Hamilton Body Therapy

16/09/2025

Thursday 18th September!!! 1030, 1145 or 1pm
Book online at www.hamiltonbodytherapy.co.nz

19/08/2025

**GONE** LAST MINUTE MASSAGE SPOT AVAILABLE: FRIDAY 22nd 12 NOON!!! Considering i have been booked SOLID for the last few weeks and am pretty full for the next few, strike while the irons hot!!! book online at www.hamiltonbodytherapy.co.nz

30/07/2025

I know it might sound crazy, but your feet and footwear can have a massive effect on your Pelvic Floor and back pain - after all, everything is connected right! The knee bone is connected to the leg bone, the leg bone is connected to the hip bone...
A couple of case studies to start us off...
Client A: radiating pain in the buttock and muscular nerve pain in back of the leg. Client also had slight footdrop. We worked together on strengthening her ankle, relaxing muscles in her feet as well as an over all strengthening and back mobility regime. Pain subsided.
Client B: Was suffering a lot of lower back pain from walking and basic movements in the gym. After a bit of a chat, we narrowed the start of the pain down to the purchase of a new pair of trainers. We worked on relaxing the foot muscles, swapped shoes and pain went...
What's the connection.... Your feet have a number of joints, bones, ligaments and nerves. Every step you take effects the position of your knee, pelvis and so forth. In the case of my foot drop client, the stiff foot muscles were causing a pull effect on the pelvic muscles and glutes and resulted in pain. The new shoes for client B had built in arches that were putting pressure on her feet and resulted in a different gait and subsequently back pain.
Whats the take away - look after your feet. And here is a free tip - get a little spiky ball and roll it under your feet. They'll thank you for it!

28/07/2025

Its not secret that once women hit menopause all our hormones start going crazy and effecting loads of our bodies functions. One of the major ones that we see is a shift in Estrogen. Here is some information about how this effects our bones.... Remember also, that bone density in women generally peaks around age 30 and then starts declining around 40/45, with a rapid decrease once menopause starts. While bone loss happens in both men and women and is a natural part of aging.... women experience a far more significant drop due to the loss of estrogen. Which is why maintaining bone strength is incredible important.

Decreased Calcium Absorption - Estrogen is one of the hormones that helps regulate calcium in the body, and calcium as you might well know, is important for building and maintaining bone density. As Estrogen levels decline, the body is not as efficient at absorbing calcium which leads to lower bone density.

Increased Bone Resorption - Estrogen also helps regulate osteoclasts activity. These are cells that break down bone tissue. When Estrogen levels are too low, osteoclast activity increases, leading to increased bone tissue getting broken down.

Reduced Bone Formation - Estrogen also helps in stimulate osteoblasts. These are cells that build new bone tissue. When Estrogen levels decrease, so does the activity of osteoblasts, and therefore you have less bone formation.

25/07/2025

Stress Incontinence isn’t just specific to the pregnant/postpartum or menopausal population.

Many women experience leaking when exercising, regardless of age, athletic ability or if they’ve had a baby or not.

Here are some variables to consider when weightlifting:

1.) A BREATH HOLD (How they’ve been taught to Valsalva) looking at adjusting your que might help this and where you force the pressure during the lift.
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​2.) A WEIGHT BELT - looking at why you are wearing it, where you are wearing it and if you need to. Could strengthening your core help with this.
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3.) TENSION (Over gripping / holding of the PF, glutes, and abs) are you engaging the correct muscles during the lift and how are you distributing the tension
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4.) THEIR FORM are you directing your force from the wrong position into the wrong area
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5.) TOO MUCH TOO SOON just because you can, doesn't mean you should. drop it back and work on form and build up.
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6.) HYPERTONIC PELVIC FLOOR

If you have other pelvic floor symptoms, like a slow urine stream, pain with s*x or insertion, get va**na or a**s cramping (yeah, that’s a thing), p*e when you sneeze, jump, laugh, etc…

7) ITS NOT NORMAL AND SHOULDN'T BE NORMALISED...

