All Things Pelvic with Leslie Howard & Dr. Jennifer Jurewicz
A Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Do you know what and where your pelvic floor is? Every pelvis has a story and after listening to this dynamic two-part discussion with pelvic floor specialists Leslie Howard (yoga teacher) and Dr. Jenn Jurewicz (physical therapist) you will come away knowing where your pelvic floor is and what part it plays in the overall health and stability of your body. Leslie says to think of the torso as a “tote bag” for your organs. The pelvic floor is the bottom of the bag. Jenn tells us to imagine its three layers of muscles like stacking bowls. It is integral for sexual health, bowel and bladder health, and supporting two thirds of our body weight. Pelvic floor health can be affected by childbirth, sexual trauma, menopause, everyday stress and yes men can have it too. It can be the cause of incontinence, painful intercourse, digestive problems, and lower back pain. It can also be the missing piece of the puzzle in a diagnosis because it is a part of our bodies still fraught with cultural taboos/conditioning - so take note. Educate yourself. Be an advocate for your body. Get to know your pelvic floor.
Meet This Episode's Guests
Leslie Howard
As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I specialize in the use of yoga for many issues but specifically for pelvic floor problems. After suffering from hypertonic pelvic syndrome, I found relief from my symptoms by a careful application of Iyengar-style/influenced yoga and breath work and since then I have continued to refine and develop the application of yoga for the pelvic floor for myself and others. To this end, for the past twelve years, I have taught women of all ages to practice yoga to alleviate pelvic floor conditions, including urinary incontinence and pelvic pain, through a combination of small group teaching, public workshops, and national conferences. I call my approach Pelvic Floor YogaTM
A few times a year I teach a twenty hour teacher training for therapeutic application of yoga and pranayama to help alleviate symptoms for pelvic floor issues. There is an optional certification process available after the training. I am currently the director of the Piedmont Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training program. My courses are approved as continuing education with Yoga Alliance and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. I am a certified Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
For about Lesile and her schedule or classes and workshops,
visit her website
Dr. Jennifer Jurewicz
Dr. Jennifer Jurewicz is a New York City based physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation. She began her career working in outpatient orthopedics and sports medicine, treating athletes and weekend warriors with low back, neck and shoulder pain. Some of her patients, specifically with low back and hip pain, were difficult to treat. Jennifer started exploring the role of the pelvic floor as a missing piece of the puzzle.
Women's health physical therapy is relatively new, still being discovered as a referral source for gastroenterologists, urologists, gynecologists and other medical providers. Evelyn Hecht, the president of EMH Physical Therapy, was one of the first pelvic floor practitioners in the New York City area. Dr. Jurewicz studied under this well known practitioner and began to explore the role of stress, anxiety and the brain's role as the interpreter of pain. She combines pain education, breathing and relaxation techniques and pelvic floor and core training to rehabilitate her patients back to the activities they love.
For more information about Dr. Jurewicz and her practice, visit her website!
