78. Your colonoscopy is related to your pelvic floor with registered nurse, Kirsten Curruthers

The Pelvic Floor Project

In this episode, I sit down with registered nurse, Kirsten Curruthers who was curious to know ways she can better support her patients who undergo colonoscopy. Here are some of the things we discuss:

• Common patient symptom patterns Kirsten notices in the colonoscopy clinic
• Advice typically given when colonoscopy results are negative
• How the pelvic floor is related to our gastrointestinal system
• How a pelvic floor physiotherapist can help with stool incontinence or feelings of inadequate emptying after bowel movements
• Ways pelvic floor physiotherapy can help people suffering with constipation
• How constipation and straining can contribute to GI pathology
• Ways that breathing and abdominal wall function affect bowel function/motility
• Benefits that pelvic floor physiotherapy may have for have for those with irritable bowel disorders (crohns, ulcerative colitis) even when in remission.
• The importance of a biopsychosocial treatment approach

Kirsten has been a Registered Nurse for 12 years, in a variety of acute care settings, most recently in the Endoscopy Suite at her local hospital. In one of her past lives, she also spent a few years as Personal Trainer, working with Perinatal women, and became passionate about all things pelvic health, as a result of her own diagnosis of Pelvic organ prolapse. Through working with pelvic health physiotherapy, and incorporating the strategies she learned at physio into her personal training practice, she was able to see the value knowledge of how the core functions could help women in all stages of life. This was further compounded when she began working in the Endoscopy suite, as she began to see the connections between pelvic health and colon health and function. This crossover between two worlds allowed Kirsten to see the gap in knowledge between gastroenterology and physiotherapy which sparked her interest into learning more and developing connections. Kirsten believes that education is power when it comes to your health, and strives to share as much knowledge as possible with her patients and peers, and takes every opportunity to share what she has learned, whether that means presentations to colleagues, or sitting down with a patient and making a plan of care that meets their needs.
Cheerful Academy
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