Blog Entries
Blog Entries
An ongoing mix of professional and personal blogs
Blog Entry
Guest Blog from Amanda Savage Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Specialist
PelviFly: How to use it for pelvic floor exercises
8th November 2021
Blog Entry
Guest Blog from Amanda Savage Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Specialist
PelviFly: How to use it for pelvic floor exercises
8th November 2021
The Pelvifly is a new bit of female health kit designed to help women practice pelvic floor exercises correctly.
Pelvifly has two parts, an internal device and a phone app. The K-Goal is a blue balloon probe which you put inside your vagina leaving a small handle-like antenna resting outside on your pubic bone. The balloon part reacts to your pelvic floor squeezes and relaxations feeding information to an app on your phone. In real-time you can watch your pelvic floor exercises with your own eyes!
Blog Entry
Some thoughts on pelvic organ prolapse (POP), fascia and the pelvic floor muscles
25th March 2021
Blog Entry
Some thoughts on pelvic organ prolapse (POP), fascia and the pelvic floor muscles
25th March 2021
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is, put simply, the descent of one or more organs within the pelvis. POP is hugely prevalent in the general population with 8.4% of women in the UK reporting a bulge or lump to their GP, and 50% of women over 50 having some degree of prolapse. 1 in 10 women will have at least one surgical procedure for POP in their lifetime. People often feel confused about what a prolapse actually is, and this confusion can lead to feelings of anxiety and distress. A prolapse occurs when there is a loss of support from the connective tissues in the pelvis. This can be a lack of muscle bulk and strength (which occurs with childbirth, hormonal changes and the ageing process), or an over-stretching of ligaments or fascia. The most common type of prolapse is a called a cystocele. This is descent of the bladder, which causes a bulge in the anterior (front) wall of the vagina. The urethra can also prolapse too (called a urethrocele). Similarly, rectocele is the term given to describe a bulge that occurs in the posterior (back) wall of the vagina, when the rectum loses some of its support. The uterus can also prolapse - this is simply called a uterine prolapse...
Blog Entry
Managing POTS Symptoms (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
My personal top tips
2nd September 2020
Blog Entry
Managing POTS Symptoms (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
My personal top tips
2nd September 2020
My POTS symptoms are not so good today, so I thought it would be a good day to raise some awareness of this condition... POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which means sufferers will have a racing heart on changing their position. Many people with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (like me) also have POTS. POTS can cause problems simply with standing up and changing position, as the body struggles to adjust to gravity. In h-EDS the laxity within the blood vessels contributes to this, leading to blood pooling in the hands and feet, and a dramatic increase in heart rate in an attempt to get blood to the brain. In adults the heart rate has to increase by more than 30 bpm within 10 mins of standing for POTS to be diagnosed. POTS is due to an abnormal response by the autonomic nervous system, and is characterised by orthostatic intolerance...
Mini Blog Entry
Breastfeeding Posture Advice
Written for World Breastfeeding Week 2020
7th August 2020
Mini Blog Entry
Breastfeeding Posture Advice
Written for World Breastfeeding Week 2020
7th August 2020
It’s currently World Breastfeeding Week 2020. The aim of this week is to “support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”. UNICEF and the WHO are calling on governments to provide women with access to skilled breastfeeding counsellors. It hopes to normalise and de-stigmatise breastfeeding, and as a pelvic health and postnatal physiotherapist that’s something I can definitely get behind. I understand that breastfeeding is not always possible, and I know first-hand how tough it can be, so I’m certainly not aiming to make anyone feel bad who doesn’t or didn’t breastfeed...
Blog Entry
Physiotherapy Treatment for Vulval Pain:
An update for the Vulval Pain Society Handbook
16th July 2020
Blog Entry
Physiotherapy Treatment for Vulval Pain:
An update for the Vulval Pain Society Handbook
16th July 2020
I was recently asked by the Vulval Pain Society (VPS) to write an update for their handbook regarding Physiotherapy treatment for vulval pain. I wrote the original section on Physiotherapy in their handbook several years ago, and things have moved on in this area of treatment quite a lot. I would highly recommend the VPS handbook for anyone suffering with vulval pain, and the VPS website and support groups are sources of invaluable advice. This blog aims to outline the key areas that have changed in my practice over the past few years...
Blog Entry
Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
30th June 2020
Blog Entry
Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
30th June 2020
Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is an inherited connective tissue disorder that causes joint hypermobility. Physiotherapist Helen Forth shares what it is like to live with the condition, and the huge benefits she has gained from Clinical Pilates:
‘I was the type of child who never sat still. Or if I did, it was doing splits, or with my legs behind my head. I was incredibly flexible, and for many years this was a great asset for me as gymnastics was my passion. I joined Sudbury gymnastics club when I was five years old, with my next-door neighbour. We were quickly hooked, and it became our lives, working our way up through the ranks to competitive elite squad gymnasts. I was frequently injured, almost always in pain, but passionate all the same. Because of my injuries, I was introduced to physiotherapists from a young age and was frequently seen training with wrist, ankle or knee supports in the hope of gaining some stability. I had a few fainting incidents as a child, hated having to stand still in assembly, but no other symptoms.