June 2021 Newsletter
Pregnancy and Water Exercises
It is summer time in Texas so it is HOT! Many of our patients are pregnant and have asked for safe exercises to do in the water. Here is a water routine that you can use to exercise but stay cool.
Warm-up Stretches:
Cardio:
Core Exercises:
Extremity Strengthening:
Balance Exercises:
Deep Water Exercise:
Cool Down Exercise: 5 minutes
Warm-up Stretches:
- Using steps or standing at waist level in water:
- Calf stretch (on steps heels off Standing "lunge" position on step or floor keeping heel down on back foot while bending front knee)
- Hamstring stretch (on steps with knee straight, holding rail for support as you lean forward)
- Quad Stretch (standing, grab ankle while holding edge of pool with other hand for support)
- IT Band stretch (standing, cross one leg in front and place all weight on back leg, stick hip out - hold side of pool for support)
Cardio:
- Walk forward/back across pool, keep abdominal engaged (belly button up and in towards spine), shoulder back - 8 to 10 minutes
- Can start holding on to the side, progress to holding noodle and then unsupported
- Can advance to holding foam dumbbells while walking
- Can advance to sidestepping while keeping abdominals engaged
- Increase speed and change directions
Core Exercises:
- Seated on bench or stair
- Marching with abdominal bracing
- Leg extensions with abdominal bracing
- Legs unsupported with upper extremity motion - use dumbbells for more resistance
- Plank position on the stairs
- Walking small lunges engaging abdomen
- Squats at wall with abdominal sets
Extremity Strengthening:
- Lower Extremity
- Marching at wall
- Hip Abduction/adduction with leg extended
- Squats at wall
- Heel raises
- Walking lunges
- Step ups forward and side
- Side kicks
- Noodle drills
- Can use aquatic ankle weights to progress or stand in more shallow water
- Upper Extremity
- Wall push-ups at pool wall
- Noodle push-ups
- Use of foam dumbbells through resistance of water in all motions of shoulder
Balance Exercises:
- Single leg balance with other leg movements (ie. flexion, abduction, clockwise/counterclockwise circles) with minimal upper extremity support
- Single leg squats
- Directional lunges: Forward, side, back
- Noodle drills
- Balance Exercises while there is water turbulence such as jets
Deep Water Exercise:
- Noodle Bicycles - 10 minutes
- 2 noodles positioned behind back and under arms; instruct patient to bicycle in deep end in comfortable upright or slightly reclined position
- Advance to add corner exercises - 20 to 30 reps each
- Patient uses 2 noodles wrapped around upper chest and under arms; holds on to corner of pool deep end to stay vertical
- Instruct patient to perform double knee-to-chest; hip abduction (both legs simultaneously); scissor kicks; frog leg kicks
- Vertical traction - 10 to 15 minutes
- Excellent for patients with lumbar disc problems
- Instruct patients to hold noodles in front around upper chest and under arms; hold corners of pool to stay vertical as possible
- Hold position for 10 to 15 minutes: advise to stop if pain increases or numbness and tingling starts
- Can add more traction by adding light ankle weights - assess need for Aqua vest if adding weights for safety
Cool Down Exercise: 5 minutes
- Seated if possible (with/without jets if available)
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Ankle range of motion exercises
- Seated bicycles
- If seated exercises are not available, can do slow walk forward/backwards across pool with abdominals engaged, shoulders back - no added resistance
- Repeat stretches from warm up period
If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please reach out to us at sullivanphysicaltherapy@yahoo.com
SPT Spotlight
Arial Barraza
Patient Care Coordinator
Patient Care Coordinator
Ariel graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelors degree in Healthcare Administration. While she was completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as an Administrative Intern for a large health system in Texas.
Ariel has a passion for helping others and looks forward to doing this as she starts her career in the administrative side of healthcare. She is committed to improving the services being provided to the community and to individual patients. Ariel feels that Sullivan Physical Therapy places high value in everything we do and she is excited to work for such a great company.
Ariel is from Austin and enjoys spending time with friends and family, being on the lake and exploring new and interesting places.
Ariel has a passion for helping others and looks forward to doing this as she starts her career in the administrative side of healthcare. She is committed to improving the services being provided to the community and to individual patients. Ariel feels that Sullivan Physical Therapy places high value in everything we do and she is excited to work for such a great company.
Ariel is from Austin and enjoys spending time with friends and family, being on the lake and exploring new and interesting places.
