Treatment During and After Pregnancy
Pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation therapy addresses common areas of pain and dysfunction that arise during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Pregnancy often creates specific stresses to the abdominal wall, pelvic floor and low back that could require rehabilitation. Pre-education can prevent exacerbation of these symptoms, while postpartum rehabilitation, will evaluate and treat pain that can arise due to the birthing experience.
These services will assist with restoring the body to its pre-pregnancy status.
In this short interview, Kristen Harrington, DPT, PCES explains why pregnant and postpartum women can and should consider therapy and rehabilitation services, and why this is often overlooked by providers and the public.
Pregnancy/Postpartum Conditions and Treatment
Common Symptoms / Conditions
- Low back pain
- Pubic symphysis pain
- Hip pain
- Abdominal muscle weakness
- Diastasis rectus abdominis
- Pelvic floor weakness
- Lower and upper extremity birthing injuries
- Cervical or thoracic pain from birthing
Common Treatments
- Learn to contract/relax pelvic floor muscles to prepare for birth
- Strengthen and coordinate pelvic floor muscles to reduce pain or prevent urinary leakage
- Manual therapy techniques to reduce pain
- Deep core stabilization and stretching programs
- Posture education and training
- Functional activity training to reduce discomfort with day-to-day activities
- Perineal Massage techniques to reduce the risk of tearing during birth
- Relaxation and breathing techniques
- Labor and birthing position preparation: reduces the risk of exacerbating prior low back, hip, or pelvic pain during delivery and educates on positions that can assist with the progression of labor
Postpartum Evaluation at 6 Weeks!
Our therapists highly recommend that all new moms be provided with the opportunity to receive an evaluation at 6 weeks postpartum to ease your recovery and correct symptoms that arise due to labor, delivery, and the early weeks of motherhood.
Pregnancy Rehab Therapist: Kristen Harrington, DPT, PCES
Kristen Harrington, DPT, PCES, completed specialty coursework with the following organizations:
Contact Women's Health Therapies
If you have any of the above symptoms, please contact Women’s Health Therapy, your OB/GYN, or primary care physician. We can help provide supportive treatment and education for a healthy YOU!
Phone and Fax:
- Phone: 814-373-2075
- Fax referrals to: 814-333-5668
Within Grove Street Facility
Women’s Health Therapies are located in room 122 at Meadville Medical Center’s Grove Street Facility. Follow the signs upon entering through the main doors!
Women's Health Therapy Services
Breast Cancer Rehabilitation
The breast cancer rehabilitation program at Meadville Medical Center is an evidence-based rehabilitative exercise program for breast cancer survivors.
Breastfeeding
Meadville Medical Center’s Women’s Health Therapies provides education, treatment, and intervention for breastfeeding and pumping support to restore normal, pain-free breastfeeding and/or pumping.
Pelvic Rehabilitation
Pelvic rehabilitation therapy at Meadville Medical Center addresses dysfunctions in the pelvis that may be strained, weakened, or painful to restore normal, pain-free function of the pelvic floor.
Women's Health Therapies Location
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