Lisa Flanders, Physiotherapist

06/06/2023

As a Pelvic Health Physio I talk about l**e A LOT! 💦

L**e is not created equally and it’s important to choose one that is right for you and not just whatever is available on the shelf.

💧Water-based are readily available and compatible with most material. They can absorb quickly and become sticky so you may have to reapply.

💧Silicone-based is a great alternative and has more longevity. Keep it away from those silicone toys though as it will break down the material.

💧Oil-based has a lot of longevity, can be moisturizing. Keep away from latex and be mindful that it may stain your sheets.

Try to choose a l**e that is free from parabans and preservatives, your pelvic floor will thank you.

Want to learn more about l**e💦 check out our YouTube channel (link in bio ⬆️)

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05/24/2023

💦 L**E L**E L**E💦

I often recommend personal lubricant following childbirth and during menopause. Hormone fluctuations can change how you feel below the belt and l**e can be a great way to help you feel ready.

There are many kinds of lubricant 💦available and what you choose depends on what you’ll be using it with.

🌸WATER BASED L**E is most widely available and compatible with most materials. It tends to absorb quickly so you might have to reapply.

🌸SILICONE BASED L**ES are smooth and sit on the skin so no need to reapply. However NOT compatible with silicone toys.

🌸OIL BASED L**ES are smooth, don’t absorb as quickly and often only a small amount is needed. They are NOT compatible with latex.

Look for a l**e that is free from parabans, scents or other chemicals.

If you want more tips about how to choose a l**e, check out my YouTube channel (link in bio) for a full video. ⬆️

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05/16/2023

How the heck are you supposed to look “down there”? 🌸

A super common question during my assessments is “do I look normal?” And unless there is something super obvious I observe (like discolouration or change in texture), the answer is yes.

The truth is every v***a owner is different. Think of it like your finger print, all v***as are unique just like you are. 💕

Do you know all about your anatomy? If not, check out our YouTube channel (link in bio) for my It’s Not TMI series. 🔝

***aOwner ***a ***a

05/02/2023

Menstrual cups 🌷🌸

Do you use menstrual cups? I tired the in 2015 and loved it, I’ve been a die-hard ever since.

Menstrual cups are great for;

🌷Travel
🌷Cost-savings
🌷Sustainability
🌷Never having to remember to buy tampons again

The comes in 3 sizes and is great for people with a high-lining cervix (meaning the cervix sits high up in you va**nal canal).

If you aren’t sure how to choose a cup, check out and take the quiz to see which one is best for your body.

For more info on how to measure you cup, check out our YouTube channel (link in bio).

04/25/2023

How well do you know your anatomy? 🤔

I want all individuals to explore their anatomy “down there”. ESPECIALLY V***a owners!

Exploring your own downtown is a great way to;

🌸 CONNECT with your body
🌸 Feel more CONFIDENT with your body
🌸 Make note of any CHANGES

Not sure what you’re looking at or where to start 🤷‍♀️ don’t worry, I’ve got your covered…..I have some great YouTube resources covering all things TMI including the different parts of your v***a and how to start exploring down there. Link is in Bio!

Drop a comment 👇 once you’ve done your homework and feel more connected to you pelvic floor!

***aOwners ***aPuppet ***a ***a

03/15/2023

Guess what I’m supposed to be?

I’ll give you hint: it rhymes with Mulva and is a part of the female anatomy (for all you Seinfeld fans out there).

Just over here filming some videos for YouTube and trying to help all you visual learners 😉

Stay tuned to our YouTube channel (link in bio) for the video.

01/11/2023

01/11/2023

Clients always tell me things about their pelvic health that they think is TMI 🙊

Spoiler Alert‼️ there is no such thing as TMI when you’re a pelvic floor physiotherapist, seriously, I’ve heard it all and I am never shocked or surprised. My office is a safe space for you to have all your questions answered while feeling heard and supported.

What about those common questions that our clients are too embarrassed to ask? Well I have you covered for that in my YouTube series “It’s Not TMI” (link in bio). I cover a number of questions related to your pelvic health including;

🌸 V***ar Anatomy
🌸 V***ar Care
🌸 How to Wipe
🌸 V***ar Hygiene
🌸 Choosing a l**e
🌸 Choosing a vi****or
🌸 Q***fing
🌸 Even Butt stuff 🙈

If you have pelvic health Q’s that your embarrassed to ask, head over to our YouTube channel and check them out. If you want to ask something, send me a DM and I might include it in an upcoming video.

***a ***arHealth ***aOwner ***f ****or **e

12/15/2022

Just over here clearing some confusion about the pelvic floor! 🙋🏼‍♀️

🌸Leaking with coughing, sneezing, running 🏃‍♀️ jumping or laughing is super common! And can also be treated!

