14 Jan 10 Minutes with Gemma Joiner!
With Gemma Joiner recently joining Halo, we thought we’d take the opportunity to sit down with her for 10 minutes to ask some questions about her area of speciality, Women’s Health Physiotherapy, her love of Pilates and what she gets up to out of work!
Take a look at Gemma’s answers below!
Tell us what led to your passion for Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
Gemma: Life! Working as a Physio and Pilates instructor over the years I treated many women with complaints I wanted to be able to help them with, and this led me to attend further post graduate training.
What exactly do Women’s Health Physios treat?
Gemma: There’s a long list! Here’s some of conditions we can help with:
- Ante natal rehabilitation
- Post natal rehabilitation
- Menopausal symptoms
- Bladder dysfunction
- Bowel dysfunction
- Pelvic pain (bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis , vulvodynia , vaginismus, painful sex)
- Pelvic girdle pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Gynaecological surgery
- Tummy gap (Diastasis Recti)
Find out more here
Pelvic health can be difficult to talk about for some, so why should women seek professional help when experiencing problems?
Gemma: Pelvic Physio/ Women’s Health Physiotherapy can greatly help to improve and resolve symptoms and improve a patients’ quality of life. It may be a difficult topic to talk about for some but it is truly worth it as a lot can be done to help.
Would you say that much more than just ‘fixing’ a short-term problem, Women’s Health Physiotherapy is beneficial for life?
Gemma: Yes, Yes, Yes! From the conditions treated question above you can see it is beneficial through your life. I don’t specialise in paediatrics (children), however it is even extremely beneficial here too! So literally for your whole life this area of Physiotherapy is extremely beneficial.
So Pilates! Tell us why we should all be doing it?
Gemma: Pilates is AMAZING! We should all be doing it. Joseph Pilates developed it to help rehabilitate people through illness. Pilates derives from yoga and is based upon 6 essential principles; centering, concentration, control, breathing, precision, and flowing movement. It is a mind and body exercise which is so important for all of us with today’s hectic lifestyles. Pilates is fabulous to improve your posture, improve mobility and strength. I have used Pilates through my life to recover from injury, surgery, and illness, and prevent injury too when training for sporting events. In particular in Pilates we look at the abdominal canister, which is made up of the diaphragm, deep abdominals, deep back muscles and the pelvic floor. A focus on optimising this cannisters function is key to us all, but in particular in women’s health as if this cannister is not optimised to its full it “springs a leak” at the weakest point leading to pelvic floor dysfunction, abdominal dysfunction, or back pain.
And you’re a mum with a full-time job, so where do you get time for the exciting sport/exercise you’re involved in?
Gemma: I prioritise my health and fitness. I make time for it. If I take time out to care for my mind and body then I’m able to do all that I do, and care for others.
Out of a long list, what’s your greatest sporting achievement? Tell us about it?
Gemma: Ironman UK! Not only an amazing physical achievement but an amazing mental achievement too. It took 6 months of training 6 days a week, spending hours and hours on a turbo trainer (indoor bike) over winter to get the miles in to do it and I finished in the top 10 in my age group too. For those of you that don’t know what an Ironman is it’s a very long triathlon that took me 11.5 hours to do!
And tell us an emotional story about your time as a physio?
Gemma: Too many to mention! Getting women back to sport and exercise after giving birth is always emotional as it’s great to see them back doing what they love and feeling like themselves again!
Find out more about Gemma by clicking here
No Comments