What happens when chiropractors look beyond the spine and begin paying closer attention to the pelvis, pelvic floor, fascia and nervous system?
In this episode of The Informed Chiropractor Podcast, Dr. Don MacDonald sits down with Dr. Lauren Rose, a chiropractor from Okotoks, Alberta, to talk about her journey into chiropractic and how learning a nervous-system-focused approach to the pelvis and pelvic floor has changed the way she works with her practice members.
Dr. Lauren shares how her interest in chiropractic began after discovering the philosophy of chiropractic while studying kinesiology, eventually leading her to the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. After returning to Canada and beginning practice in 2020, she developed her clinical experience while working as an associate and learning from experienced chiropractors.
The conversation then turns toward one of the areas that has become increasingly important in her practice: pelvic floor chiropractic care.
After attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in Calgary, Dr. Lauren began applying the approach with patients experiencing a variety of pelvic, hip, fascial and tailbone-related challenges. She explains why she was initially hesitant to add another technique to her practice and what surprised her about the way the pelvic floor approach could fit within a chiropractic framework.
Dr. Lauren and Dr. Don also discuss the relationship between the pelvic floor, fascia, movement and the nervous system, and why the goal is not simply to add more techniques, but to understand how the body responds to the input being provided.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Lauren shares several clinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort, pelvic floor challenges, sciatica, hip function and changes in movement following pelvic floor work. These stories highlight how much there is still to learn when chiropractors become curious about the relationships between different regions of the body.
The episode also returns repeatedly to an important theme of Polyvagal Theory and nervous-system regulation: the state of the practitioner matters too. Dr. Don and Dr. Lauren discuss the importance of co-regulation and why chiropractors should pay attention to their own state before entering the adjusting room.
In this episode:
Dr. Lauren Rose's journey from kinesiology into chiropracticHow the New Zealand College of Chiropractic influenced her approach to practiceWhy mentorship and the right practice environment can shape a chiropractor's careerHow Dr. Lauren became interested in pelvic floor chiropractic careWhy tailbone and pelvic floor challenges encouraged her to expand her clinical approachHow pelvic floor work can be integrated through a chiropractic lensThe relationship between the pelvis, fascia, movement and nervous-system regulationWhy some patients may respond differently depending on the condition of their tissues and their ability to adaptClinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort and pelvic floor-related challengesHow Dr. Lauren describes using pelvic floor work with male patients experiencing tailbone challengesWhat Dr. Lauren learned from attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in CalgaryWhy listening to the patient's body can be more valuable than simply explaining symptomsThe importance of co-regulation in chiropractic practiceWhy a chiropractor's own nervous-system state can influence the clinical environmentHow Dr. Lauren approaches self-care, exercise and maintaining a positive state before practiceWhy continuing education can change the way chiropractors see their patientsKey Takeaway
One of the biggest themes from this conversation is that chiropractic care continues to evolve as practitioners become more curious about how the spine, pelvis, fascia, and nervous system interact.
For Dr. Lauren, learning more about the pelvic floor did not mean abandoning the chiropractic approach she already valued. Instead, it gave her another way to understand the people sitting in front of her and another way to work with patients experiencing challenges she previously found difficult to address.
The conversation is also a reminder that clinical growth does not always come from adding more complexity. Sometimes it comes from learning to listen more carefully, observe more closely and understand the body from a different perspective.
Listen to the full episode to hear Dr. Lauren Rose's experience applying pelvic floor chiropractic concepts in practice and her perspective on nervous-system regulation, clinical curiosity and the ongoing evolution of chiropractic care.
📖 Related Article
https://drdonmacdonald.com/pelvic-floor-chiropractic-pelvis-fascia-nervous-system/
Learn More
Interested in learning more about the nervous-system-focused approach discussed in this episode?
Explore the free Intro to the Polyvagal Lens for Chiropractors from The Informed Chiropractor.
https://www.theinformedchiropractor.com/introduction-to-chiropractic-through-a-polyvagal-lens
Join The Informed Chiropractor mentorship waitlist:
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