Why Do I Treat Holistically?

Lisa Colombo, PT, DPT

When you think of physical therapy, you probably think about stretching and strengthening as the fundamentals to treatment. Though this is the bread and butter of our world, when it comes to pelvic health especially, there is so much more that should be addressed in order to optimize results.

The urinary, bowel and reproductive organs work within the body as a whole and not just stand alone components to be manipulated. Think of an orchestra with woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion sections. Each section has a leader that guides its musicians, but for the sections to be in-sync with one another, they are ultimately conducted by the maestro.

Here is where the nervous system (NS) comes into play. The NS is the conductor who guides the orchestra through a piece in its entirety and cues its players when to crescendo or change tempo. When we think of the NS, we probably think about stress and, for the most part, can understand why finding ways to relieve stress is important. But did you know that stress can affect the bowels/bladder, menstruation/menopause or sexual function?

Here are some examples:

• Have you ever had a race or an event where you were nervous and had to pee multiple times before the start?
• Have you had crazy hot flashes or unpredictable periods?
• Is chronic pain plaguing you?

That, my friends, in part stems from your NS acting up.

The NS has a read on everything, so if work or home events are stressing you out, you may see any of these issues become more prevalent. And most people are not feeling cool as a cucumber these days. Which means that understanding what your stressors are and how to get them better managed is key in helping the body not be so reactive, which triggers unwanted symptoms.

Going back to our orchestra analogy, section leaders make sure their own musicians are in tune. But when a section is off, the conductor is going to react to address this. Here’s where the digestive system, the immune system and pain come into play. If you read my last blog on gluten, you already know that gluten is a molecule that the body cannot process. This means that your body gets a little beat up from gluten moving through the gut, which can cause a lot of inflammation. There are many different foods that can cause an inflammatory response. When this happens regularly it doesn’t allow us to heal well because our immune system is always busy sending troops to deal with the inflammation. Now our immune function gets compromised because the body is working overtime.

Your NS, who is the overseer of everything, is going to respond to this. It’s going to try and get things back in order, and in doing so, is going to be more reactive or sensitive so it can try to fully tune into what is happening. As we talked about above, this means the symptoms we feel, like pain or hot flashes, can be more intense.

Lastly, the integumentary system (the skin) and the endocrine system are huge players in pelvic health. The skin is the body’s largest organ. Not only does skin protect us from outside elements but it also absorbs what we put on it. There are a lot of bad chemicals in products these days: parabens, xenoestrogens, phthalates, and the list goes on. These chemicals can be found in soaps, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, dish soap, laundry detergent etc. The skin absorbs these ingredients which ultimately get into the blood stream. With enough use, these chemicals can eventually interfere with our hormones, or the endocrine system.

The endocrine system has a hand in most body functions. It’s a collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, development, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood plus more. That’s a lot of stuff that can go awry.  Making sure we know what we put on our body is important to avoiding these hormone altering ingredients. Unfortunately, those really fragrant products that make you smell good probably don’t have good things in them. Checking labels is crucial. When the name of an ingredient is so long and you can’t pronounce it, that might be a red flag to dive deeper before using it. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database is a helpful place to start when you’re looking at products or ingredients in personal care products.

Feeling overwhelmed?

I get it. It’s a lot to take in. Hopefully this helps you to see the big picture and make connections in understanding how the body orchestrates as a whole. Regardless of what ails you, looking at a problem through all lenses is key to help fully address your concern. A holistic approach to healthcare is not how our modern world of medicine works. Most providers are experts in their field, which is great and is why we seek their services, but to optimize your care, it is important to have a team working with you so everyone can bring their knowledge to the table in support of each system. After all, you want your body to be harmonizing a pleasant tune that you can dance to throughout your life.