The Connected Physio

Hi,

This month, I'm taking part in 57 Squat Challenge 2024 and my goal is to complete 1767 squats to raise funds for the 57 Australians diagnosed with breast cancer every day.

And I need YOUR help!

Please support me now to help the National Breast Cancer Foundation to fund life-saving breast cancer research.

Click here and donate to my fundraising page to help save lives:

https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/fundraisers/laurenmetropolis

All donations over $2 are tax deductible and you'll receive a receipt via email.

Thanks so much,

Support my 1767 squat challenge for breast cancer research! I am taking on the 57 Squat Challenge this month to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Please support me!

I've now reached the halfway mark of my 1767 squat goal for the 57 Squat Challenge!

I'm squatting every day this month to raise funds for life-changing research that works to build a better tomorrow for the 57 Australians diagnosed with breast cancer every day.
Each death is one too many, and I want to help NBCF reach their vision of Zero Deaths from breast cancer.

Please support my challenge so I can raise funds to put an end to this awful disease.

Click the link below to donate to my fundraising page:

https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/fundraisers/laurenmetropolis

Thank you for supporting me to change lives!

Lauren

Support my 1767 squat challenge for breast cancer research! I am taking on the 57 Squat Challenge this month to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Please support me!

Happy International Women's Day 2024!

I am so passionate and proud to be working in the space of women's health and pelvic health as a Physiotherapist.

This year, the Australian Physiotherapy Association has aligned with the United Nations' theme 'Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress', to invest in the health of birthing parents and their children.

More than 45 percent of women experience birth trauma. I am one of those women. This trauma can be so debilitating that it can come at the cost of the women's livelihood, their day-to-day function, their ability to be intimate with their partner, and most profoundly, their love for their own body (APA, 2024).

I distinctly remember being pregnant with my first child and sitting in a male GP office listening to the GP gloat about how his wife had multiple c-sections and could still enjoy tennis without p*ssing herself. His exact words.

The utter disregard for the female body, his ignorance towards the birth rights of that women (his wife!), the lack of education surrounding the silent epidemic of pelvic floor dysfunction, highlighted to me, how far we are yet to come to achieve a voice for our birthing women. A caesarean section is not protective of birth trauma, nor is it protective of pelvic floor dysfunction.

To date, there is no publicly funded pre-birth pelvic assessment, individualised physiotherapy-led pelvic floor muscle training or the treatment of physical postnatal trauma (APA, 2024).

Yet, if you are staring down the barrel of a knee replacement, there are publicly funded rehabilitation programs available.

Why are our women disadvantaged? Just because women birth every day, does not make the process any easier on that women's physical, mental and emotional well being. The evidence is in the stats - nearly half of our women are experiencing birth trauma.

This could be significantly reduced by providing appropriate screening and assessment of risk factors and interventions including but not limited to pelvic floor muscle training (APA, 2024).

I encourage you to advocate and raise awareness via the Australasian Birth Trauma Association and be a part of the change towards investing in women's health.

*** PSA - DOUBLE DONATION DAY! ***

This month I'm taking on 57 squats every single day to raise funds for life-saving breast cancer research for the National Breast Cancer Foundation 🎀

And today is Double Donation Day, where ALL online donations will be MATCHED by a generous donor, up to $44,000!

Please sponsor me now and your donation will be DOUBLED!

Click the link below to donate on my fundraising page:

Support my 1767 squat challenge for breast cancer research! I am taking on the 57 Squat Challenge this March to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Please support me!

This March I'll be completing 57 squats every single day to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation to fund life-saving breast cancer research. ❤️

And my squat challenge STARTS TODAY!
I'm doing this in support of my aunty and I would love you to support me!

It's going to be hard work, but I know I'll smash my $500 goal with your help. 😉

Please sponsor me now and support my squats to save lives.

Click the link below to donate on my fundraising page:

https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/fundraisers/laurenmetropolis

Thanks!

