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April is Stress Awareness Month

Did you know that the vagus nerve plays a key role in the regulation of hormones like cortisol (stress hormone), insulin, sex and thyroid hormones?

You may hear more and more women talking about symptoms they are experiencing, which are often linked to changes in their hormones.  We are seeing and hearing it often, on social media, in conversations with clients as well as in small talk with friends and family. 

Women experience hormone fluctuations every month during their menstrual cycle. Women also experience changes that affect their normal monthly pattern, with the aging process, as we enter perimenopause and menopause and due to disruptions in the endocrine system. These hormonal changes can come with undesired symptoms and side effects. Our level of stress and the function of our hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, can significantly affect the degree of symptoms we experience daily and during the transition to perimenopause and menopause....

The pelvic floor is an area of the body that cannot be ignored; its purpose is critical to overall health and living comfortably, yet it’s often misunderstood. Because of this, factors that are outside of the more common causes of pelvic floor issues, namely pregnancy, are overlooked, and one of these is hormone dysfunction.

With its main function being to cradle the bladder, bowels, and uterus or prostate, the pelvic floor is a complex blend of ligaments and muscles. When these are taxed or stretched, problems such as incontinence, inability to empty the bowels fully, leakage of urine or bowels, feeling the frequent urge to urinate, pain during intercourse, painful periods, ovulation pain, constipation, and other unpleasant issues may ensue. These are not only uncomfortable physically, but they also affect mental health as they can spark anxiety and depression due to the stress and fear around lack of control in bodily functions. However, understanding the role that hormones play in ...