I've just finished working with Miriam Evans, an NHS Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. She is extremely passionate about providing excellent care and has extensive knowledge about this specialist area. This is what she had to say about Hypopressives, and why she has decided to train in Hypopressives and offer this technique within the NHS:
"Having been a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist since 2008, I am passionate about seeing men and women get back to full abdominal and pelvic floor function. We are continually learning more and more about the body and how the pelvic floor functions best, including myofascial connections, breathing well, and the relationship between transverse abdominals, glutes and pelvic floor.
I saw a post from Alice on Facebook and saw the results it was having from people trying it, and thought that if so many people were benefitting from it who had reached a plateau with other treatments, then I couldn't deny it was working and therefore needed to find out more.
I did the online course with Alice as I live in Wales. It was easy to follow and she video-called to check my technique.
Discovering Hypopressives feels like I've found the missing key. It seems to address all the above at the same time.
I've been doing them daily for 15 minutes for several months now and immediately after each session, my body feels looser from myofascial tension release, my breathing is much better, having had restrictions around my thoracic spine for years, and I can feel it activating my core muscles without me having to think about how to do it or make sure I'm using the right muscles - just by breathing in the positions.
And the nice surprise for me is that it has got rid of an 8 year old hip pain that had stopped me cycling and running and niggled when picking up the kids.
I still do my pilates and yoga but think more about my breathing while doing the routines. Now that I have the technique I can do it during daily activities such as when I'm washing up, standing in shopping queues etc.
I was pessimistic about the vacuum as I constantly tell patients not to suck in their upper abdominals as it causes downwards pressure on the pelvic organs, but when done correctly, the vacuum isn't a sucking in of abdominals but a pressure change that has very different effects on the pelvic organs. It is releasing myofascial tension around the diaphragm area (an area constantly tight from overuse and stress) and the diaphragm had big links to the pelvic floor function.
I am keen to get skilled up in teaching in this area so I can use it to optimise my patient's recovery!"
Miriam Evans, NHS Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Powys Teaching Health Board.