Women's Health

Joanna has completed the Women’s Health Seminar in the John Barnes’ Myofascial Release series in the States. There are only a small number of people in the UK who have attended this seminar.

Many of the conditions one might associate with ‘Women’s Health’ – such as menstrual problems, menopausal symptoms, breast pain (eg from benign cysts or scars from mastectomy, lumpectomy, reduction or implant surgery), pain after childbirth (eg epesiotomy scars, painful intercourse, urinary urgency, frequency or incontinence) – are often embarrassing to talk about and difficult to get specialist treatment for. However, they are often the result of tight fascia, especially post surgery or childbirth, but even in young women tight fascia can cause problems such as painful or heavy periods or unexplained painful intercourse. Vulvodynia or Vestibulodynia, conditions with vulval pain, are associated with tight fascia in this area. Irritable Bowel is often linked to tight fascia in the wall of the large intestine and Joanna has had good results treating this condition.

Scar tissue or adhesions can cause lots of problems in the body when the scarring extends beyond the original incision, underneath the skin, and starts pulling on the surrounding tissue affecting organs, nerves, blood vessels and/or muscles. For example a stiff, sore hip might be caused by a hysterectomy or appendectomy scar; pins and needles in the hands could be caused by a breast scar as the scarring affects nearby muscles which in turn press down on the brachial plexus, the bundle of nerves and blood vessels which eventually pass down the arm. Or a fall onto the coccyx years ago might eventually affect any of the organs within the pelvic bowl giving symptoms such as bowel evacuation difficulties, painful periods, interstitial cystitis, or painful intercourse.

Some women find their regular smear test uncomfortable or even excruciating as the speculum is usually inserted too fast. Releasing the fascia in the vaginal wall can certainly make this a less painful experience.

Please feel free to call Joanna to discuss any issues you may have. She is discreet, sympathetic and of course all discussions will be completely confidential.

You don’t need to suffer in silence!

Here is a good interview with a fellow therapist explaining how you can treat mastectomy patients with MFR.