25: Pelvic Health with Melissa Oleson

These days we all understand the importance of a strong and supple core, but sometimes forget that the pelvic floor is an integral part of that support system.

Today, we explore pelvic health with guest Melissa Oleson – a doctor of physical therapy and an Integrative Nutritional Health Coach as well as a registered yoga teacher. She is the founder of MSunn Yoga & Wellness, a mobile and virtual concierge physical therapy and wellness practice focused on helping people relieve pain, build strength, and gain mobility.

Melissa became passionate about pelvic health when she found that it was often the “missing link” that enabled her clients to fully recover from niggling injuries. In this episode, she provides a Pelvic Health 101, helping us to better understand pelvic floor function and disfunction. Melissa and host Rachel discuss how the chest, abdomen, and pelvis work together in harmony, and how we can benefit from building trust in our body’s inherent capacity to meet the demands that life offers.

Listen in to hear common pelvic health myths and misconceptions busted, why Kegel’s aren’t a cure-all, and all the ways that pelvic health relates to our overall wellbeing.

“Our pelvic floor is important for so many things. It helps us with our bladder control, it help support our organs of reseal function, for orthopedics, for our hips and backs and it provides core stabilization for that area.” – Melissa Oleson

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“We tend to over-recruit muscles for the task we are doing.” – Melissa Oleson

Show Notes:

• Active aging as initial inspiration for a career in physical therapy [2:39]
• Adding yoga to the picture [4:28]
• The draw to a speciality in pelvic health [6:21]
• The challenge of making pelvic health approachable [7:35]
• Tips for yoga teachers starting out on YouTube [9:03]
• Pelvic health and the relationship with the core and respiratory diaphragm [11:19]
• Experiences of pelvic disfunction, including back paining hip pain [13:30]
• Describing the pelvic floor and its many roles [15:41]
• The surprising relationship between pelvic health and relaxation [17:24]
• Favorite releases for the pelvic floor [20:10]
• The link between the pelvic floor, stress and jaw clenching [21:01]
• Busting common pelvic floor myths and misconceptions around the core [22:29]
• Misconceptions around posture and the glutes [27:16]
• Misconceptions around Kegels [30:31]
• Favorite practices to connect with pelvic floor engagement [33.20]
• Misconceptions around the pelvic floor and bladder control [35:34]
• Thoughts on yoga cues that relate to the pelvic floor [37:23]
• Upcoming classes on Yoga Medicine Online – including the link between the feet and pelvic floor [40.30]
• The male pelvic floor [42:35]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Female Health Yoga Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher
• Connect with Melissa Oleson:

Instagram | YouTube | MSunn

“There’s no good posture, no bad posture, only finding what works best for you.” – Melissa Oleson