Christine MacMillan, PT

02/06/2023

Bladder "urgency" is probably one of the most misunderstood symptoms among my clients in Pelvic Health. Urgency (the feeling you're going to p*e your pants if you can't get to a toilet ASAP!) actually typically has less to do with pelvic floor strength and much more to do with muscle tension and overactivity of the nervous system. (Both of which are completely fixable!) Recently I'm seeing a lot of really overactive bladders both in clinic at Cooper Physio and in my virtual practice and thought it might be worth dusting off this old blog post!
Reach out with any questions at cmacmillanpt@gmail.com!

If you experience a strong, overwhelming urge to p*e (that may or may not lead to leakage of urine), you might have Urinary Urgency. This is rarely due to problems with your bladder itself, and is more often rooted in pelvic floor muscle tension and poor bladder habits. Pelvic Health Physiotherapy c...

06/26/2021

! Loving this information campaign!

Check out this great video on the basics of bladder leakage.
Then head over to bepelvichealthaware.ca for more great info!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eC0-pdHkMk

06/18/2021

New blog post up on thepelvicfloorpt.com about the importance of the squat-sit!
Did you know that the pelvic floor muscles need to be flexible in order to function properly? It's not just about "kegels", folks! Many people experience incontinence and pelvic pain due to stiffness and muscle tension in the pelvis and hips. Pelvic Health physio can help! https://www.thepelvicfloorpt.com/post/3-reasons-you-should-squat-sit-everyday

The “squat-sit” is arguably one of our most primitive and natural postures as humans. It involves lowering the body to the ground while staying planted firmly on your feet. If you’ve ever watched a child at play, you may have noticed how naturally they adopt this position. While in a squat-sit...

05/26/2021

First book in my summer reading line-up! Interstitial Cystitis, sometimes diagnosed as Painful Bladder Syndrome, is a condition characterized by bladder pain and overactivity. Like many pelvic pain conditions, IC is usually accompanied by a "high tone pelvic floor" (HTPF) which can be a major source of these symptoms. The great news is that Pelvic Floor Physio can help!

02/03/2021

A little piece on Training for Motherhood. Any exercise program should have elements that resemble the "sport" you're training for (in this case, the physical demands of being a new mum!).

Look closely for our little Maggie, who starred in her very first exercise photo shoot!

https://www.thepelvicfloorpt.com/post/training-for-motherhood

There is an important concept in exercise physiology referred to as specificity. If you're an athlete training for your sport (or coming back from an injury), your training program should have elements that look like that sport. The reason is simply because we get better at the specific thing we pra...

01/27/2021

New blog post about the effects of posture on the bladder! If you have bladder prolapse or experience bladder leakage (or if you want to prevent some of these issues), check it out!

https://www.thepelvicfloorpt.com/post/posture-and-the-bladder

One of the first things I do during a Pelvic Health assessment is take a look at posture. The way we position our skeleton has a huge effect on bladder support, and small changes to our postures can make a big difference for things like bladder leakage and bladder prolapse. So how exactly does postu...

01/01/2021

12/30/2020

I'm a real anatomy geek and fell in love with this artwork for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the pelvis and the ribcage are my bread and butter as pelvic PT. (If you're confused as to why breathing/the ribcage is important for things like prolapse/incontinence, read this: https://www.thepelvicfloorpt.com/post/blow-before-you-go-the-importance-of-breathing-for-pelvic-health). Secondly, the visual of "creating space" in the pelvis, like a blossoming flower, can be incredibly helpful for anyone suffering from pelvic floor tension (think: urinary "urgency", pain with in*******se etc.). These are perfect for the clinic!

12/16/2020

For any mamas wondering about how to safely exercise during pregnancy, there's some really helpful info in this blog post! Link to full SOGC Guideline in the post.
Prenatal core conditioning with a Pelvic Floor PT is a great way to train for the marathon that is labour and delivery, and decrease risk of incontinence by 50%! Any questions, don't hesitate to ask :)

https://www.thepelvicfloorpt.com/post/the-truth-about-exercise-during-pregnancy

12/04/2020

12/03/2020

I'm excited to announce that my Pelvic Health schedule for 2021 is officially open and accepting new clients!
If your New Year's resolution is to finally tackle that bladder leakage, pelvic organ prolapse, or core rehab, call to book yourself in for a Pelvic Health Physiotherapy assessment.
Covered under most extended health benefits, and no referral required.
Call Cooper Physiotherapy Clinic in Greely (613) 821-1662 to book, or visit www.thepelvicfloorpt.com for more details.