The Fix Program Broadway. Here we come!

We are thrilled to announce a new clinic opening....just for women

On June 1^st 2016, we will be opening a brand new clinic at Broadway Shopping Centre. We will be located within the beautiful Fernwood Fitness Women's Gym.

Our passion for the wellness of women will shine on at this new clinic, bringing you all The Fix Program expertise and care that you have been used to at York Street. We will be there with:

• our physiotherapy services for you. Whether it's your postural pain or sport-related niggle, with our expert physio's treating you, we've got you covered.
• our specialised women's health physiotherapists, managing pelvic floor and physical problems unique to women. Incontinence, pelvic pain, pregnancy related issues, prolapse, and pessary prescription are our forte.
• our pregnancy physiotherapy services for the best for you and your baby. Helping you through pregnancy with safe and appropriate pregnancy Pilates classes and physiotherapy for pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain, back pain and other aches at this special time.
• our post natal physiotherapy services with Mums&Bubs Pilates classes, post natal pelvic floor and abdominal separation checks and advice before safely returning to your pre-baby exercise routines.

And this is just the start.

Where are we?

Shop LG03 Broadway Shopping Centre, Corner Francis & Bay Street, Broadway. p: 8005 2379, and the best part....there is 2 hours FREE parking within the shopping centre!

What do I do next if I wish to make an appointment?

Contact us. You don't need a doctor's referral to see our physiotherapists. We'll be happy to chat about your needs.

What makes The Fix Program a wonderful clinic for women?

Since 1999 we have taught thousands of women and men how to strengthen their backs, hips, pelvic floors and abdominals through a mix of Pilates, Yoga and core stability exercises. And yet we offer so much more.

As physiotherapists and women ourselves, we are passionate about the wellness of all women. We are expert clinicians in the diagnosis and management of conditions unique to women at all stages of life.

The active woman.

From niggly backs and hip pain, sore knees and feet, computer necks and headaches, we treat muscle and joint pain to get you back to what you love doing most. Massage, joint re-alignment techniques, postural awareness and exercise prescription are a start to how we achieve this. Education, empowerment and getting to the cause of the injury is our goal.

Incontinence, pelvic pain and painful sex, endometriosis and bowel troubles can also trouble the active woman. Bladder leaks with coughing, laughing, exercising or running is not normal and can be treated. Pain in the pelvis or when having sex is not normal. You do not have put up with it. Our Women's Health physiotherapists are qualified to help you get back your pelvic floor function.

The pregnant woman.

In pregnancy, we want the best for you and your baby. Pelvic girdle pain, rib pain, back pain and other associated pregnancy aches can all benefit from physiotherapy. Pelvic floor weakness, abdominal separation and safe exercise while pregnant are issues we can help you with. You do not have to stop exercising just because you are pregnant. In fact, the right exercise can help with controlling gestational diabetes, cardiovascular health of mum, control weight gain and protect the spine and pelvis from the big changes seen in pregnancy. A strong body can support your changing posture and prepare you for labour and when baby arrives.

The new mum.

So, now that you have your baby, your body may still not feel quite right. Ongoing back and pelvic pain, upper back pain and pelvic floor issues such as incontinence and sensitivity are very common. When am I safe to exercise and what can I do? How do I bring back my belly separation and pelvic floor strength? Do I have, or am I a prolapse risk? What effect has breastfeeding on my hormones and return to exercise?

New mums are a special bunch and need special care. We can internally assess the pelvic floor function for any weakness or prolapse, manage abdominal separation, pains and aches, and educate and get you back to exercise and feeling in control of your body.

Every Woman.

It is well known that physios can help with muscle and joint injuries, postural pain, alignment and exercise. It is not widely known however that specialised physiotherapists can manage pelvic floor problems. At The Fix Program, we do just this. We can help you if you have:

• Urinary incontinence or poor bladder control
• Bowel incontinence and constipation
• Over active bladder and urge incontinence
• Pregnancy and post-natal pelvic floor weakness, scarring or pain
• Vaginal prolapse (also known as pelvic organ prolapse)
• Painful sex and pelvic pain.

