Restoring Vitality After Birth
April 18, 2024
Sometimes, postpartum challenges can cause discomfort for both mother and baby. To help smooth the way after delivery, Huron Regional Medical Center offers physical therapy educational
sessions free of charge.
New moms may experience physical issues ranging from urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction to pain in the back, pelvis or abdomen, according to Jessica Freng, DPT, physical therapist at HRMC. Outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy in the weeks after giving birth can provide relief.
“Many muscles and ligaments change and move to accommodate the growing baby, which can cause musculoskeletal issues, weakness or pain,” Freng says. “Likewise, through the changes that occur during pregnancy, there may be a disconnect between the mother’s brain and body after the baby is born that can lead to dysfunction. Physical therapy can help rehabilitate the dysfunction and bring vitality back to the mother.”
In addition, outpatient physical therapy can help babies with torticollis – a stiff neck that makes it difficult to turn the head – and plagiocephaly, a flat spot on the head that can occur when babies with torticollis sleep on the same side of their body for months. Physical therapy, Freng says, teaches parents positioning, stretching and other techniques to minimize the effects of torticollis and plagiocephaly.
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