23/07/2025

Here are 6 tips on how to continue to stay physically active with a prolapse!
1) See a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and work with an exercise professional trained to work with women with pelvic health issues (like me). There’s a lot more to it than just doing kegels! We help you understand when to cue and relax your pelvic floor with certain movements and activities to enable you to exercise effectively without feeling symptomatic or making your situation worse.
2) Breathe!! Your diaphragm, abdominal wall and pelvic floor work together as a team and form our ‘core cylinder’. Breathing incorrectly can worsen feelings of va**nal pressure and heaviness.
3) Manage intra-abdominal pressure. This may start in lying or side lying before you can progress onto all fours, kneeling and then hopefully standing. You might also want to consider how exercising at different times of the day may impact your symptoms. When you have learnt how to manage this pressure and your Pelvic floor is nice and strong, add load...
4) Learn how to reset your pelvic floor and learn what your body needs. If you notice heaviness or dragging after a certain exercise or prolonged period on your feet. Lie on your back with a small cushion underneath your pelvis and your legs up against a wall or back of a sofa - this might give you some relief.
5) Gradually build up to impact. Working within your ‘asymptomatic zone’ for your pelvic floor might initially look like elevated mountain climbers before progressing to single leg hops, jumps and then eventually running.
6) Consider a pessary. Pessaries are a great way of increasing va**nal support to enable you to perform at a higher intensity without becoming symptomatic.

21/07/2025

18/07/2025

Relax. Recover. Recharge. Whether you're recovering from an injury or surgery, dealing with muscle tension, hormonal issues or just need to reset, we’re here to help you feel your best. Massage therapy tailored to your needs.

16/07/2025

Whether you have had a hysterectomy, breast cancer surgery, tummy tuck or surgery from a broken bone, post surgical massage can really help in the recovery process, getting you back to doing what you like sooner… but what to do and when...

Weeks 1-4: Early Fibrotic Phase
During this phase swelling begins to subside, and the formation of fibrous tissue (scar tissue) starts. Hard lumps or thickened areas may appear. Gentle Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help to reduce swelling and encourage lymph flow away from the areas that are healing. At this stage, we don’t massage the scar directly.

Weeks 4-12: Peak Fibrotic Phase
Fibrosis is most pronounced, and the treated area feels firm. There may be noticeable unevenness. More robust massage techniques can start breaking down the fibrotic / scar tissue (usually from about 8 weeks depending on the scar). Lymphatic Drainage will continue to aid in the recovery.

Months 3-12: Chronic Phase
Consistent massage can further break down persistent fibrotic areas. Scar massage can help soften the scar and restore mobility to the surrounding tissues. Cupping therapy can lift the tissue, improve blood flow, and also release toxins.

1 year and beyond: Resolution Phase
Fibrosis should have significantly decreased or entirely resolved. Regular massages can maintain soft tissue health and address any minor recurring fibrosis.

Booking Lymphatic Drainage weekly or every couple of weeks can have a significant impact on your recovery process…

14/07/2025

Just had surgery and feeling swollen and bloated?

You’re not alone and don't have to stay that way... Lymphatic Drainage & Scar Massage helps:

Reduce swelling & water retention, ease tightness, promote healing leaving you feel lighter & more like you..

Many clients see changes after just one session... but its not just about looks, its how your body feels, lighter, more mobility, not so stiff

Appointments available for post-op Lymphatic Drainage and Scar Massage

Book directly on my website or contact me if you’re unsure of whats best for your stage of healing

09/07/2025

Its only been happening the last year or 2... Sound familiar?? I get contacted a lot by women of a certain age that have developed Urinary Incontinence when they have begun menopause.

This is due to the changed in hormone levels that keep it strong. Coupled to the fact that you start to lose muscle tone around then, its no wonder its feeling weaker! But don't worry, whilst this is common, its not something that you have to put up with.

Strengthening your Pelvic Floor, Core and entire body has so many more benefits. Obvious ones of not p*eing yourself aside, resistance exercises help keep muscle mass, muscles which support your bones, joints and ligaments, resulting in better balance, better strength and stronger bones. If your only symptom is a bit of leaking, then that can usually be sorted in 6-10 weeks... but learning how to keep it strong lasts a lifetime...

07/07/2025

The average women waits 8 years to see someone about a pelvic health problem! CRAZY right? It’s a massive problem making women’s lives miserable. It’s very isolating and effects mental health. Make 2025 your year to GET SORTED! Send ME a private message if you have any questions. Your Pelvic Floor will thank you!