Women’s Health Q+A with Janette
Rachel Kerin - Director
Hey there!
Recently, I got to thinking about how many great conversations go on inside the walls of our office. As a team, we love to chat about all things health during our day, and there are often so many useful tips and insightful wisdom shared from our therapists (just one of the perks of working with such an amazing team!)
I began to think about how useful this information, shared in passing over an afternoon cup of tea, could be for our beautiful community.
Instantly I knew I wanted to find a way to let you in on these conversations, in order to share information that may be helpful in your own health journey.
What better way to do this, than to record our chats over a cup of tea, and pop them in a newsletter for you to enjoy?! Therefore, I am SO excited to share with you our very first Therapist Q&A.
This interview is with Janette Greenhalgh, a Physiotherapist in our team who is focused on Women's Health and Pelvic floor conditions.
Janette has been apart of the Kerin Health team from the very early stages of our business. She is a fabulous physiotherapist, a valued team member, and a very dear friend.
We sat down to chat about our very favourite topics - women's health, self-care and skincare (of course!)
What I would like everyone to be aware of, is that the advice and tips shared below are generalised advice. Every person and every body is unique so before commencing anything at home, please book a consultation with a physiotherapist to get specialised advice for you and your body.
Boil the kettle, make yourself a warm cuppa, and enjoy my chat with Janette below!
Janette! Can you share a little about your professional background as Physiotherapist and how you came to be interested in women's health?
Janette: “I graduated Physiotherapy back in 2013 and undertook a new graduate position at a musculoskeletal based clinic in Mackay, Queensland. There, I had the opportunity to gain so much experience in lots of varied areas of physiotherapy!
One thing that struck me was the amount of women that would visit the clinic with women’s health related conditions. I was able to see women’s health clients being treated by colleagues of mine, and it sparked an interest in me.
I asked lots of questions and always knew that I would go down the path of women’s health at some point. It didn't happen to be straight away - but it certainly sparked a huge interest in my professional career very early on”.
Janette in clinic where you can find her every Wednesday morning!
What is the most common women's health condition you see and what are some tips for women to implement at home to improve this?
Janette: Pre and postnatal care is a major role that we have. So, if people are planning to have a baby, are currently pregnant, or they've just had a baby then we often see those women come through our clinic.
There are a whole range of conditions associated with that, as you can imagine, and the care and treatment plan for each woman will be unique to their body and their situation.
There are certainly some key check-ups that I recommend to all women that I suggest to support upcoming or new mothers.
Prenatal checks - these are appointments that I suggest to book in when a client is preparing for birth. During the appointment, we discuss how you are intending to give birth and how to best prepare your body in order to set up for that. During the prenatal assessment, we go through key tools and resources to support you during and after birth. This includes sizing for SRC recovery shorts, if that's something you wish to use post natal. The best time to book in for your prenatal physiotherapy assessment is at 36 weeks, however we do see women who like to come into the clinic for support earlier than that.
Postnatal checks are from 6-12 weeks post birth. During the postnatal assessment, we go through your specific needs in your recovery. I share lots of information on regaining your strength, post birth, as well as support on abdominal separation.
One thing I would like to add is that it's important to recognise that once you have had a baby, you are always deemed postnatal. So, if you had a baby 20 years ago and you're still having some niggling issues, this postnatal check is still appropriate for you and it's still important to support that and come in to see a physiotherapist.
Janette: The other major area that is really quite common is incontinence, specifically urinary incontinence and bladder weakness concerns.
Have a consultation with a physiotherapist like myself who treats pelvic floor cognitions to get treatment advice specific to your own unique body.
Toilet posture - making sure you are being mindful to sit on the toilet appropriately. This means ensuring that your feet are resting up on a stool, that you are leaning forward, that your tummy is soft and that you are letting your pelvic floor relax.
Toe Curling - another great tip for people who feel like they need to go to the bathroom all the time (bladder urgency) is toe curling, you can crunch your toes and go up onto your calves. This little trick, changes the way the brain works in sending messages to our bladder and nerves. Many women find this extremely effective in reducing the frequent urge to go to the bathroom.
What are your top tips for self-care for women right now?
Janette: I really admire women who come into our clinic and treat their health as a number one priority. That's the ultimate form of self-care right?
Let’s take being postnatal as an example. A lot of the focus is on the new baby, and you may often feel deprived of care to some extent, so coming along and putting your health as a priority and discussing your needs in that way is the best form of self care in my opinion.
Rach: The most important thing you can do for your child is to be healthy and happy, so following up on those little niggly health issues that you have been meaning to get around to but haven’t had the time for, that is the highest form of self care.
How does 45 minutes a week to focus on your strength and recovery sound? Our reformer pilates classes are all pregnancy and bub friendly.
What is something you are loving in the health space at the moment?
Janette: I am loving the fact that more GPs are recognising the potential benefits of physiotherapists to work in the women's health space. We’re seeing a lot more referrals from GPS and specialists locally, to our clinic, to support women in this way.
We're seeing more clients who are suffering from endometriosis for example, coming through the door with referrals, and recognising that endometriosis is something that affects a lot of women and that there are physio strategies we can implement to assist with symptom management. So that's really cool.
Kerin Health is proud to partner with Forbes GP Medicine and Mind
What is something that changed the game for you in your own health, or in supporting your clients?
Janette: "Well, I had a caesarian section myself, and we would often prescribe treatment, or give advice in postnatal rehabilitation, to women who have had c-sections, so having been through that experience myself first-hand, and knowing the pain, knowing the complete brutality of having such a procedure on your body, has really shifted they way that I approach c-section recovery with my clients. Even down to the fact that often women who have c-sections, will still have all the same symptoms and pain that you may have with a vaginal delivery, and that it's still so important to have a postnatal check. That has shifted the way that I think about c-sections in my practice, and to treat that as an addition to the same postnatal check that you would do for a woman who has had a vaginal birth.
Rachel: For me, I used to recommend SRC shorts to all of my prenatal and postnatal clients. Now having worn them myself, and used them… AMAZING
Janette: Amazing! They really are the best thing!
Rachel: Yes! SRC recovery pants were the one thing that I would say that in the first 12 weeks of having a baby, that - and rest - are probably the main things that help recovery the most. And of course, good nourishing food.
Janette: You mean you would recommend them before, but now you’re like YOU NEED THEM?
Rachel: Yes! And they are expensive. If you’re going to spend any money, do not buy that special car seat or special bassinet thing, buy yourself SRC shorts.
Janette: I agree. You can get measured for your SRC shorts at 36 weeks at your prenatal physio check up.
Recovery Shorts
Click here to navigate to the SRC Health website for more information.
What’s a fun fact about you that someone might not know?
I live half-way in between Trundle and Condo so I live literally in the middle of nowhere. I can relate to Rachel in that I am also married to a farmer, and it's red dirt country and my car is always filthy dirty!
So you can pick my car out in the street - it's always the one covered in red dirt.
I know you love skincare…….What is your favourite skincare product at the moment?
Ooo, I got recommended the Tatcha Original Rice Wash from the girls in the office, and it is the most divine, velvety, face cleanser I have ever felt on my skin! It’s from MECCA. It comes in beautiful violet packaging, you only need a pea-sized amount - it will last you forever!
MECCA
Click here to check out the Tatcha Original Rice Wash
That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed this chat with Janette and I.
Please share it with any friends or family who you think may be interested!
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Book an appointment
Click here to book a Physiotherapy (Women’s Health) appointment with Janette!