Research Roundup
Responsiveness of Health-Related Quality of Life Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Women Receiving Conservative Treatment for Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review
Barriers to Exercise in Postpartum Women: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review
“No One Told Me About This Part”: What Breastfeeding Women Want and Need to Support Their Physical Health
Can an Outpatient Exercise Program for Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain Improve Pain and Function Versus Education? A Feasibility Study
Feasibility and Effectiveness of an Interprofessional Mindfulness-Informed Group-Based Intervention for Treatment of Overactive Bladder: A Pilot Study
Voiding Dysfunction in Interstitial Cystitis Patients and the Relation to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Barriers to Exercise in Postpartum Women: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review
“No One Told Me About This Part”: What Breastfeeding Women Want and Need to Support Their Physical Health
Can an Outpatient Exercise Program for Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain Improve Pain and Function Versus Education? A Feasibility Study
Feasibility and Effectiveness of an Interprofessional Mindfulness-Informed Group-Based Intervention for Treatment of Overactive Bladder: A Pilot Study
Voiding Dysfunction in Interstitial Cystitis Patients and the Relation to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Webinar
We are hosting another webinar on June 24 at 11 am CT. Varian Hans is our special guest and the topic is Balancing Stress In The Thick Of Motherhood. Mothers are the foundations of the family and often juggle many hats just to make sure the day runs smoothly. Learn how to support your nervous system and find balance when your life feels like a nonstop roller coaster.
Varian Hans is a Nutritional Therapist who serves women during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. She helps mothers find deep nourishment that provides the foundation for their well being and vitality.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BgMLxu5mQImUVvvoVcQzxg
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
If you missed our last webinar on Balancing Hormones with Food, here is a link to the video.
If you are interested in another webinar by Varian Hans she is hosting a 5 day hormone workshop starting June 14th to provide additional support. Here is the signup link.
Varian Hans is a Nutritional Therapist who serves women during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. She helps mothers find deep nourishment that provides the foundation for their well being and vitality.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BgMLxu5mQImUVvvoVcQzxg
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
If you missed our last webinar on Balancing Hormones with Food, here is a link to the video.
If you are interested in another webinar by Varian Hans she is hosting a 5 day hormone workshop starting June 14th to provide additional support. Here is the signup link.
Updates from the Physical Therapy Team
- May 1 - Angela Dobinsky will be starting her maternity leave and Kimia Kardan will be helping Angela's patients during this time.
- May 18 - Kimberlee Sullivan spoke with Jonathan Parr of Parr Physical Therapy. Parr Physical Therapy years of experience in specialized physical therapy treatments and holistic health care for numerous complex conditions. Our myokinesthetics-based manual therapy is very effective for treating EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) & hypermobility, and chronic fatigue & chronic pain. Other conditions include bowel disorders such as constipation & IBS, Brain Injuries & Neurological disorders, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. We also work with high-performance athletes with sports rehabilitation & injury prevention and provide on-site gait training with our patented Matrix Gait Trainer.
- Starting in June, Christina McGee will be seeing patients at Sullivan Physical Therapy's South Location Wednesdays and Fridays. Christina will see patients at our main location Monday, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Sullivan Physical Therapy's south location is located inside My Salons at 5601 Brodie Lane, Austin, TX, within the Sunset Valley shopping center.
- Masks - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that its new masking recommendations for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not apply to health care settings. This means that staff, patients, residents and visitors should continue to wear masks as recommended in all healthcare facilities. Sullivan Physical Therapy will continue to follow the CDC and will require masks at all of our locations for our employees, patients and guests.
Card on File
We have been excited about some of the changes COVID-19 has brought to us, such as credit cards on file. This change has decreased the spread of COVID-19 by being contactless and has reduced the time to check out after an appointment. If you would like to have your credit card on file, please ask one of our patient care coordinators at your next visit.
Sullivan Physical Therapy will be charging the card on file upon each service date for the estimation of services rendered and open balances. At this time, we will not be charging cards on file for more than $200 per transaction without discussing the bill first. If, at any time, you would like to remove your card on file, please contact our Office Manager, Lauren, at lauren@sullivanphysicaltherapy.com.
Sullivan Physical Therapy will be charging the card on file upon each service date for the estimation of services rendered and open balances. At this time, we will not be charging cards on file for more than $200 per transaction without discussing the bill first. If, at any time, you would like to remove your card on file, please contact our Office Manager, Lauren, at lauren@sullivanphysicaltherapy.com.
Engage with SPT on Social Media
If you enjoy our monthly newsletter, you will love Sullivan Physical Therapy on social media. We have daily posts that cover all topics Pelvic Health. This is also where we communicate what is going on in the clinic in between newsletters. You can follow us on: If there is ever a topic you would like us to cover, please let us know.
