Many women who have birthed by Caesarean do not realize that they have many options when it comes to helping their post-partum body to recover. Osteopathic treatment is a very effective form of manual therapy that can help with reducing pain, improving scar mobility, decreasing adhesions, and helping reset and rebalance the abdominal wall and pelvic bowl. On today’s interview, I chatted with Michael Stillitano who is an osteopath here in London. I wanted to talk to him about c-sections because he spent 3 years conducting an osteopathic research study and writing a thesis entitled “The Effects of Osteopathic Treatment on Caesarean Section Scars Followed by Uterine Normalization on Lumbar Spine Range of Motion”. I thought he would have excellent insights on c-section recovery – and indeed he did. Have a listen.
(Advance apologies for the occasional cutting out and sound issues in the interview.)
Interview Highlights:
- From a tool and die maker to registered massage therapist to osteopath – 2:07mins
- How osteopathy is different from other forms of body work – 5:10mins
- Insights into what can happen to the body after c-sections from an osteopathic perspective – 8:44mins
- Is there any way to predict the types of physical challenges women may have post Caesarean? – 13:55mins
- How osteopaths may be able to help prepare the body for a planned C-section – 15:41mins
- Michael’s research study looking at osteopathic uterine treatments after a c-section and decrease in low back pain – 17:05mins
- The somato-emotional phenomenon – how trauma may be stored in the body down to a cellular level – 25:47mins
- What a scar is and how is it relevant post c-section – 28:25mins
- Discussion of the idea that the degree of scar mobility regress – 32:33mins
- When to start mobilizing a scar and if it’s ever too late to start- 36:03mins
- When to seek osteopathic care post-caesarean and some symptom flags to be aware of – 38:04mins
- When not to seek care from an osteopath post c-section – 46: 45mins
