times, learning to relax your pelvic floor prior to giving birth will be part of your program.  You can look forward to Pilates-based strengthening exercises, stretching and manual work to help maintain a balanced body during this time of change.  Manual work may include: 
~myofascial release
~gua sha
​~soft tissue mobilization
~deep friction massage
~low velocity joint mobilizations
~neuromuscular rehab techniques such as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)  

Other modalities that may be used are:
~kineseotape
~heat
~ice/cold
~ultrasound
​~electrical stimulation
~cupping

At your initial assessment, I assess your strength and flexibility.  We discuss the functional challenges you are having such as getting in and out of bed, putting on pants (I fell over one day getting into my PJs!), standing up from that comfy couch, etc.  From there, we build a plan of home exercises, ergonomic changes to your work or home, and modified movements patterns to help you get around as pain free as possible.  The goal is to manage your pain and strengthen you for your labor and delivery.  Whether you have a natural birth or epidural, vaginal or caesarean, home birth or hospital, your body will endure the experience and recover best if you are the strongest you that you can be.

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