Support my 1767 squat challenge for breast cancer research! I am taking on the 57 Squat Challenge this March to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Please support me!

Alright guys, here comes another fundraiser challenge I’ve set myself. This time in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This is my “57 Squat Challenge for breast cancer research”.

57 Australians will be diagnosed with breast cancer today and a further 9 will lose their life. I want to make a difference to the lives of those 57 Australians impacted by the disease - that is why I am taking on the 57 Squat Challenge to raise vital funds for world-class breast cancer research. But I need your help.

Please support my squat challenge to save lives and make a difference.

Every donation, big or small, will get me closer to reaching my goal and helping the National Breast Cancer Foundation end deaths from breast cancer.

More about the foundation can be found here:

Fundraiser Login The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is Australia’s leading national body funding world-class, game-changing breast cancer research. 8 women lose their life every day to breast cancer. We receive no government funding, we need your continued support to change the statistics.

This little red spot may look like nothing sinister, but in actual fact it is the start of a blocked duct, which can very quickly lead to mastitis if gone untreated. It’s painful to touch and I am aware of it. It was actually me bumping up against something this morning that alluded me to something being wrong. It’s likely happened because baby skipped a feed overnight last night so my breasts became engorged.

Thankfully I am on to it, and can self treat the area with therapeautic ultrasound (note my 3 year old helper is constantly by my side these days!). This device comes in really handy as a mobile women’s health physio. I can also easily treat women with blocked ducts/mastitis from the comfort of their own home; they don’t need to worry about how they might be able to drive when lacking sleep or bringing bubs to a clinic and having them unsettled the entire time. Treatment is painless and fairly quick (20 minutes) however you may need subsequent sessions.

Inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast can turn nasty rather quickly. Early intervention is key so don’t delay if you notice any redness, lump, pain in the breast area. Physiotherapy is recommended as soon as possible and may mean you avoid the need for antibiotics. Given that one of the biggest threats to human health today is anti microbial resistance, it makes sense to book in for therapeutic ultrasound to avoid serious sequelae of mastitis.

What you can still do is:
- keep feeding baby/emptying the breast
- use cold compresses for pain relief
- specific gentle drainage techniques to stimulate the lymph Chanel’s
- make sure you’re getting adequate rest

What not to do:
- HEAT: no hot packs, hot showers or baths
- massage
- avoid bras with under wire
- not feed/drain effected side

To all of my beautiful clients eagerly awaiting the news about the arrival of my baby. Introducing my 3rd son, Mackenzie Jack Race Baker born at 0852 on 18 December, weighing in at 3917 grams and 54 cm long. We are so very smitten with our final addition to our footy team 💙

There's so much to unpack here. I don't really know where to start (and I have a tendency to rant so I'll try my hardest not to). My first thoughts are how incredibly sad it makes me that in today's modern medical model we are still not servicing our women enough to prepare them for pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period and motherhood.

And here's the stand out statement:

"Valerie Slavin, a midwifery researcher at Griffith University who led the project, says pelvic injury isn't being addressed because the health system doesn't ask women about their symptoms. "

Why!?!?! Why, still, in today's day and age are we not starting this conversation with our women?

Reality is, the evidence speaks volumes [...three months after giving birth]:

one in three women struggle to control their bladder
one in 10 suffer faecal incontinence and
one in two experience pain with s*x

Speaking from a place of experience, birth trauma is real and can take years to heal from if not managed and treated appropriately. Prolapse is a devastating diagnosis which can severely impact a women's psyche. Same with incontinence; wondering if you'll ever be able to run again or play sport with your children. Spouses aren't prepared for what can happen to a woman either and childbirth can have a devastating impact on relationships.

This is not about fear mongering. This is about spreading awareness and education so we can do better for our expecting mothers.

Please, if you have a pregnant friend or someone who is thinking about falling pregnant, a pelvic health physiotherapist is essential to guide you through the antenatal and postnatal period.