🌸In*******se shouldn’t be painful (unless that’s your thing and both partners consent)

🌸Having pelvic floor physio after cesarean is a thing, there have still been a lot of changes to your pelvic floor and abdominal wall 💛

🌸Men have pelvic floors too! One in 9 men will experience some form of pelvic floor dysfunction in their lives.

🌸 Many people have tight pelvic floors and actually need to learn to relax 🧘🏼‍♀️

🌸Kegels are not a cure-all, and if your pelvic floor is tight they may make things worse

🌸Your va**na is self cleaning 🧹 and really good at balancing it’s own pH

Did you learn something new? Drop a 🤯 below!

We still have a small number of availabilities for new patient assessments before the end of 2022, great time to start giving your pelvic floor a little love 💗

11/21/2022

I LOVE LOVE LOVE 💕 giving mobility ball exercises ESPECIALLY as a way to do self release for the PELVIC FLOOR.

I recommend mobility balls to nearly ALL my clients. It’s a simple and effective way to make some space in your pelvic floor while doing other things like writing an email 💻 or scrolling your phone 📱

This is my NUMBER 1️⃣ clinical tool for pre and postnatal clients for perineal release and pelvic floor release to either prep the body for birth OR assist rehab following.

Not just for pelvic floor health, these balls come in a variety of sizes and can be used ALL OVER the body to release remain in tight muscles and great symmetry ☯️

Stay tuned and we’ll show you a couple great ways to use them for the pelvic floor and muscles within the body.

Do you use mobility balls? Drop a 🏀 below and tell us how! Drop a comment if there is a specific muscle you want to work on!

These are specifically from but another firm ball will work too!

11/14/2022

Hey to all the MEN out there 🙋🏻‍♀️ You have PELVIC FLOORS too!

I’m not going to lie, MOST of our clients are women and those who have v***as. However, that doesn’t mean that men are immune to pelvic floor dysfunction. We test men and men have pelvic floors too 🕺

1 in 9 men will experience some form of pelvic floor dysfunction in their lives and will often suffer in silence due to stigma, embarrassment or fear of treatment. So many people are SURPRISED 😮 to learn we treat all genders!

Common male pelvic health concerns include;

✨Incontinence

✨Constipation

✨Pelvic Pain

✨Pain with In*******se

✨Prostititis

✨Coccydynia

✨Pudenal Neuralgia

Interesting enough, this list looks a lot like what v***a owners experience as well 🤔with the exception of prostititis of course.

We are here to help and to answer your questions in a safe, comfortable and compassionate environment. We offer FREE 15 minute phone consults if you want to learn if pelvic floor physiotherapy is right for you, book your appointment through link ⬆️ in bio. Drop a 😲below if you learned something new!

11/06/2022

A little confession….we are big fans at Bloom 🌸 so thought we’d take a page from Moira Rose and give you a little tour!

🌸 Our admin desk always has a smiling face (behind the mask) to welcome you to our space 🙋🏻‍♀️

🌸 We have 6 PRIVATE treatment rooms to maintain privacy and ensure you are HEARD during your appointment

🌸 Our 400 square foot Group Studio is used for private 1:1 Clinical Exercise 🤸‍♂️ treatments with our Physiotherapy Assistants AND used for Group Rehab classes tailored to your specific needs 🧘🏼‍♀️

🌸 Come visit us at Bloom and experience our Safe, Comfortable and Compassionate environment. Let us help YOU do MORE of what you love 💕

Check us out and see what we offer though link in bio 👆

10/24/2022

Hey There V***a Owners🌸 have you looked 👀 at your DOWNTOWN ⬇️ bits!

I have had SO MANY clients in my office who have NEVER looked at their parts 🙀 and that is OKAY but also an important part of understanding your body.

What’s stopping🛑 you?

❓Fear: nothing to be fearful of, it’s just a body part

❓Embarrassment: nothing to be embarrassed about, half the population has a v***a.

❓Not to sure what you’re looking at: that’s where pelvic health educators come in (I LOVE 💕 teaching people about their body)

Taking some time to EXPLORE your anatomy is SO important to create a CONNECTION with your body.

🌷Make a CONNECTION

🌷Get to know your body so you can note CHANGE

🌷Create more CONFIDENCE within your body

Don’t let fear or embarrassment get in the way of learning about your body, that’s what we’re here for…ITS NOT TMI 🙊 And if you aren’t READY to look down south, that’s okay too, we can answer the questions you might have to start understanding how things work.

Not sure where to start? Check out our YouTube channel (link in bio) for step by step directions 👆🏼 OR book an appointment with one of our fabulous physiotherapists to take you on a tour.

