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Woman singing Photo by Josh Rocklage on Unsplash

Did you know that when you sing you are not only using your vocal chords, but also the lungs, the diaphragm, the abdominal muscles, and also the pelvic floor?


It’s no surprise that the body is all connected, as in it’s one whole unit, but it’s easy to forget that an activity like singing is a dynamic and complex way we use our bodies. In a 2018 literature review, voice researchers Emerich Gordon & Reed refer to this YouTube video by osteopathic practitioner Roger Fiammetti which beautifully shows how the simple act of breathing involves not just the lungs, but the muscular system from the face and neck down to the bottom of our pelvic floor and the perineum, the video also outlines how the body has four diaphragms which help regulate air and fluid pressure throughout the body.

In fact, look at the structural similarities of the vocal chords and the pelvic floor:

Vocal Chords

pelvic floor pic

Researchers in the physical medicine realm (pelvic floor therapists, OBGYNs, respiratory medicine) as well as singers and voice scientists are interested in how the pelvic floor can improve your singing, and also how singing can help you heal your pelvic floor.

Bedekar (2012), a women’s health physiotherapist in the UK created a pilot study to show if singing could be used as the main pelvic floor exercise for women who had symptoms of pelvic floor weakness. The study participants were taught how to correctly fire a pelvic floor contraction while doing a simple singing practice like scales, with both short and long pelvic floor muscle contractions while holding a note. After the participants got the technique down, they were told to sing using the pelvic floor muscle exercises for a minimum of 15 minutes a day, five times a week for 3 weeks. This allocation of time was to be divided up according to each individual’s convenience. After the trial period most of the participants showed an improvement in their pelvic floor strength.

Wanting to weave together the findings in the importance of pelvic floor muscle’s role in breathing, posture, and regulation of intraabdominal pressure, Emerich Gordon & Reed conducted a literature review (2018) which aimed to show the connection between these disciplines and how incorporating the pelvic floor in voice coaching and voice science could help improve singing for many professionals.

What both researchers found was a connection that could be utilized to help people reach their goals of healthier pelvic floors and better singing ability.

Pelvic Floor Therapy for You

The licensed therapists at Femina PT are always taking great courses that help us learn more about the pelvic floor and how it functions in the body, including a course last year about this very topic, taught be Susan Clinton with the Pelvic Guru institute. We can incorporate fun stuff like singing to help you connect with your pelvic floor, if that helps you stay motivated and interested in your therapy. The bottom line is helping you get better in a way that is tailored to you.

References

Bedekar, N. (2012). Pelvic floor muscles activation during singing: A pilot study. Journal of Association Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health. 110:27-32

Han, D., Ha, M. (2015). Effect of PFM exercises on pulmonary function. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 27: 3233-3235

Emerich Gordon, K. A., & Reed, O. (2018). The Role of the Pelvic Floor in Respiration: A Multidisciplinary Literature Review. Journal of Voice. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.09.024

Fiammetti R. La Respiration Totale. 2010. https://www.youtube.com/embed/vokWBNmMOCg

What Our Patients Have to Say

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Testimonial by T.H.

I started seeing Heather in October 2014. For more than two years, I had been suffering from painful urinary tract infection type symptoms after my bartholins gland surgery which included constant burning and urinary frequency sensation that led to more and more painful intercourse. I had made multiple visits to internist, obgyn and urologist's offices, went through a range of treatment with UTI and bladder frequency medication that included antibiotics, vesicare, estrogen cream, but nothing worked.

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Testimonial by Jamie M.

I have been going to see Heather for a while now, and I can't tell you enough how much she has improved my quality of life. Heather specializes in issues like pelvic floor, but I see her for other orthopedic issues.

I have a lot of chronic joint pain and dysfunction issues (back, hips, neck) that require that have ongoing physical therapy maintenance. The effects of my problem joints/areas overlap and interconnect with each other in complex ways, so helping me requires really having a complete understanding of the entire skeletal and muscular system. Pain does not always appear where the problem actually is, the human body is a twisty, many-layered puzzle. I have an exercise program I do at home and I am very functional, but there are just something things I need a PT to help me out with.

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Testimonial by S.H., age 24

I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me for the past 19 months. I literally could not have reached my goals without you and your practice. You gave me the courage to keep moving forth with my treatment no matter how afraid and anxious I was. You were always there to answer questions and made this whole process so much easier than I expected it to be.

It's because of you that my marriage is on the right track, that I can get pregnant and that this part of my life is finally over. I really feel that Fusion Wellness is a team of people you can call family and are there to root for you and cheer you on until you reach your goals. There is nothing better than knowing I accomplished this with you guys by my side and as calmly and patiently as I needed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being there and helping me reach my goals.

S.H., age 24

Testimonial by J.H.

My last appointment with Heather was over 6 years ago but I still think of her every day. I don’t take for granted that I can easily get out of bed, care for my two active and busy young boys, run, play tennis, clean my house, or sit at a desk for several hours at a time. None of these tasks were easy for me before meeting Heather. Eight years ago my car was struck from behind by a tractor trailer that was estimated to have been speeding. I spent 3 years working with different PTs and Drs trying to heal and move on with my life. When I became pregnant and the hormone relaxin that “relaxes” all the joints of the body and the additional weight gain erased all my progress and I was suddenly in a lot of pain again. My OB sent me to Heather for one last try.

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Testimonial by R.S.

I wanted to thank you so much for helping me get through something I thought I may never be able to. We have achieved pain-free intercourse and this has really solidified our marriage. We are so grateful to you for all the work you do! Thank you!!

-- R.S.

Testimonial by Rosanna R., age 35

Heather has affected my life in the MOST POSITIVE way and I am forever grateful. My husband refers to her as the "sex doctor" so you can only imagine how happy he is with my therapy outcome.

After the birth of my son I suffered from "Vaginismus", however, at the time I just thought I was broken. My "broken vagina" affected me physically but it was an emotional struggle as well. Many women in my life also suffered with pain from sex after their babies were born so I knew I wasn't alone. They told me they "just got used to it" but I couldn't see myself living that way.

Sex wasn't just painful, it was literally impossible - IT DIDNT FIT!

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