Maria Radelich, Bedford, NS (2025)

05/01/2022

It’s official. The change happens Monday.

First off, I can’t move on without acknowledging where my career really flourished. has been my home for the last 4 years. Before coming, I almost didn’t know if I wanted to be a physio. Meeting the crew of brilliant practitioners from PTs, to osteo to RMT, completely changed my view of how a team should really work. We laughed, cried, sang, competed (we still text everyday our spelling bee scores).

My career would have never been where it is today without Stella and David specifically.

Stella, the OG pelvic floor physio, took a chance on me. I am so grateful you shared your experience to be able to to get to where I am.

David, there aren’t many bosses that are as supportive as you when I told you I was opening a business. I think that alone speaks to you and I hope I can be half the boss you are (I’ll probably call you everyday asking questions 😂)

Not only were they patient, but supportive, and of course their knowledge and experience is like none other. So thank you BOHC for creating an example of what I want for my new team.

A special thanks to the wonderful admin team who supported me so much. They know my schedule better than I know my schedule and are wizards! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you humans.

Now I feel ready to hopefully be a mentor like I had and be able to allow someone else’s career to flourish like I had the opportunity to do.

So here comes Pelvico Health Centre!

Thank you to all the clients, who have been so supportive, kind and patient with the transition. I am so grateful for you.

And officially Monday: we will see you at the new spot! Let’s do this!

36 Duke Street, Bedford!

05/25/2021

Can I run in pregnancy in my first trimester? I have been training!

Good question! The basic answer is YES, however I want you consider a few things:

1. What’s your fatigue like? The first trimester can be full of fatigue, nausea and feeling unwell. Depending on what running looks like for you, take into consideration how you feel. Did you yak a bunch today? Can’t keep food down? Today might not be the day for a long run. Maybe a walk, or intervals or straight up R&R!

2. You can but should you? I can push through this fatigue, but should I? Check your ego. We know most runners can push through fatigue but should you today?

3. Do you have any of the 5 Ds? Dripping (urine or f***s), dropping (feeling like something is falling out of the va**na), discomfort (physical or mental), distension (constipated? Belly hurts?), doming (obvious doming at the abdominal wall during the activity). These are the signs to tell if you are not tolerating exercise well or if changes need to be made!

4. Contraindications to exercise. This one is important. If you have contraindications to exercise you shouldn’t participate.

5. What season is it? Icy day? Might not be ideal since fall risk is increased. Hot, humid day? Pick a shorter run, run in the morning or evening! Hydrate!!!

Questions?

05/04/2021

ITS HERE!

THE LOCAL WELLNESS BUNDLE!

$3500 worth of wellness all for $95! If you have ever wanted to try out our postpartum program and get TONS more, this is the time!

Link in my bio for access!

03/22/2021

PELVIC FLOOR TIP:

CHECK YOUR STRESS.

If I had a dollar for every time I saw a stressed person and could guess the likely state of their pelvic floor and probable dysfunction, I wouldn’t need to work in clinic 😂

For real, our lives are so full of stress, hustle and bustle that it directly effects how our nervous systems and in turn our pelvic floors function.

Overactivity of our musculature can manifest in so many ways:
-Incontinence
-Pain
-Constipation

And so much more...

If you can guess the state of my pelvic floor I’ll give you a dollar 😉 jk.. I’d lose all my money!

03/01/2021

BLOCKED MILK DUCTS?

Here are some options:

1. Heat! Hot shower, heat pack etc. Try 10-15 mins! Please be careful not to burn yourself. If it feels too hot, it probably is!

2. Massage towards the ni**le. There are varying techniques here like compression, skin rolling etc.

3. Electric toothbrush! Anything that vibrates can be helpful. Try heat first then 5-10 mins over the blocked duct!

4. Therapeutic ultrasound! This one you’ll need a physio for, but it’s a safe modality that doesn’t hurt at all! This has been shown to be really helpful in relieving blocked ducts.

After all of these techniques you’ll want to feed, pump or express right after!

Of course please be aware of signs of full on Mastitis which is an infection. If you have a fever, feel unwell, fatigue or other signs of infection, present to your medical practitioner.

01/22/2021

Prolapse.

So many women’s fear. When I came out of school, even did my pelvic health training I was convinced that I was doomed if I ever got a prolapse.

No running, jumping, lifting more than 10lbs ever again? Organs falling out?

Yeah. It freaked me out too.

But here’s the thing... then I went into practice, and realized how many women were running, jumping, lifting with them! To my surprise some of these women didn’t even know they had prolapse. Some had them and they didn’t get worse despite all that activity! Some had symptoms here and there but had strategies that helped them. One woman said “it’s not different than my naggly knee that acts up when I run too much. I rest, do my exercises, ice and then I’m running again”. LIKE OKAY GOOD POINT!