Pelvic floor problems are more common than you think, and it is our mission and passion to get the conversation started. To seek help and to gain back pelvic floor control is life changing and sometimes takes a little bravery. Caring, sensitive and thorough assessment and management for each woman is our focus. We understand that every woman is different.

What do I do next?

Contact us. You don't need a doctor's referral to see our physiotherapists. We'll be happy to chat about your needs.

The zipper front – the best visual cue for the lower belly I have heard!

Abdominal separation or Rectus Diastasis (RD) is a common and necessary part of carrying a baby and being a new mum. It affects 66% of women.

RD is the wonderful pregnant body's way of getting your abdominal muscles around your growing belly by separating down the middle. This is not a complete separating away, but more a stretching of the thin tissue of connective tissue or fascia called the linea alba that gives our abdominal muscle that vertical line in the 'six pack'. Picture those men's fitness magazine cover boys – the dividing up of the abs into those 'packs'. RD is necessary but if the separation of your belly muscle is too great (they say, greater than 3 fingers wide), there can be knock on effects to the region. These can include:

• Poor abdominal activation and imbalance about the deep corset abdominals ('the core')
• Inability to breathe well with the diaphragm, our best breathing muscle and also a big part of our postural 'core' control
• Poor pelvic floor function such as incontinence, urgency, and also the pelvic floor's important role in our posture
• Lower back, pelvic or hip pain and/or poor movement
• Poor aesthetics – a jelly belly and lower abdominal protruding outward, forcing us to suck in our bellies ( to look better) and create another bag of problems about the region.

Back in January 2014, I wrote about 6 top tips in protecting abdominal separation. Recently I stumbled across the teachings and blog from a women's health physio from the US named Julie Wiebe. I love this woman! She is a passionate physio doing amazing stuff assisting women about the world in ante natal, post natal and pelvic floor troubles.

Among many things (of which I am sure you will hear from me in fixnews letters to come), she had the most wonderfully simple analogy for the separated belly- the open fly or zipper.

She says:

I like to think of a diastasis (ie belly separation) that has resisted closure like an open zipper. An open fly affects more that just the zipper, it strains the button above, it messes with the fit of the pants, exposes things not supposed to be exposed.

What you do with the abdomen in a short prescribed exercise session a few times a day cannot beat 16-18 hours a day of standing, sitting and moving in lousy alignment that separates the midline all day. If your alignment keeps your fly open all day, then all your movements and daily exertions, like lifting little ones, will reinforce keeping it open. Same goes for fitness. The alignment you do fitness in is critical to approximating the abdomen and connective tissue to encourage closure.

What a perfect picture. If you stand, sit or exercise all day with bottom tucked under, hips pushed forward and slumped like the illustration below, your fly zipper will always gape open.

This will never allow for the connective tissue of the linea alba in your belly to come together, always being pulled apart like the open zip. Instead, stand tall with your waists gently lengthened and your ribs stacked beautifully over your neutral level pelvis. You could now picture that your fly will be drawn together, even if you did forget to do it up after that dash to the loo while managing your crying little one in the pram. Aim for this posture as much as you can, and your belly separation will be encouraged to come together. Even more, your diaphragm, your belly muscles, your pelvic floor and your spine will start to work more as it should, becoming stronger and more supportive.

Ab separation will never start to correct in that first year after baby if we are always in a poor posture for most of our days ( The ultimate goal that you want to achieve is a balanced well working system of deep belly, outer belly, pelvic floor, diaphragm and butt muscles). And as Julie has said, with all great intentions at working on this in your gym or Pilates classes, nothing works better than thinking of your posture and the closed zipper for best outcome. Easy. 

So when standing, sitting, feeding, carry baby, pushing prams, at the gym ( after 4 months post baby girls!), cleaning the house, driving the car.......... remember your belly as the zipper!

Love it!

Why not check out Julie's website and blog at

http://www.juliewiebept.com/