What is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are located just below your hips and attached to your pubic bone and sacrum. They act like a diaphragm supporting your abdominal organs, control your sphincter openings, and help stabilize your pelvis.
What is Pelvic Floor massage and how does it differ from
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
Pelvic floor massage is a combination of physical and energetic techniques designed to release muscular and fascial tension within the pelvic bowl; it can address current physical symptoms, as well as symptoms associated with birth, emotional, or sexual trauma that the body may hold within the pelvic floor.
Performed in a safe, calm, and nurturing environment, you work closely with the practitioner always staying present and in control of the session.
Like a Physical Therapist, the massage therapist addresses muscular or fascial restrictions after performing an assessment of pelvic floor strength and coordination. During the session, the massage therapist also brings awareness to, and creates space for you to process stored trauma so that both physical and emotional symptoms can be addressed holistically.
A Physical Therapist's approach may be clinical in nature and use instruments such as bio-feedback machines to help engage the pelvic floor muscles and provide you with exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor. Similarly, as a certified Pilates instructor, I offer clients the opportunity to work one-on-one with me in private Pilates sessions focusing on strengthening your core and the muscles needed to help support your pelvic bowl.
Performed in a safe, calm, and nurturing environment, you work closely with the practitioner always staying present and in control of the session.
Like a Physical Therapist, the massage therapist addresses muscular or fascial restrictions after performing an assessment of pelvic floor strength and coordination. During the session, the massage therapist also brings awareness to, and creates space for you to process stored trauma so that both physical and emotional symptoms can be addressed holistically.
A Physical Therapist's approach may be clinical in nature and use instruments such as bio-feedback machines to help engage the pelvic floor muscles and provide you with exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor. Similarly, as a certified Pilates instructor, I offer clients the opportunity to work one-on-one with me in private Pilates sessions focusing on strengthening your core and the muscles needed to help support your pelvic bowl.
Reasons for pelvic floor massage
- Relieve or prevent orthopedic issues like hip pain, lower back pain, joint pain, tailbone pain, or pubic bone pain
- Relieve piriformis syndrome or sciatica
- Improve muscle-related incontinence
- Pelvic pain during intercourse
- Improve menstrual cramping: Realign cervix/womb internally & externally
- Improve fertility by relieving tension of pelvic floor muscles and encouraging blood flow
- Reduce traumatic association, allowing for re-connection of mind/body energy
- Increase comfort with pelvic sensations
- Improve sexual energy/response
- Improve pelvic blood/lymph circulation
- Address prolapses, urethrocele, rectocele, cystocele
- Relieve symptoms of Vulvodynia
- Scar tissue release from hip surgery, abdominal surgery, birth trauma
- Constipation
- Increase tone and function
- Assists in preparation for birth by relaxing muscles and mindfully connecting mother and child through breath and visualization
- Decrease muscle tension and assists in structural re-alignment after birth
- Help process traumatic birth experiences through energetic healing
- Assist with menopausal symptoms such as low libido, vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, and sexual disconnect
What to expect
During your first session, we go over your intake form, discuss symptoms that brought you in, your lifestyle, as well as emotions that might be related to your pelvic floor and/or your vulva. Using diagrams of the muscles and fascia of the pelvic floor, I will explain how the session will proceed and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
You will then go into the massage room and undress to the level of your comfort and lay down under warm sheets and blankets. When you are ready, I will knock and enter. Generally, we will first take some breaths together to ground ourselves after which I will massage your legs, feet, head, and belly to allow for relaxation and assessment.
I will then ask you if you are ready for internal pelvic work, or if you’d prefer to continue with an external massage or have me focus on pelvic bowl energetic work. If you decide to proceed with internal massage, we will work together as a team: I will ask you to use breath and visualization, while I work to release muscle restrictions using a variety of techniques. Upon completion, I will close the session by bringing awareness back to the exterior body with some massage strokes for grounding. After the session, I will check in to see how you feel physically and emotionally, describe what I found, and make a plan for any follow up.
You will then go into the massage room and undress to the level of your comfort and lay down under warm sheets and blankets. When you are ready, I will knock and enter. Generally, we will first take some breaths together to ground ourselves after which I will massage your legs, feet, head, and belly to allow for relaxation and assessment.
I will then ask you if you are ready for internal pelvic work, or if you’d prefer to continue with an external massage or have me focus on pelvic bowl energetic work. If you decide to proceed with internal massage, we will work together as a team: I will ask you to use breath and visualization, while I work to release muscle restrictions using a variety of techniques. Upon completion, I will close the session by bringing awareness back to the exterior body with some massage strokes for grounding. After the session, I will check in to see how you feel physically and emotionally, describe what I found, and make a plan for any follow up.
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