Pelvic Physical Therapy – Treating Your Body Before,                                                      During, and After Pregnancy

 

Pregnancy is a wonderful time in which you are growing a beautiful baby and preparing for motherhood. At the same time, your body is undergoing many changes. Pregnancy, labor and delivery is a very strenuous, physically active endeavor much like running a marathon or competing in the Olympics. However, hardly of any of us view it in this way. Just like you would train for the Olympics and perform the proper exercise afterwards to help your body recover, the same is true for pregnancy and delivery. Physical therapy can help prepare your body for pregnancy, help to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction that may arise during pregnancy, provide you with movement strategies and techniques for labor and delivery, and help you to heal your body and return to activity safely after delivering your baby.

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Many women may experience back pain, hip/pelvic pain, or urinary incontinence during or after pregnancy. Many of our friends and family will tell us that this is “normal” and that there is nothing you can do about it, that it’s just a “fact of being a woman.” Let me be clear—leaking urine is not normal, back and hip pain during pregnancy is not normal, not being able to make it to the bathroom in time is not normal. While these symptoms may be common they do not have to be your new normal and physical therapy can help to address these issues.

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My name is Christa and I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011 before attending Duke University to obtain my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. I have practiced in a variety of settings and love the diversity that I get to experience through my career, but I have always had a special interest in treating women during and after pregnancy. My goal is to bring awareness and treatment options to the pregnant and postpartum women in Indiana County to help them to maximize their physical experiences during pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery from birth, so they can thrive in motherhood and all aspects of their lives!

 

Please visit my website for more information.

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