Teaching pelvic floor muscle exercise is like, really tricky

As a Women’s Health Physiotherapist I understand the challenge of teaching a woman to correctly contract and relax her pelvic floor muscles (PFMs).  The concern is not necessarily how strong the muscles are but how well they coordinate especially under high pressure situations.  Previous studies have confirmed the difficulty in teaching the correct technique andContinue reading “Teaching pelvic floor muscle exercise is like, really tricky”

Hear me ROAR!! Finding your voice

I consider myself a baby feminist and have been on the pursuit of knowledge and empowerment for a few years. Fiercely devouring books on feminism and following women who are fearlessly leading the way, I am only now learning to hear and trust my voice. It was only recently that it really dawned on meContinue reading “Hear me ROAR!! Finding your voice”

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Month – a Nepali perspective

June is Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) awareness month and a time for increased engagement and conversation around this common condition. There are many many websites and blog posts on the risk factors, symptoms, treatment options and preventative measures so I think I’ll jump straight to my expertise – POP in Nepal. There is a highContinue reading “Pelvic Organ Prolapse Month – a Nepali perspective”

We have ALL experienced racism

With all this media hoopla lately on discrimination, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own situation. Upon deep self-reflection, I know for a fact that I’ve been treated differently because of who I am and how I look.   So who, may you ask, am I? I would say that I am a smallish whiteContinue reading “We have ALL experienced racism”

The second year slump: keeping motivated mid PhD

The first 14 months of my PhD were like a crazy rollercoaster that amazingly left me standing solidly at the end of the ride.  There were so many ups and down with moments of pure joy and immense concern.  Within this first year I was able to see two ethics applications approved, conducted four research projects,Continue reading “The second year slump: keeping motivated mid PhD”

Women in the spotlight

My heart is so heavy.  My twitter feed is full of stories showcasing the type of decisions that are and will be made in the USA with the current government.  Even though I’m an Australian citizen, I lived in the USA for 10 years.  I completed my Physical Therapy degree there and worked an additionalContinue reading “Women in the spotlight”

The magic of saying ‘oh, OK’

At the beginning of my PhD journey  I had the most amazing ideas for my research project.  A little naive and idealistic, I thought that everything would fall into place and I could fulfil my dreams.  As I started to plan my projects reality sunk in and I had to compromise on some of my ideas.Continue reading “The magic of saying ‘oh, OK’”

Week 2 of PhD data collection in Nepal (half way mark)

Another week down of performing 4D pelvic floor muscle ultrasound for Nepali women and we’ve really hit our stride.  My research partner and I are in a good rhythm now and have become super efficient.  We have a local Nepali intern helping us who is an absolute gem, we really couldn’t do it without his help.Continue reading “Week 2 of PhD data collection in Nepal (half way mark)”