Empower Your Fertility
Improve Your Fertility
How physical therapy can optimize your chances of trying to conceive
By: Dr. Heather Evans, DPT
These are my twins, Hannah and Gavin, as embryos. To reach this point took us four years, four IVF cycles, two reproductive endocrinologists (in two different states), and an egg donor. Our TTC (trying to conceive) journey was long, hard, and stressful. It was also nine years ago, before more was known about how physical therapy can actually improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
Physical therapy? Squats and lunges? Not quite. Let me share with you a little bit on how a trained physical therapist can boost your chances of success.
1. Tissue mobility: The tissues around your uterus, tubes, and ovaries need movement! Many times, we have restrictions from connective tissue or scarring that can block tubes and restrict the movement our organs need. A PT can help mobilize this tissue and teach you how to work on this at home.
2. Blood/lymphatic flow: A PT can use manual therapy and exercise techniques to improve the flow of blood and lymph around the pelvis/reproductive organs.
3. Stress management: Stress affects hormones and hormones affect fertility along with other body systems. A trained PT can teach you techniques to combat this stress hormone release by using breathing techniques, mindfulness, and stretching.
4. Education on inflammation, dietary factors, environmental agents, and more: In our clinic, we work with many women who have conditions that are affected by inflammation – endometriosis, PCOS, Hashimoto’s, and more. Inflammation can be both positively or negatively affected by things you do or do not consume as well as by environmental toxins, sleep, and stress.
Interested in learning more on how physical therapy can optimize your journey while trying to conceive? Join my 5-day Empower Your Fertility challenge which will be held online (live or recordings) October 17-21st. This course is appropriate for anyone anywhere along their TTC journey from just starting out or preparing for a future IVF cycle.
I’ve been there, ladies, and I know how hard it is. I look forward to helping you out in any way that I can!