Introducing Women's Health Services at Myofascial Release Mississauga

At Myofascial Release Mississauga, we are proud to offer a range of services that are dedicated and centralized solely to women’s health. Our women’s health team consists of Shannon Stoby & Yasmin Costigan, Physiotherapists, Monica Bhardwaj, a Life Coach & Yoga instructor, and Meg Rector, an Acupuncturist who also specializes in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Whether you are looking for pelvic floor physiotherapy, prenatal physio-yoga, or acupuncture for fertility and hormone balance, our Mississauga clinic has got you covered. 

Shannon Stoby & Yasmin Costigan are our women’s health Physiotherapists. Shannon Stoby is a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist and her services are dedicated to treating pain and dysfunction related to women’s health, including urinary incontinence, prolapse, painful intercourse, diastasis recti, c-section recovery and scar massage. She is also an Expert level Myofascial Release Therapist and can also help you heal from with other injuries that you may have experienced. What constitutes pelvic floor physiotherapy? A pelvic floor assessment includes a gentle internal exam and prescriptive exercises and hands-on strategies to treat dysfunction. Virtual sessions are also available with Yasmin Costigan for overall therapeutic treatment of all disorders affecting the pelvis and pelvic floor. 

Monica Bhardwaj, our life coach and yoga instructor, offers online physio-yoga classes. These classes are supervised by our women’s health Physiotherapist, Yasmin, and are covered under physiotherapy benefits. Prenatal physio-yoga is a great way to maintain strength and prepare the body for birth. Our prenatal physio-yoga classes combine yoga and mindfulness techniques to aid women in developing their awareness of their mind-body connection. By doing this, women will feel less stressed and more confident — preparing them for not only pregnancy and delivery but also the transition to motherhood and navigating life after birth.

Research has shown that prenatal yoga has many benefits for pregnant women and their babies. Prenatal yoga can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, increase the strength flexibility, and endurance of muscles needed to give birth, decrease lower back pain, nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath and it can even improve your sleep. In addition to these benefits, prenatal yoga can also introduce you to other pregnant women to allow you to form bonds with them and prepare for the stress that comes along with being a new parent. 

A typical prenatal physio-yoga class will usually consist of breathing exercises, gentle stretching, postures, a cool down, and of course, relaxation. There are many different types of yoga but prenatal, Hatha, and restorative yoga are the types that are recommended for pregnant women as they are less strenuous than other types of yoga. 

To note, although prenatal yoga is less strenuous than other types of yoga and has been proven to be safe, we still recommend talking to a health-care provider before starting one of our prenatal physio-yoga classes. If you do choose to partake in our classes, make sure you don’t overdo it — always pay attention to your body and how you are feeling. You should only stretch as far as you would have before pregnancy.

While participating in prenatal physio-yoga classes, if you notice that you are experiencing vaginal bleeding, decreased fetal movement, or contractions, you should stop and contact a health-care provider. 

Meg Rector, our Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, and Acupuncturist specializes in treatments for infertility and hormone imbalances. Acupuncture has been a popular treatment for infertility for quite some time and now, women are looking to Chinese medicine for overall hormonal help. Women may also seek acupuncture as a treatment if they are looking for natural ways to handle perimenopause and menopause, if they are challenged by the effects of synthetic birth control or if they simply feel as if their hormones are a bit off.

Many people know that acupuncture can work as a fertility treatment, but the power of acupuncture does not stop there. Acupuncturists can help women with a variety of issues such as PCOS, amenorrhea, painful periods, and endometriosis. They can also help address hormonal imbalances that lead to acne, migraines, or a low sex drive. According to Jill Blakeway, a licensed and board-certified Acupuncturist and clinical herbalist in New York City, most hormonal imbalances can be solved in two or three months, but more serious issues can take longer and may require a combined approach of Western and Eastern medicine. 

At Myofascial Release Mississauga, our acupuncture treatments are completely personalized and specific to your needs. Blakeway states that this personalization is important because no two hormonal imbalances look the same and should therefore not be treated the same, either. Our Acupuncturist, Meg, will take the time to learn what your unique hormonal challenges are and provide you with a treatment plan that is completely customized and tailored to fit your needs.

To learn more about our women’s health services, please visit our Women’s Health page.