Rachel BP
“I came to see Dr. Kitchener to treat a nagging IT band issue and walked away with a significantly improved understanding of the muscle imbalances and movement patterns that were leading to the issue, and a marked improvement in pelvic floor and core related weaknesses leftover from pregnancy and delivery 18-months prior that I had not planned on addressing.
As someone who finds immense joy and fulfillment in competitive trail running and Nordic skiing, I was eager to jump back in postpartum. What I wanted to ignore was persistent incontinence, later diagnosed by Dr. Kitchener as a Grade 1 prolapse, and feeling as though I was less stable on my skis. During my intake evaluation in my first appointment for the IT band pain, Dr. Kitchener included questions about my pregnancy and delivery and I was embarrassed to admit that I was ignoring these issues because I had discovered I could use a pessary to prevent the incontinence.
I was struck by how supportive, rather than judgemental, the conversation was; Dr. Kitchener provided me with education regarding the importance of pelvic floor health and used a diagram to explain how the muscles work together and interact with the surrounding muscles. The internal pelvic assessment was very professional, as she continually explained the process and reasoning of the different muscles she assessed and the kegel exercises I was asked to perform. She was willing to work with me in terms of allowing me to continue running while starting an exercise program to retrain and strengthen my pelvic floor and deep core muscles, and I left feeling relieved, empowered, and hopeful that there might be a future where I don’t need to worry whether I have my bladder support in when I go for a run. Over the course of six weeks, I experienced marked improvement in the endurance of my pelvic floor muscles and have a plan to continue my progress independently.
Oh, and she also resolved my IT band issue, living up to her local reputation as “the dry needling wizard”, leaving me feeling overall more balanced and in tune with my body than ever before. Despite not being able to run consistently for two months in the spring, I felt strong and healthy enough to run some fast times up and down Mt Sopris and around the three and four pass loops in the Maroon Snowmass Wilderness. I am forever grateful for her talent and support!”