Cathy Clark Osteopathy. B. AppSci, M. Ost, DPO, PYT

Osteopathic treatment for pelvic health, pregnancy and postpartum care.

Pelvic health is important before you try and conceive, it is important during pregnancy and after delivering your baby. The pelvis is a bony structure around your hip area that has a sling at the bottom, the pelvic floor, and contains many organs – including your bladder, uterus and intestines. All of these structures can be affected when there is tension, restriction and/or a medical issue in your pelvic region. Not only that, but because your pelvis connects your spine to your legs, we need to take into account the movements of your whole body on your pelvis. Because osteopathy is a holistic form of manual therapy, this is an effective approach to help decrease pain, tension and work through associated structures affecting the pelvis.

During pregnancy, your body changes continuously. There is a change in hormones, which may contribute to some of the typical symptoms of pregnancy, and may also lead to mechanical changes including laxity of the ligaments surrounding your joints. As your baby grows, your body adapts to make space for the pregnancy size, which means that your spinal curves change and there may be more pressure on your pelvic floor and legs. In our more sedentary lifestyle, you may experience increased back, neck and shoulder pain associated with the changes throughout pregnancy. You may also have fluid retention in your arms and legs that may impact the way you move and exercise. Osteopathy during pregnancy can help you keep moving and manage the changes that occur during this time, as well as maintain any pre-existing conditions that may or may not be exacerbated during pregnancy.

A vaginal birth is a complex and remarkable physiologic process, that relies upon the pelvis’s ability to expand, and the pelvic floor to soften. Osteopathy prior to birth can help to support the pelvis to optimize function during birth. If you are having a caesarean birth, your pelvis is still impacted by this process and so it is also ideal to have osteopathic treatment before your caesarean.

Cathy is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and has an online birth education course that you may wish to take to find out more about the physiology of birth. This is different to the birth classes that are offered by your hospital. Learn more here.

Cathy has free online short exercises that follow your pregnancy and post-partum week by week. Go to the YouTube channel.

After delivery, whether vaginal or caesarean, your body will benefit from manual therapy to assist with postural changes, mechanical changes lifting/carrying and feeding your baby, and also pelvic floor and abdominal muscle recovery. Because osteopathy is very gentle, you can have treatment as soon as you feel comfortable after your delivery. Cathy can assess your abdominal muscles and any scars for any concerning signs. After you have started to recover, you can start some specific exercises to regain tone through your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. It is good for you to have this time to take care of your body.

Cathy offers combined appointments for you and your newborn baby within the first 3 months postpartum. This special appointment helps both you and your baby recover from the delivery, helps to establish and maintain breastfeeding, and supports both you and your baby to attune to one another. This may include treatment of both you and the baby together, and where extra attention is needed, individually as well.