Breaking Taboos About Pelvic Health With Hedwig Neels

In Episode 77 of the PhysioTutors podcast, we welcome Hedwig Neels, a renowned physiotherapist from Belgium who specializes in pelvic health. Hedwig is a professor at the University of Antwerp and founder of the Pelvic Floor platform, which aims to break taboos and make pelvic health accessible and understandable for women. During the episode, Hedwig discusses her journey in creating the Pelvic Floor platform and the common misconceptions around pelvic health, such as the overemphasis on Kegel exercises. She emphasizes the importance of education, awareness, and a holistic approach to pelvic health. The conversation also covers pelvic health during pregnancy and postpartum, highlighting the need for pelvic floor training and the challenges in returning to high-impact sports. Hedwig shares insights into male pelvic health, particularly saddle pain in cyclists, and the significance of relaxation over strengthening in certain cases. The episode concludes with a discussion on the future of pelvic floor rehabilitation and the importance of open communication and education in the field. Hedwig provides valuable resources and advice for physiotherapists and individuals looking to understand and improve pelvic health.

Guest

Hedwig is a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic health, with a particular focus on education and awareness. She is a professor at the University of Antwerp, where she combines academic research with clinical practice at the University Hospital of Antwerp. Hedwig is also the founder of The Pelvic Floor, an information platform and community designed to break taboos and make pelvic health accessible and understandable for all women. She teaches both medical and paramedical professionals through the Women's & Pelvic Health Professionals network and is the author of Het Bekkenbodemboek — a beautifully illustrated, accessible guide to pelvic floor health for women.
Her clinical expertise also extends to athletes, including both women and men, with a special focus on cycling-related saddle pain and its impact on performance.

Content

00:00 Intro

01:12 Why she started her Pelvic Health Platform

03:19 Misconceptions about the Pelvic Floor

06:42 Sponsor

07:19 Lowering the barrier to start talking about pelvic health

12:00 Pelvic Health during and after pregnancy

15:40 Return to sport post-partum

20:00 Quantifying pelvic floor function in practice

23:37 Pelvic Floor Problems among top reasons women stop playing sports

26:52 Male pelvic pain

31:43 More about letting go than holding in

34:12 Pelvic health skills for non-pelvic health practitioners

37:01 Sponsor

38:02 Go beyond Kegels

42:54 Don't forget the pelvic girdle

46:34 The biggest innovation in pelvic rehab

49:32 What every physio should know about pelvic health

51:02 Hedwig's closing thoughts

53:18 Contact info & Outro

Bonus Material

Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.

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