Northern Michigan Sports Medicine

Inside Track - Physical Therapy & Pregnancy

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Inside Track - Physical Therapy & Pregnancy

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2010-04-01 10:30:45

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Upcoming Events

Lunch & Learn - Join us for a series of free educational classes and a light lunch.

April 8 - Build your Bones: learn how proper nutrition can keep your bones healthy.
April 22 - Shoes and Your Feet: learn what type of shoe is right for you
May 7 - Master Your Garden: learn how to maneuver around your garden the right way.
May 21 - Knee Pain: learn steps you can do to take care of your knees to stay healthy and active.
May 26 - Message about Massage - Learn the physical benefits of massage.

Cheboygan County's Canyon Hike - Lead by Andy Jackson - 9am - High Springs Gorge
Bear River Crawl 5k & 10 K race- July 17th 8 am Bay Front Park in Petoskey. Register on line clink link for details
Indian River Summer Coed Beach Volleyball Tournament - July 17th - Devoe Beach click link for details

Ongoing Classes

Dynamic Core Stability Class - Monday & Wednesday 9 am - Tuesday & Thursday 12 noon & 6 pm
Boot Camp - Monday & Wednesday 5 pm
Ageless Athletes - Tuesday & Thursday 10 am
Osteoporosis Class - Starts April 13 every Tuesday 12 -1pm for 6 weeks, sign up today.
Arthritis Class - Starts April 26 every Thursday 12-2 pm for 6 weeks. Call us to register.

For all women, pregnancy is a time of tremendous physical and emotional change. The process can occur with relatively little discomfort for some, yet other women seem to experience every pregnancy related discomfort listed in all of the pregnancy books out there! While it's true that many of the pregnancy related discomforts can be prevented or lessened with good physical fitness prior to becoming pregnant, even some very fit Mothers can experience pain.

Some of the common complaints during pregnancy include:

Neck pain
Upper back Pain
Low back pain
Carpal Tunnel syndrome
Rib pain
Sacroiliac pain (posterior pelvic pain)
Hip pain
Foot pain

What's an expecting Mom to do? Sit around and wait to hurt somewhere? Should she just deal with the pain because it may go away after she has the baby? Absolutely not. There are so many approaches a Physical Therapist can offer to help a Mom eliminate or at least manage her pain during the pregnancy.

As Physical Therapists, we are trained to look at the whole person when evaluating a client and the same is true for a woman who is pregnant. Sometimes one or two visits to a knowledgeable therapist can get a Mom on the right track to feeling better.
Common approaches with women who are expecting include:

Education in use of heat and ice at home
Education in posture and body mechanics
Manual therapy and massage
Taping
Land based and aquatic exercise
Home exercise programs
Advice on belly and SI supports

In summary, planning ahead and becoming fit prior to becoming pregnant can help reduce pregnancy related discomforts. But if a woman experiences pain, she doesn't need to just accept that it may be "normal" during pregnancy. Physical Therapy can return the Mom's pregnancy glow and set her on the right path again.
Check out our Sports Med Minute, a video interview with Dr. Eve Rider and Sandy Willoughby, PT. Dr. Eve Rider is from Bay View Obstetrics & Gynecology, PC. Sandy works in our Petoskey office and specializes in prenatal and postpartum exercise.

(231) 627-7201 • www.northernmichigansportsmed.com

Quick Contact

Phone (231) 347-9300
email: nmsmc@northernmichigansportsmed.com

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Petoskey & Petoskey East

Our Petoskey clinic is located within the Bay Street Orthopedic building, 4048 Cedar Bluff Drive. 231-347-9300 [map]

Our Petoskey East clinic is located on the corner of Mitchell & Division, 345 N. Division 231-348-7950.[map]

Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Rogers City

Our Charlevoix clinic is located in the Kmart Plaza, at 06510 M-66, 231-547-0380 [map]

Our Cheboygan clinic is located south of town, 9445 N Straits Hwy, 231-627-7201 [map]

Our Rogers City clinic is conveniently located at 506 North Bradley Hwy, 989-734-7607 [map]

Harbor Springs & Indian River

Our Harbor Springs clinic is located next the Harbor Springs airport, 8452 M-119 Harbor Plaza, 231-348-7002. [map]

Our Indian River clinic is right in the heart of downtown, 3805 South Straits Hwy, 231-238-4880. [map]