It is so easy to focus on measurements. Objective numbers. We are even trained this way in PT school. Measurable, quantifiable changes. We are taught that there needs be something to measure and compare to see progress.
We focus on numbers in other areas too. How much we weigh. What size we wear. How tall we are. How many inches we have gained or loss. How fast we can swim.
The numbers don't tell us everything. The numbers can actually become a distraction.
At The Tummy Team, we focus on core rehabilitation. In our first physical therapy session, we spend about 30 min of our time asking questions, observing the client and listening. 90% of our "evaluation" can be revealed without even touching the client. Without measuring the abdominal wall or range of motion or measuring the separation of the abdominal wall (diastasis recti). Of course we do all of these things as well, but the hands on evaluation and assessment often just confirms what we have already suspected from the interview and observation.
Your symptoms, how you hold your body and how you feel is more comprehensive than any measurement we can take. We are highly trained with our palpation skills so when we do use our hands to assess we can tell what muscles are doing what, we can feel adhesions or scar tissue, we can feel damage and muscle responsiveness, we can feel stability and instability in joints. However, all of this just clarifies what we already suspect when we listen to you and watch you.
So when you are working on healing your core, you need to look at everything. Your symptoms, how you feel, what you are able to do, what your pain and energy and confidence and emotional state is telling you.
Numbers are different. Sometimes they change dramatically and sometimes they change very slowly.
To negate the progress you KNOW you have made in your body by having numbers that do not match the changes you feel is crazy. Yet we see this happen a lot.
"I feel so much stronger. I can carry my baby without pain. I can cough without wetting my pants. I can fit into my pants better and everyone is telling me how great I look. But I checked my diastasis and I think it has not changed much or at least I think there is still a small separation, so I am not sure if this is working."
What??
Why do we allow a number to change our perspective of what KNOW is progress? Yes the number tells us things, but it never tells us everything.
Sometimes, we have a client who has a diastasis close up very fast. At the second session there is no sign of the diastasis and pain is better but they still do not have the strength they need for life. So even though the number looks great, have they fully rebuilt their core? No! We still need to build strength, endurance, correct alignment patterns and regain the functional strength needed to fully rehabilitate the core. They still need a new muscle memory and training.
We have a very comprehensive online program and many people question how we can do "physical therapy" online? We do this by teaching YOU to understand your own body. We have you listen to your symptoms and start seeing what your body is telling you and then we give you very realistic and straightforward ways to start retraining your body. When we become students of our own body, we start to be aware of so much more and sometimes we can start to confuse ourselves with the new information. The Tummy Team has taken a very systematic approach to teach you one piece at a time and then build upon each piece until you have fully rebuilt your core.
Let us help you see more than simply numbers. Let us help you restore your core and reclaim your true self.
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