Our services
Why consider physical therapy during pregnancy and postpartum?
About us
Marathon provides a range of services for pregnancy and postpartum, including treatment and management of the following:
- Physical therapy for pregnancy-related musculoskeletal issues (back pain, pelvic pain, and changing body mechanics, for example)
- Care for women with multiples
- Individualized physical therapy to address the physical changes of pregnancy and as preparation for delivery and the immediate postpartum period
- Physical therapy for cesarean section recovery (including preparation for planned cesarean delivery)
- Research-based educational seminars: Prenatal education, Preparing for c-section, and for Postpartum recovery (Find out more! Click for seminar dates, times, and to arrange private seminars for your mom’s group, place of work, or group of friends!)
- Fitness assessment, exercise program design, and fitness training before, during, and after pregnancy
- For women planning on becoming pregnant, physical assessment and appropriate physical therapy, health and fitness interventions to achieve optimal physical preparedness for childbearing
Why consider physical therapy during pregnancy and postpartum?
In the midst of the personal excitement and medical management of pregnancy and later, a newborn, little consideration historically has been given in the US to the physical preparation and rehabilitation of the mother. Even in the most healthy and uncomplicated of pregnancies, the pregnant woman undergoes rapid changes in posture, joint stability, respiration, and muscle function. There is strong evidence to suggest that many of these adaptations do not spontaneously resolve after delivery, thus leaving the new mother vulnerable to musculoskeletal compromises and dysfunctions in the short and/or long term. We believe that this, compounded with normal or unexpected amounts of pelvic and/or abdominal trauma during delivery and the physical demands of newborn care and breastfeeding creates a situation in which poor compensatory patterns develop, become entrenched, and lead ultimately to increased musculoskeletal and pelvic floor compromise. We are committed to providing individual post-partum musculoskeletal and pelvic floor evaluation and education that will help all postpartum women to identify how their bodies have changed and how they can be proactive in resolving or managing these changes.
Marathon has a staff of experienced and innovative physical therapists knowledgeable about the changes associated with pregnancy and the management of musculoskeletal issues associated with pregnancy and the postpartum period. We are committed to advancing knowledge and practice as it pertains to pregnancy and its short and long term effects. As a teaching facility, we are involved in the training of physical therapy students and medical providers through guest lectures and clinical internships. Further, we are intensely committed to educating women about how their bodies change as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. We believe that a program of education and individualized rehabilitation is essential to returning a woman to optimal postpartum physical function, thus enabling her to care for her child, prepare for possible future pregnancies, and mitigate the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction that are often attributed to pregnancy and childbirth.