Sandra Ghaly, PT

It's been a while since I popped in on here and I just wanted to re-introduce myself for anyone here who is new!

Hi, I'm Sandra!🙋🏽‍♀️

I think the pelvic floor is pretty fascinating and I'm pretty obsessed with my job. 🥹

There is nothing that brings me more joy than helping girls, women, moms, moms-to-be, trying-to-be-moms connect with their pelvic floors and themselves as a whole.

I also run a clinic called .health and work with 3 other badass women that also love what they do. 🙅🏻‍♀️🙆🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️

Fun facts about me:
- My family consists of me, my husband and a sassy and loving 2.5 year old
- Having my daughter taught me more about my job than the 6 years of school I attended for it
- My role models include Marie Kondo and Clea and Joanna from the Home Edit (IYKYK)
- On that note, my hobbies include organizing, purchasing organizing tools and watching videos on organization
- I don't know how to wink but I'm working on it 😉
- I love trying new foods and I will pretty much eat anything you put in front of me
- My goal for this year is less screen time but also to post here more often so I'm just as confused as you are 🤷🏽‍♀️

Thanks for being here! 🤍

We are SO excited to welcome Alyson to the team!​​​​​​​​
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Alyson is our new pelvic floor physiotherapist with an orthopaedic background. She is passionate about all things pelvic floor and treats both males and females! ​​​​​​​​
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In her spare time, Alyson enjoys running, baking, playing with her two dogs, and spending time with her family. ​​​​​​​​
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And best of all: she is offering evening appointments!​​​​​​​​
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You can book your appointment with Alyson through the link in bio.

Anyone else relate or am I alone with #3?

Don't suffer in silence.

Kegels, kegels, kegels! I'm sure you've heard that term before. Pregnant or have recently given birth, exercising, accidentally p*e ourselves... kegels have often been known to be the "solution".⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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However, not only is it not the solution, it's actually NOT recommended until you see a specialist. Why? I've listed three main reasons below:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1- It may make the problem worse. If you have neck pain and headaches, wouldn't you assume that shrugging your shoulders up to your ears several times a day may make it worse? It's no different with your pelvic floor. Often I see patients with very TIGHT pelvic floors and, unfortunately, kegels may shorten those muscles even more and contribute to the problem. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2- And IF kegels ARE for you, then you are most likely not doing them properly. It's not just about "holding in your p*e". Kegels have a sequence of steps that one must follow to ensure they are performing them correctly.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3- Pelvic floor weakness over time may lead to the underuse and shortening of those muscles. To properly build strength, we may need to lengthen those muscles BEFORE we strengthen them, hence, jumping right into strengthening won't do you any good.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So before you jump into KEGELS, find out what is right for YOUR pelvic floor! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP) is pain in the front and/or the back of your pelvis that can also affect other areas such as the hips or thighs, sacroiliac joints and/or the symphysis p***s joint.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you are someone that has or currently experienced PGP, you may find it difficult to preform daily tasks, such as, getting in and out of bed, walking, standing or sitting for long periods, going up/down stairs, standing up from a chair or bending over.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are many myths around PPGP that research now shows not to be true.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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PPGP is not NORMAL in pregnancy but it IS common. About 45% of all pregnant women and 25% of all women postpartum suffer from pelvic girdle pain and/or low back pain⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There is low evidence for the role of higher relaxin levels and its association with more pelvic joint laxity. There is, however, growing research that emotional distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) are strong predictors of ongoing disability in PPGP ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Widening of the symphysis can be seen as normal physiology in pregnancy when it does not exceed 9.5mm. Fear of movement, on the other hand, is highly correlated with increased pain and disability.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Due to the anatomical makeup, displacements within the sacroiliac joints are unlikely to occur and no study utilizing a valid measurement instrument has identified position faults of the SIJs. With an appropriate strengthening and stretching program, however, you can ensure that your joints and muscles are adapting to the changes in your body. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yes, PPGP can be treated during pregnancy and lowers the likelihood of ongoing pain in the postpartum period!