***arCare

08/28/2022

We have the BEST team 👯‍♀️🥰 but I might be biased 😉

Do you know how you create success? By surrounding yourself with incredible people 😍. I am so grateful everyday for the team we have at the clinic.

What started as two physiotherapists sharing a vision back in 2018 has blossomed into a interdisciplinary healthcare team comprised of over 20 individuals working together to provide quality and compassionate care to help YOU do MORE of what you love 💕

Read more about our story and our through link in bio 🖕

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04/13/2022

As promised, here is the Real-Time Ultrasound of my abdominal wall. EO➡️External Oblique, IO➡️Internal Oblique, TvA➡️Transversus Abdominis

Since my initial injury in September 2021, I’ve felt a decreased connection to my abdominal muscles and specifically Transversus Abdominis (TvA) during my rehab exercises. After reviewing with on the ultrasound, I was confident that I was activating the muscle correctly and that the rehab exercises I’ve been doing are effective.

What is Real-Time Ultrasound? It’s a tool we use in the clinic to assess the abdominal wall and pelvic floor function, great for seeing your core control, identifying diastasis recti, allowing us to assess the pelvic floor EXTERNALLY and provides our clients with the biofeedback we sometimes need when connecting with our body. This is the same type of sound-energy used in hospital for fetal ultrasound, and to assess the abdominal and pelvic organs, we just use a more superficial view to assess the muscles. This is a FANTASTIC tool to see muscle function and linea alba tension for those with Diastasis Recti and for assessing paediatric pelvic floors or those who do not consent to an internal exam.

Want to know if Real-Time Ultrasound is right for your rehab goals? All of our physios offer a FREE 15 minute phone consult.

04/06/2022

Let’s talk about medical imaging…..🦴

As a physio I get asked by patients all the time whether they think imaging will benefit their treatment and typically my answer is no (unless acute injury and we are suspecting a fracture that needs more immediate intervention).

Often with imaging, things are identified that aren’t really a problem, but can turn into a stressor for the patient…..an example is degenerative disc disease, which is a fancy way to say “wear and tear with aging” which affects at least 40% of people over 40 with increasing rates as we age. Many people may not even be aware because they don’t have symptoms and it doesn’t affect their life, therefore it’s not really a problem.

When imaging does become important is when pain does not follow normal pain patterns and we are trying to rule out more complex concerns.

I recently had an MRI ordered for my back because the pain distribution into the leg did not follow a specific pattern and after 6 months of pain I just wanted answers (also to rule out stress/emotions as a factor because stress does impact pain). I opted to go to the Quebec side and pay for the MRI instead of waiting the 3 months to get it done on the Ontario side. I received the imaging the following day and even without the report it was quite obvious there was a herniated disc at L4/5.

How I’ve used this info;

🧠I felt validated that there was something wrong and it wasn’t in my head
🧠I know that discs take time to heal so know that this is a (hopefully) short road ahead

What hasn’t changed;
🏋🏻‍♀️How I’m rehabbing this injury, I’m still focusing on what I can do and adding exercise as long as it is not pain provoking.

Whether you have imaging or not is up to you and your doctor, just take some of the findings with a grain of salt as they may or may not be impacting you. As a physiotherapist I will still guide you through function regardless of your injury.

⏩See comments to see my pain distribution (L4/5 typically refers down the back and side and not the front).

Stay tuned to see what I’m doing for rehab!

03/10/2022

This is 40 😍

I’ve been super excited to turn 40 for the last little while because age is really just a number. Though physically I felt better a year ago I know I’ll get through this injury (herniated discs) and be stronger than ever before. Looking forward to lifting some heavier weights but will settle for heading to the gym for rehab for now, at least I’m moving again.

I think about the last 10 years and am sometimes shocked at all I’ve accomplished.

🌸 Opening Bloom Integrative Health
🌸 Our YouTube channel which has over 1 million views 👀
🌸 Buying a home and rooting myself in Ottawa (was really notable when I changed my phone number to an Ottawa number)
🌸 Finishing my masters degree
🌸 Finding a great group of people who’ve become my Ottawa family

You know I still drive to work and forget that I own a clinic, probably because we have such an amazing team and things feel seamless 💕

Some things I’ve learned over the past 40 years that I want to share;

🌼 I don’t think we ever feel like adults or that we feel we know what we’re doing
🌼 It’s okay to have ice cream 🍦 for dinner
🌼 People think about you a lot less than you think they do so just live your life And stop worrying about what people think
🌼 Find yourself a great village, friends, coworkers, neighbours and family and you can achieve anything

I always take my birthday off to just have a chill day and I highly recommend everyone do this, it’s like an extra little holiday just for you! Headed to Nordic tomorrow for a little R&R!

#40