My Top 10 Take-Aways from Pelvicon 🎉

I recently attended Pelvicon 2024- a 3-day conference gathering 625+ Pelvic Rehab Therapists.  As I was boarding my final flight to Atlanta, we were notified that it was a possibility that we were not going to be able to land due to Hurricane Helene weather.  Thankfully all went well and Atlanta just experienced a ton of rain (12+ inches of rain in ~24 hours!!)

Here are my Top 10 Take-Aways.

1. Apply vaginal moisturizer and/or estrogen with your finger directly to the area that needs it vs messing around with those complicated applicators.

2. Fancy tools/machines/gadgets for the pelvic floor-  often these devices make false claims and prey on women (& men) who are desperate for change.  It is always worth finding out if a certain tool/gadget is right for you (check with your pelvic PT) as some of them may have a benefit when used correctly.

3. Women start losing muscle mass at 31 years old, men at 55 years old.  PLEASE READ THAT AGAIN! Ladies, start strength training today! 💪

4. Use the lube! Many women do not produce enough lubrication potentially making penetration or insertion painful.  Lube is not just for menopausal women, many women in their 20's and 30's benefit from extra lube.  Find one that works well for you and use it!

5. Sleep is KING for hormonal balance.  Often sleep quality is more important than sleep quantity.  Sleep is first line of defense to improving hormones whether you are postpartum or menopausal or somewherein-between.

6. Men can achieve 95% pre-prostate function (continence and erectile function) with seeing Pelvic Floor PT before and after prostatectomy! 🎉 PLEASE SHARE WITH ALL OF THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE!

7. Estrogen has over 400 jobs in the body😳...which is why we feel like we have been hit by a train in our 40's and 50's.  There is no reason to suffer- connect with your menopause provider today to see what you can do to start feeling better!

8. Important for girls and women to track their menstrual cycles to better understand their bodies and know when things are different.  Pain with menstruation that keeps girls/women home from school or work is NOT normal and should be further evaluated by your provider.

9. "We can't put out fire with more gasoline."  To help our bodies heal we must take a whole body approach (sleep, movement, fuel, stress management) and understand that it takes time (the research says 12 weeks!) for solid changes to our muscles/nerve system.  Please don't give up if one change, one exercise, or one PT visit doesn't "fix" everything.

10. 49% of adolescent athletes experience incontinence-- this can be a dribble, a few leaks or more. Athletes are at a 177% higher risk of experiencing stress urinary incontinence than sedentary women.  Educating athletes (of any age) about why they are having symptoms is important.

✨My hope in sharing is that it will help you, a friend or family member improve their quality of life and return to doing things you/they love without hesitation about their symptoms or worry about where the next bathroom is.

💜

melissa