Samantha paid thousands to recover from her birth injury. She says it shouldn't have to be that way New research suggests the number of Australian women who sustain life-altering injuries to their pelvic floor after birth is far higher than acknowledged.

Did you know one of the top three reasons for admission into a residential aged care facility is because that individual cannot manage their continence?

Do you have an elderly person in your life struggling with their continence?

Don't wait until it is too late. Book in with me now to discuss treatment and management of bowel and bladder dysfunction.

🩷🩷🩷

Meet Lauren!
(Lauren pictured taking our Mums and Bubs class, talking through pelvic floor exercises)

“Hi my name is Lauren Metropolis and I am a physiotherapist with a special interest in women's health. I've been a physio for nearly 9 years now and started my own business last year called the Connected Physio.

My dream has always to be able to work within an all women's gym facility where I can be part of a team that provides services that promotes women's health and wellness. I've always been interested in women's health and pelvic health; it was during my graduate year, that I discovered a keen interest in this area and quickly completed relevant courses to become an extended scope practitioner with the ability to conduct internal pelvic assessments and real time ultrasound.

I have been fortunate to receive some great mentoring from senior therapists who have exposed me to the Connect Therapy approach. This is a unique whole body approach to treating patients symptoms; connect therapy looks at the body as a whole, attempting to find a clients underlying source or “driver(s)” for their dysfunction and pain. For example, rotation and compression through the thorax can have an impact on someones pelvic floor. Someones stiff ankle can be driving their lower back pain, and so on. I am able to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions, using the connect therapy approach.

I am a also a mother of two little children myself (2 boys aptly named my hurricanes) and have experienced both a caesarean section and a VBAC so I understand first hand the impact that both deliveries can have on the Mother and her baby.

Look forward to meeting you all in club”

This amazingly talented client of mine is selling her art work to raise funds to go towards the unexpected unsubsidised medical bills/tests that come with the nature of living with a chronic progressive, incurable disease, that is Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Life served this family a double whammy of not only a diagnosis for herself, but of her young adult son Josh. This family is epitomy of strength, determination and love. They deserve a cure which unfortunately cannot be given at this point in time. However, in the mean time, you can support them by purchasing this amazing art work which has been created despite battling with physical and mental impairment and fatigue. Jodee is an inspiration to many including the MS community. Spread the word! Details are in the post I've shared. Thank you for supporting people living with disability 💐

I am officially half way through the May50K challenge!

It is not too late to donate to this incredibly important cause, to help find a cure for MS. Every little cent helps.

https://www.themay50k.org/fundraisers/laurenmetropolis?fbclid=IwAR00vogGtZJD12eyrjrJi3QbRi8XPKK10BhTj9hHZFkSkLtvPDuJWv3C2Fs&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Support My 100km Challenge to Leave MS Behind! I'm taking part in The May 50K to support research into multiple sclerosis.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a bladder syndrome characterised by urinary urgency, frequency with or without nocturia (nighttime voiding) and with or without urinary leakage.

OAB is one of the most bothersome bladder dysfunctions and can severely impact one’s quality of life.

Thankfully there is LOTS of conservative treatment options available and if followed correctly, may reduce the need for any pharmacological intervention.

Want to learn more? Contact me for a booking

#6156

Back pain!

I’ve shared my journey this week about my back pain so I thought I’d shed some more light on how to manage an acute back injury.

Scans are normally not indicated unless something doesn’t add up clinically or we suspected something sinister going on.

Scans are so good at detecting EVERYTHING which has its pros and cons. The cons are, people are quick to assume that the degenerative changes in their back are the cause for their back pain. This is simply not true.

Pain is present despite the absence of pathology. Also pathology is present in the absence of pain! Not everything detected in a scan will correlate to a clients symptom. We treat the symptoms, not the scan.

Remember degenerative changes appear as early as our 20’s! That’s right! Because our bodies are ageing whether you like it or not. I call these age related changes, grey hairs. It’ll happen to all of us eventually, some faster than others. Many lifestyle factors and genetics will play a part in how much and how soon things start to wear and tear. IT IS A NORMAL PART OF AGEING. Thus it is important to stay healthy and active.