So of course. I did the research cause I mean... I need to make sure I’m saying the right things. Turns out:

On objective examination, the rates of POP have been found to be upwards of 76% but symptomatic cases were only 3-12%!

So again, only a small cohort feel it or know about it.

So that means this whole other chunk of women are still lifting, running and jumping with their prolapses!

Look. I don’t want to dismiss your feelings around your prolapse. Symptoms are real. Worry and fear are real. Some people are surgical. However, I want to post this because we are wayyyyy too quick to say “stop running, don’t lift, don’t, don’t, don’t”. We CAN often build up to these things.

For the health care pros reading this. Remember you are treating a WHOLE HUMAN. Remember that woman are particularly at risk for osteoporosis, heart and lung disease... know what helps with that? PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IMPACT. MOVEMENT.

Know what else physical activity & movement do? HELPS OUR MENTAL HEALTH.

Know what helps pain/symptom perception? BEING IN A GOOD HEADSPACE!

Okay I think I made my point :) if you have symptoms, get some help. There are people who don’t totally take away exercise, movement. We just may need to build.

12/31/2020

Happy New Year!

Crazy right? In some ways 2020 felt so long and in others it felt so short.

Although 2020 can definitely be though of as a bit of a sh*tshow, I definitely had some positives!

1. I got to meet about 275 of you or so! I learned so much from you guys so thank you!
2. I was able to grow my practice exponentially this year.
3. I opened with and we are so proud of what we created. I am incredibly proud to have had so many of you want to support us and grow with us, even if that means some growing pains! 😅
4. I was able to learn to adapt when needed (Insert: telehealth, pandemic)
5. Most of all, I defined more of what I want out of myself and my career!

I am so excited for what 2021 has in store and I’m grateful that 2020 taught us that we are tougher than we think.

What did you learn about yourself this year?

12/28/2020

4 TIPS TO HELP YOU P*E BETTER

I can’t say it enough... relaxation is KEY.

And don’t be a Power-Pee-Er.... you know who you are.

Let me know if you have any questions!

PS. If you think these tips could be helpful, LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE!

12/21/2020

YOU IN? STARTING JAN 4th!

12/05/2020

BECAUSE OF YOU.

We were able to raise enough money and get enough challengers to help us buy 100 boxes of menstrual products for women in need.

I want to thank everyone who reached out and helped us, who shared our challenge. That helped a small business donate to our community and we can’t thank you enough.

These are going to be distributed with the help of .dalhousie . They will help package these into individual packages to be donated to local shelters and local women in need. We can’t thank them enough for their help in getting them where they need to go.

Thanks so much again. 💜

11/30/2020

BELLY TROUBLE OVER THE HOLIDAYS.

What effect does that have on your pelvic health?

During the holidays many of us are eating a little differently! Grandmas cookies are coming in hot and we’re here for it!

Here’s the thing, personally I’m not passing it up, however I do know it might change how my belly feels. I won’t lie that sometimes I’m more bloated, gassy, etc.

In turn, that bloated feeling can actually make you urinate more, may give you bowel troubles, can lead to unwanted leaks or may make you feel a little more urgent when running to the bathroom.

This isn’t a post about whether or not you should avoid things that hurt your belly. That’s not in my scope, not for me to comment on, and for NO ONE to judge. So eat the damn cookie if you want to. However, if you run into some belly issues, here’s some tips to keep your pelvic floor happy!

Before you read these, by no means does this replace professional advice when it comes to belly trouble. When you have more serious conditions, a licensed medical practitioner, dietician or health professional are 1000% someone you should be consulting with. These tips are for general holiday fun and can be helpful for the general pelvic floor.

1. Use the squatty potty. This will help you empty your bowels better, thus making sure you aren’t running to the bathroom a lot.

2. Drink water. Even if you feel like you are urinating more, it’s better to have the urine less concentrated and will make your bladder happier.

3. Figure out if you have triggers. Some people know that alcohol may trigger their bladder or belly, maybe for someone else it’s dairy. For me, it’s a mix of the above and carbonated beverages. Be mindful of these triggers, and try maybe splitting them up.

4. Wear looser pants. If you feel bloated or gassy, wearing tight clothing can make it feel worse, and put more pressure on your pelvic floor. Whip out those leggings.

5. Stop sucking in. Seriously stop. You are fine the way you are. The muscles of your abdominals also contract with the pelvic floor. If you suck in, your pelvic floor may tighten up as well and that can cause more feelings of urgency.

6. Let out the gas. Many people are with friends and family over the holidays and it might not always be appropriate to let one rip. But excuse yourself and let out the gas. This goes for a p**p too. Take some VIPoo with you and go!

