Past Issues
Jan 2013
“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform, without woman the beginning of our life would be helpless, the middle without pleasure, and the end without consolation.”
This issue of PHYSIOTIMES is dedicated to women, the entity without whom it is impossible to imagine the evolution of humanity. As it is rightly said “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. Without woman the beginning of our life would be helpless, the middle without pleasure, and the end without consolation.” It is a generally acknowledged fact that it is difficult to understand women. However, as primary health care professionals, it becomes imperative for us, physiotherapists, to make all attempts to understand, not just the women, but their underlying health concerns to be able to help them lead a healthy life. Right from puberty to pregnancy, post-partum to parenthood, menopause to old age, physiotherapists are involved in the management of a range of women’s health issues, including obstetrics, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence etc. Physiotherapists also treat women with breast health concerns and a variety of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. In this issue, we have focused on a few unconventional areas concerning women’s health that we as physiotherapist can venture into, given our vivid understanding of the anatomy, physiology, biomechanics etc. giving us an opportunity to widen our horizons and enhance the scope of our clinical practice.
To start with, the cover story provides an overview of breast feeding and how a physiotherapist can become a potential lactation consultant. The article by Dr. Mokashi provides a macro picture with statistics on various pressing issues of relevance to women health in the Indian context. An article on gentle birth emphasizes the role of a birth educator, which too remains a lucrative area to work for those interested in women health. Interestingly, the issue also makes an attempt to understand the psyche of a father, or should I say the husband of a pregnant women and how does he deal with all the stress during his wife’s most important phase of life through an article by Matthew Taylor on “will you still call me superman” The issue also contains regular sections like Healing Hands, Aqua corner, physic yoga with topics pertaining to women’s health. Pilates and its health benefits are also discussed. The striking feature is the interview of a stalwart in physiotherapy, Dr.chhabria in the PHYSIOSPEAKS section. We thank Mrs.Vimal telang, Addl.Lecturer, AIIPMR, Mumbai for facilitating and conducting the interview on our behalf. A new section on sports PT is started from this issue onwards under “sports corner”. We express our gratitude to all the authors and contributors for their valuable times and sharing their expertise with our readers. We hope this issue helps you look at the unexplored areas of women’s health and pursue them professionally to help the woman in distress lead a better quality of life.
COVER STORY: Breast Feeding - An Overview And The Role Of Physios As Lactation Consultants - DR.POORNIMA P S
Women’s health issues are like an abstract painting where its perception is upon the discretion of the health professional. One such issue which is often noticed but less understood is ‘Breastfeeding’. So what is about breastfeeding when it is such a natural phenomenon?
For the vast majority of women breast feeding is not an instinctive activity, but rather an art which mother and baby have to learn together. For those who succeed, it can be... Read More
EXPERT OPINION: Women's Health : Indian Perspective - DR. M. G. MOKASHI
Women’s population world over is around 50%; in our country, it is below 50%. Other than motherhood, a woman has shouldered responsibility as a housewife. It is not just housekeeping; rather she should be a home minister. At times she is a decision maker; some other time she influences decisions. This has been irrespective of her education or earning capacity. She is a respected person in family. She represents culture and as a part of it, sacrifices for the family with love and underst... Read More
PHYSIO SPEAKS: A Tete -E -Tete with one of the pioneers of Physiotherapy in India - DR. NANDU CHHABRIA
It was indeed a wonderful experience to chat with DrNanduChhabria “A debonair gentleman” 77 years of age, with silken white hair which compliments not his age but his experience & graceful confidence. We had this warm chat in the perfect setting of his artistically done up home of severrr…al Ganesh murtis, overlooking the ever so beautiful Arabian Sea and Queens necklace of Mumbai. He graciously answered all the questions put across to him like a story telling session.<... Read More
FEATURE ARTICLE: Gentle Births - BINAIFER LALKAKA
FEATURE ARTICLE: Gentle Births - BINAIFER LALKAKA
How can the beginning of a life be COMFORTABLE and HAPPY? How can the transition from almost a subconscious state to consciousness be SMOOTH? The answer is ‘GENTLE BIRTHS’!! But, what are ‘gentle births’? To answer this, let us look at the baby in the womb! The unborn baby is floating in a bubble of wonderfully warm amniotic fluid. His delicate velvet skin is covered in fine hair called lanugo... Read More
GUEST COLUMN: Will You Still Call Me A Superman?Anxiety Of A Father To Be - MATTHEW J. TAYLOR
The arrival of a child into a relationship has many complex repercussions. This issue of PHYSIOTIMES is devoted to women’s health and when a father is present during a pregnancy, he certainly affects both the health of the mother and the unborn child. Writing as a father of three grown children and husband to their mother, allow me to share some practical insights for the expectant fathers that might be valuable to you the reader or your patients during a pregnancy.