Bulging discs also appear in the asymptomatic population. So once again, we treat symptoms not the scan.

If your pain is not resolving how you would expect it to be, seek advice from a physiotherapist!

Spoil yourself!

With Mother's day fast approaching, why not give the gift of health and wellness with one of my three special offers for the month of May!

Hi everyone!

My name is Lauren Metropolis and I run my own mobile community Physiotherapy business called The Connected Physio. I also have a treatment room available for two half days at Fernwood Fitness Melville.

I've been a physio for nearly 9 years now and am very passionate about delivering a holistic, patient-centered, whole body approach to my clients. I have a special interest in exercise rehabilitation, women's health and pelvic health. I have a number of NDIS participants with neurological diseases and am able to help with their mobility needs, pain relief via manual therapy, exercise rehab and managing bowel and bladder dysfunction. I have experience in servicing NDIS participants, report writing, AT prescription and communication with support coordinators. My private clients include a variety of antenatal, postnatal, peri and post menopausal women. I also see elderly clients for balance, mobility and falls prevention.

The biggest feedback I get from my clients is that I truly listen. I want my clients to feel heard and believe a multidisciplinary approach to patient centered care is imperative for optimal health outcomes; thus I always strive to reach out to a clients medical and allied health team when needed.

I can be contacted via messenger, email or mobile.

Ah so true!

So true!

This month is April Falls Month and the theme is ‘Better Balance for Fall Prevention’. Unlike an April Fools’ Day joke, a fall is no laughing matter. 37% of injury-related deaths are caused by falls and 30% of those aged 65 and over fall each year.

Month is the NSW Fall Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network's annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of falls and to promote fall prevention strategies.

During this month, we’ll be sharing information on the health and economic impacts of falls, as well as on how physiotherapy is vital in preventing falls and helping to care for those who suffer a fall.

If you’d like to learn more about this year’s campaign, head to: https://fallsnetwork.neura.edu.au/aprilfalls/

Why Women's Health?

I get asked this question a lot....why am I so passionate about women's health? The answer is lengthy, however the stats on pelvic floor dysfunction and their impact on a women's participation and activity astounded me. This drove me to learn more and upskill myself so that I can help women to live a fulfilling life free from stigma and restrictions that prevent them in participating in the things they love.

Here's some stats that you may find interesting:
- Almost 50% of Australians have experienced incontinence; 80% of those are women and 75% have given birth;
- 62% of women living in the community are faecally incontinent; 44% of these women are under the age of 50;
- 70% of people living with urinary incontinence will not seek advice or treatment for their problem;
- Incontinence has a negative impact on mental health: 54% of Australians who currently experience incontinence report that this has a severe impact on their life; 41% say incontinence affects their mental health and wellbeing with 49% feeling socially isolated due to incontinence (we know social isolation can lead to increased risk of cognitive decline);
- One of the top four reasons for aged care admission is because the individual cannot management their incontinence;
- Almost 1 in 2 women will have some degree of prolapse throughout their life with only 1 in 5 women will seeking treatment or advice for their prolapse symptoms;
- Globally, women are less likely to be physically inactive, compared to men, and fewer women participate in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise;
- Pelvic floor symptoms are most likely to be provoked when women exercise (this includes urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse symptoms);
- Across all sports, 1 in 3 women experience urinary incontinence
- Pelvic floor dysfunction is a potentially MODIFIABLE barrier to exercising and participation

There is so much more I can share, the above statistics haven't included the impact of pelvic floor dysfunction on persistent pelvic pain or s*xual dysfunction and quality of life.

Short answer is, women are significantly impacted by pelvic floor dysfunction, which can significantly restrict their participation in life.

My passion is to help women modify or reduce the barriers affecting participation, resolve or reduce severity of symptoms, so that they can enjoy a fulfilling life and do the things they enjoy doing.