If you've been referred for pelvic floor physical therapy, or you’re simply exploring options for issues like pelvic pain, incontinence, or postpartum recovery—welcome. At Refuge Physiotherapy, we understand that starting pelvic floor physical therapy can feel unfamiliar or even a little intimidating. Our goal is to provide a space that feels safe, supportive, and informed.

Let’s walk you through what pelvic floor therapy is, who it helps, and what to expect as a new patient at Refuge.

Introduction

Have you ever felt a knot in your stomach during a stressful time? Or noticed tension in your neck and shoulders after an emotionally draining day? You’re not alone—and it’s not just in your head.

The human body has an incredible memory. Physical therapists and other health professionals are increasingly recognizing the connection between emotional stress and physical symptoms. Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk in his book "The Body Keeps the Score," this blog explores how emotions—especially unresolved trauma—can be stored in the body, how they show up physically, and what role physical therapy can play in healing.

Importance of Hydration

Our bodies are composed of approximately 60 percent water and hydration is essential for our overall health. 

Approximately three out of every four Americans are dehydrated on a regular basis. Dehydration is more common as we age because thirst levels naturally drop with age. 

Drinking enough water daily promotes circulation and decreases stress on your heart and blood vessels, aids with digestion, metabolism, and detoxification. It also helps you feel energized and promotes better sleep.

Research continues to demonstrate the importance of resistance training for quality of life and overall health. It improves your bone density and strength, slowing bone and muscle loss that occurs as we age. Resistance training promotes posture, flexibility, balance and coordination. Improves cognition, mood, joint function, cardiovascular and mental health. Facilitates weight management and reduces the risk of injury and chronic disease. 

So, resistance training is important, but what is the best type of resistance training? Is there an advantage to free weights compared to machines? Should you choose cables or body weight training?

What do you do for muscle cramps?

A muscle cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful muscle contraction. Muscle cramping can occur due to overexertion, dehydration, poor nutrition, or working a muscle too hard. Muscle cramps commonly affect the calf, thigh, and lower leg.

Headaches are one of the most common sources of pain. In order to manage and prevent headaches, it is important to understand the types and factors that can contribute to them. 

A headache can have many causes: nerve compression, inflammation, and blood vessel constriction or dilation. Oftentimes, one event can lead to a cascade of responses that we call a headache. There are several types of headaches:

Did you know that the shoulder is the most mobile joint of the body? You can move your arm overhead, across your body and behind your back, thanks to the shoulder. However, with this extra motion, there can be a trade off for less stability.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is located just in front of your ears and connects the lower jaw, mandible, to your skull. When these joints are misaligned or stressed, it can lead to temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD).  

Common symptoms of TMD include jaw pain or tenderness, clicking or popping sounds when opening the mouth, difficulty opening or limited jaw movement, difficulty chewing, headaches that radiate into your jaw, cheeks, or temples, ear pain or tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and neck pain.

Winter is here, and for many of us, that means hitting the slopes for some skiing and snowboarding fun! These exhilarating sports are a fantastic way to stay active during the colder months, but they also come with their fair share of risks. Adopting a mindset focused on injury prevention can keep you healthy and enjoying the snow all season long. Here are some essential tips to stay safe on the slopes:

Dr. Maggie and Dr. Josh have been reading, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. We have found some great insights that we would like to share with you, our Refuge community. 

One important distinction the author made was the difference between goals and systems. A goal is a specific target that is either realized or missed, an objective that is successfully attained, or failed. Goals can help motivate you towards change, but often do not yield long-lasting results and must be replaced by another goal, like stepping stones. Once a goal is attained, there is a choice that has to be made to either continue to pursue another goal or to fall back into the automatic patterns you were in before you created your goal.

What is hypermobility?

Joint hypermobility is when your joints are more flexible and have a greater range of motion than is expected. Most children are naturally flexible and become less flexible as they grow, however in about 20% of the population hypermobility continues into adulthood.

Throughout our day to day life, we tend to develop habits and repeated patterns of movements. This repetitive motion is intensified with athletic training through added loads and stress. These repeated movements compound over time and small, initial asymmetries can add up to cause significant muscle imbalances. These imbalances in turn can create movement limitations and functional deficits related to joint stability, proprioception, and mobility.

Plantar Heel Pain

The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs on the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. Its function is to aid in stability and control of the foot with weight bearing. It assists the arch of the foot and absorbs some of the load we place on our foot when we stand or walk. 

Hip hinging is a fundamental movement pattern that helps us maintain good posture, reduces back pain, and enhances overall movement. Regularly performing hip hinges trains you for the movements of daily life, improves core and lower body strength, and promotes hip stability and mobility, which are impaired with consistent prolonged sitting. 

What is hip hinging?

Cupping is a type of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) that decompresses tissue, increases circulation and promotes healing. Cupping was documented as early as 1550 BC in Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world.

The thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae at your mid-back, running from the the top of your shoulder blades down to the bottom of your rib cage. It is the only spinal region that attaches to the ribs, and it is primarily responsible for trunk rotation. 

The thoracic spine is an area of the body that is often under-treated. Most clinicians focus on the shoulder, cervical spine, or low back, as these are the areas that typically take the hit when it comes to pain and discomfort. Here at Refuge Physiotherapy, we look for and treat the root cause. Often, the root cause of shoulder, neck and low back pain is thoracic stiffness and dysfunction.

Risk of specialization too soon

For most sports, there is no evidence that intense training and specialization before adolescence are necessary to achieve elite status. “Early specialization may enhance a skill but it does not enhance athleticism like practicing multiple sports can,” according to researcher and sports psychologist, Richard Ginsburg. Sport specialization too early increases the risks of: overuse injuries, burnout, and a decrease in overall athletic development.

The cervical spine connects the head to the body. It stabilizes our head and keeps us oriented and upright. It allows us to breathe, speak, and swallow.

Body tempering is a manual therapy technique classified as “instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)”. This specific type of IASTM involves rolling a weighted cylinder across a specific muscle group. 

Strength training is any exercise or physical movement that uses resistance through body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells, cables and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.