In this episode of Beyond Postpartum I had the honour and privilege of speaking with Dr. Allyson Shrikhande who is a Physiatrist and Pelvic Rehabilitation Specialist. This episode is a bit different as it focused on a physical aspect of postpartum recovery, but pelvic pain (or any sort of chronic pain) and dysfunction can negatively affect mental health and one’s quality of life, so I am excited to bring you this conversation. Plus, variety is the spice of life, am I right?
Dr. Allyson Shrikhande is a board certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist, and the Chair of the Medical Education Committee for the International Pelvic Pain Society. A leading expert on pelvic health and a respected researcher, author, and lecturer, Dr. Shrikhande is a recognized authority on pelvic pain diagnosis and treatment, and is passionate about this cause and dedicated to helping people with pelvic pain who often suffer without anyone willing to listen, understand, or find the cause of their pain. Taking a team approach, she works with specialists in pelvic floor physical therapy, kinetics and movement, as well as acupuncturists, nutritionists, cognitive behavioral therapists, and functional medicine physicians.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Physiatrists are and what they do
- How pelvic rehab has been neglected by the medical community
- Allyson’s experience with pain in pregnancy and postpartum – and how this was the instigator for her to specialize in pelvic rehabilitation and develop the protocol she uses
- The rates of chronic pain and dysfunction that can occur after giving birth
- How that 6 week mark is an important indicator of whether you should seek treatment or not
- The connection between physical health and mental health
- Tips to help start feeling back to normal and where to start if you are suffering with pain or dysfunction
- The power of preventative care
- Some potential risk factors
- What she did to help herself get better (hint: it’s similar to what she has her clients do!)
- Where to start in your own recovery
Resources:
- Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine website
- Pelvic Rehabilitation Social Media Links:
- Instagram – @pelvicrehabilitation
- Facebook – /PelvicRehabilitation
- YouTube – Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine
- Twitter – @PelvicRehab
- LinkedIn – /company/pelvic-rehabilitation-medicine
- Some local practitioners (not an exhaustive list!):
- Bump Physio (Port Moody)
- Dayan Physiotherapy and Pelvic Floor Clinic (Vancouver)
- Treloar Physiotherapy (Vancouver)
- Laura Werner Physiotherapy (Victoria)
- Find a physio in your area
- Yoga with Adrienne
- Dustienne Miller’s Your Pace Yoga