Read More
SPECIAL ARTICLE: Pilates in Everyday Living - DR. FIZA TAJ SAMADH
PILATES is a well-known, commonly practiced form of exercise regimen in many parts of the developed world. Leading health practitioners abroad have realized the immense health benefits of PILATES and many celebrities from Hollywood vouch for it. In India, PILATES was known only to the rich and famous because of their connection with the west. But now slowly PILATES is becoming popular with the masses and soon taking the place holds in the Indian Scenario.
Pilates has not been a new ... Read More
HEALING HANDS: Manual Therapy and Taping Techniques for Lumbar Facet Syndromes in Females - PROF. UMASANKAR MOHANTY
PROLOGUE: Matrita, a 24 year female model came to me with complain of Low back pain in right side lumbar region during standing since last one month. I examined her and observed that the pain was getting aggravated with back bending, side bending flexion to the right side. On observation prima facie, I found the lumbar lordosis is accentuated and in palpation I found the pain was more marked at the right side L3-L4 facet region. I applied mobilization and manipulation techniq... Read More
PHYSIO YOGA: Yogasana for Postural Health in Women - DR. NILIMA PATEL
One of the fastest ways to improve our appearance, physically, mentally, and spiritually is to improve our posture. Yogasana is a Psychophysical posture.
Poor posture is one of the most overlooked health issues in today's society. Bad posture lies at the root of much shoulder, neck, and back pain in women, and it can even be involved in recurring migraines and headaches. The rounded shoulders and forward head posture, which is so common in our computer-age, also compresses the c... Read More
SPORTS CORNER: In- Season Preparation - Y. RAMAKRISHNA
The goals for each athlete need to be realistic and yet challenging to motivate the athlete at training and during competition. Goals establish and drive the action of both training and competition plans. Sport confidence in athletes helps to make participation fun and is critical to the athlete's motivation. Strength and conditioning is an integral part of competitive sports in this modern era. Athletes make their preparation a top priority, because “to finish first, preparat... Read More
AQUA CORNER: Aquatic Therapy for Women - C. G. PRASANTH
Women… the word has such strong entity to be a symbol of patience, tolerance to pain, friend, sister, mother, wife, pleasure & peace that it blends naturally with water. Hence most of the rivers in India are named after women. Women have a different physiology & body composition altogether that keeps changing with age & purpose. Their mental & physical challenges only grow with their age with which they have to constantly fight, adapt & sometimes accept.
W... Read More
BOOK REVIEW: Neurorehabilitation- a multidisciplinary approach - DR.V.C.JACOB, DR.HEMA BIJU, DR.ALOK SHARMA
Human Brain is a fascinating organ and most of us have spent some time wondering how it works. Brain scientists spend their entire lives pondering over it, looking for a way to unravel its mystic nature. The brain after all, is so complex an organ and can be approached from so many different directions using numerous techniques that studying it is a little like entering a dense forest. It’s easy to find a way in, but also very easy to get lost. As Physiotherapists, it becomes all the mo... Read More