My #1 recommendation for ALL pelvic floor issues

My #1 recommendation for all pelvic floor issues…roll the drum please 🥁…is to BREATHE.

Of course you are already breathing, otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting here reading this….haha…What I mean is to breathe DEEPLY into the ribcage, as often as you can, throughout the day!

Ribcage breathing means you breathe into your ribcage until you feel it expanding in all directions (from side to side, front to back and bottom to top). You may feel your belly expanding a bit too, but the focus here is the ribcage, not the belly. I don’t recommend belly breathing because for women who have diastasis recti (abdominal separation) or prolapse (pelvic organ dropping), belly breathing may exacerbate their problem.

Ribcage breathing is extremely beneficial for the following reasons:

🌟Increases oxygenation to the entire body (which helps with tissue healing)

🌟Triggers relaxation response (which reduces stress, high blood pressure and pain)

🌟Stimulates venous and fluid drainage (which reduces swelling)

🌟Reduces leaking and heaviness symptoms when you are exercising

Ribcage breathing may be difficult if you have stiffness or tightness in your mid back, neck, ribcage, or the respiratory diaphragm. This is why when I treat clients with pelvic issues, I often end up treating all of the above structures too. The body is interconnected and I treat the whole body, not just the pelvic floor.

By Mia Dang, PT / a registered physiotherapist with extensive supplementary training in pelvic floor physiotherapy and perinatal care