7. Please don’t exercise your treats off. I can’t believe I even need to mention this, but you don’t need to do 8 million squats to “burn off” the hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. Adding more stress to your body especially if you aren’t used to doing a specific form of exercise is not going to help your belly, bladder or pelvic floor. Try a small walk instead. General movement and physical activity can be helpful for digestion but stop trying to “burn stuff off” ... and run if anyone tells you to do this.

8. Breathe. Deep breathing and calming your nervous system can help your body go into “rest and digest” mode.

Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy your friends, family and treats!

11/24/2020

I thought we were past this one!

Stop trying to stop the flow of urine on the toilet!

Why?

When you are urinating, your pelvic floor muscles should be RELAXING to let urine out. If you start practicing “kegels” or STOPPING urine flow, you are now contracting the muscles throughout urination. This is the opposite effect. It can lead to things like hesitancy or difficulty initiating the stream of urine if done too much.

Don’t panic, no big deal if you’ve tried it, but now you know! Practice those kegels when you aren’t urinating!

Spread the word!

11/19/2020

What happens in a prenatal assessment?

First of all, you don’t need anything “wrong” to come into a prenatal assessment. Prevention is also part of our job as a PT!

During a prenatal assessment you can expect:

1. Whatever your goal is! Want to learn about birthing positions? No prob. Want to learn perineal stretching? Sure! Want to know some tips for early postpartum? You got it! You get to choose what you want to do!

2. Assessment of pelvic floor and core. Again, only if you want it. However this is super helpful to know your baseline and also to help work on things that could be improved. Need more strength? Better relaxation for birth? Core exercise options? We got you.

3. Education. This is by far the most important. You’ll leave with tips and tricks!

4. Exercise help. Some women feel lost when it comes to exercise. I frequently hear: I’m not allowed to do X or I shouldn’t be doing Y. The reality is, you probably can do those things, but we can help you find the best strategy and help navigate when a change should be made.

5. Help with whatever ailment you do have. Tailbone pain? We can help with that.

Prenatal assessments are awesome, and can really help women be prepared for birth and early postpartum.

Questions? 👇🏼

11/15/2020

Supporting local women & businesses this holiday season!

Our next challenge starts Dec. 1st!

You saw it: Reindeer Training Camp!

Those Reindeer can go all night, holding their bladders for the full flight! Oh look, I rhymed.

Seriously. Total body and pelvic floor/core workouts.

For every person that signs up, is going to donate a menstrual product to local women in need. There’s also a chance to win a $50 gift certificante to ANY local business you choose.

Not interested in the challenge but want to help? Donate a box of tampons on Pelvico’s website! Link is in my bio!

Help local women and businesses 💜
@ Bedford, Nova Scotia

10/21/2020

PELVIC FLOOR & GLUTE CHALLENGE!

Powering you from your core to floor challenge!

The glutes are essential to helping the pelvic floor be strong! So let’s train them together!

This challenge is for anyone who wants 15-20 min workouts delivered everyday for 14 days to your inbox!

We have tips & tricks, videos and more!

And... it’s only 14 dollars! JOIN US NOVEMBER 2nd!

Link in bio! You joining?👇 @ Halifax, Nova Scotia

09/21/2020

You tore, now what?

Many women will experience perineal tearing during child birth. Here’s some quick tips:

1. Padsicles! Recipe is on my blog!
2. Bowels in check. No constipation! Keep those BMs soft.
3. Sitz baths.
4. Pelvic floor muscle exercises. Check in with your healthcare professional to see which ones are best for you.
5. Calves on a stool exercise.
6. Walking.
7. Rest.
8. Reduce pressure through the perineum. No holding your breath.
9. Perineal massage after clearance (usually 6+ weeks pp)

PS. All these tips and the deets are part of our education sessions in Pregnancy program and the Postpartum Revive program! Check it out!

09/20/2020

Chronic Pain Cycles

Look. If people who had persistent pain fit nicely into a little infographic, then no one would be in chronic pain.

But, navigating these cycles can be difficult. I won’t lie, it take a little trial and error. It takes a trusting relationship. It isn’t just that easy. However, these infographics do help understand the basis of how persistent pain works, and where the foundation of treatment lies.

The second one is my fave. It’s rooted in positivity. If you google pain cycles the first one shows up. The problem is that it only shows the negative loop, not the positive one. I also like that “pain” isn’t included in the main cycle and more focused on function. I also like the wording of “reduced pain impact” as pain may still be there but the impact on the individual reduces!

Check it out. What one is your fave? Should we flip the script?

These are adapted info graphics from the reference!

Maria Radelich