Holistic Pelvic Care™ (HPC) was developed from over 25 years of work, research and hands-on practice by Tami Lynn Kent, a women’s health physiotherapist based in Portland, Oregon and author of ‘Wild Feminine’, ‘Mothering from your Centre’ and ‘Wild Creative’.

HPC is a combination of physical and energetic tools  designed to assess and then restore balance to the pelvic space of the female body.

Holistic Pelvic Care™ is for women of all ages to address pelvic symptoms or enhance general wellness.

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What can go wrong with the pelvic floor?

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Most women will hold varying degrees of trauma in the pelvic floor. This is the root cause of imbalance.  This can be both physical in nature eg from, for instance, postpartum trauma or accidents) and emotional.

Postpartum trauma can come from physical things such as – episiotomy, severe tearing, excessively long labours, excessive pushing during labour, poor stitching, and repeat infections/poor healing of the vaginal wall. But it can also be related to the way a woman was handled in labour, whether she felt overwhelmed or pressured into making certain decisions or felt a lack of ownership over her own body.

There is an integral relationship between the balance in the pelvic bowl ,hips and the pelvic floor – imbalance in one can lead to imbalance in the other and vice versa. The pelvic floor has attachments into the deep fascia within the hip, coccyx, sacrum and pubic bones, so dysfunction in the pelvic floor can also come from chronic dysfunction in the pelvic bowl (sacrum, coccyx, ilia and hips).

Dysfunction of the pelvic floor can lead to urinary stress incontinence, prolapse, faecal urgency or incontinence in varying degrees.

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What types of pelvic symptoms may be addressed by pelvic care?

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Painful intercourse

Urinary leakage and prolapse

Pelvic muscle weakness

hypertonic pelvic floor

Pelvic pain

Vaginismus

 Women have also sought treatment (in conjunction with a counsellor) to recover their body from sexual abuse. Additionally, women have received pelvic work while receiving other treatments such as for fertility or cancer support.

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Holistic Pelvic Care  can also support :

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Birth trauma

Grief and loss

Preparing for conception

Re-connecting and staying connected to the presence of the female  pelvis  and the energies contained within  this dynamic space .

Enhancing creativity

Whether you are suffering from pelvic symptoms or simply want to connect more deeply with your root, Holistic Pelvic Care™ is essential for your pelvic vitality. Women also benefit from receiving annual pelvic tune-ups as a part of their general wellness plan, as support for life changes and menopause, or when preparing for pregnancy and healing from birth experiences.

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                          What can I expect in a Holistic Pelvic Care™ session?

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In the first session: and provide a review of basic pelvic anatomy utilizing a skeletal model and pelvic images. This is followed by an assessment of a woman’s pelvic muscles inter-vaginally. To do this, I ask the clients to perform a pelvic squeeze or ‘Kegel’ exercise around her finger in order to make note of internal pelvic trigger points and tension patterns.

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In the first session we begin with a thorough review of your  intake form to develop an understanding of what you are  wishing  to address during the session.

To create an awareness of the pelvic space I share with you  short  anatomy lesson  introduced with a skeletal model.

This is followed by an assessment of your  pelvic muscles inter-vaginally. To do this, I ask the clients to perform a pelvic squeeze or ‘Kegel’ exercise around my finger in order to make note of internal pelvic trigger points and tension patterns. within the fascia .

You will then receive my touch as I assess the external fascia and muscles of the pelvis.

The assessment is followed by treatment to balance the pelvis through such techniques as intravaginal massage with myofascial release and trigger point work as well as breath- work and visualization tools to assist core physical and energetic balance. Follow-up sessions begin with a brief re-assessment and then focus primarily on treatment.

It is suggested to receive at the minimum 2 treatments depending on the outcome of assessment. Something we can chat about.

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Can I receive just the energetic tools / medicine without receiving the intravaginal assessment and massage?

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Yes. There is much power and healing available when working with the energy of the pelvic bowl. Through restorative breath work, visualisation and bringing in the energy of your intention, these tools have the ability to deepen  connection with in the  pelvic space ,bring about deep transformative shifts and enhance the flow of pelvic organ energy.

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What are energy tools /energy medicine?

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Our bodies are not just physical structures. They are also made up of subtle energy fields. These energy fields can become imbalanced or disrupted, which in time lead to health problems.

Energy medicine recognises the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. It understands that emotional and mental factors can influence the flow of energy in the body, and therefore, affect our health.

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 What effects will I notice after a HPC session?

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Women describe immediate effects of a new internal awareness, connection and sense of well-being in the core. The pelvis serves a woman in many ways and yet receives little direct care. Women also describe feeling more relaxed and centered, a greater sense of support, and increased strength in their pelvic muscles. On a clinical level, the internal massage increases blood and energy flow, revitalizing a woman’s root and enhancing her overall pelvic health.

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Is pelvic massage painful?

The pelvic massage is gentle and respectful, following the lead of the body. It should never hurt and the response of a woman’s body guides the depth and direction of the hands-on work. Though HPC is gentle, the effects are profound and women often notice a change with even one session.

 

                             Birth Events

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What if I’m pregnant?

Internal pelvic work is not done during pregnancy, but visualization and energetic tools assist pelvic connection and balance during pregnancy as preparation for childbirth.

 

When should I come in after childbirth?

The process of healing after childbirth is greatly assisted by HPC, and any imbalances that may have occurred during pregnancy or birth can be addressed early on. Six weeks post-partum is the time to begin. Likewise, any trauma that occurred during the birth process is assisted by bodywork on the pelvis. Women describe feeling more peaceful even with one treatment session, easing their transition to motherhood. If a woman is struggling after a traumatic birth experience, external hands-on work can also be initiated immediately to calm her post-partum body and spirit.

 

What if I have a Caesarean birth?

A Caesarean birth will benefit from HPC as well, with fascial work directly to the Caesarean mark and internal work to address the imbalances caused by any prolonged vaginal birth attempt. Again, if there is any disappointment that arises from a Caesarean, bodywork lightens this effect and allows the mother to process the birth event.

 

What does HPC offer for a miscarriage?

 HPC is profoundly comforting to the body and restores a tangible sense of hope in the root. Women describe feeling reconnected to their bodies and also more aware of the spirit that touched their womb.

 

 

  What support is available when a woman is experiencing infertility? 

Hands-on pelvic care provides gentle nourishment to the womb space during a time that can otherwise create a barrier of frustration and grief between a woman and her body. Women describe a greater sense of well-being and renewed trust in their own creative centre.