STRONG FOUNDATIONS: HOW WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION CAN SAFEGUARD THEIR PELVIC FLOOR

Meet Lori Forner, a passionate pelvic floor physiotherapist championing a healthier and more informed workforce.

ALICE WILLIAMS

The construction industry, like any other physically demanding field, often relies on a lot of grit and at least a little heavy lifting.

While OHS have reams of information on how manual work can affect your lower back, there’s a crucial aspect of women’s health that has been overlooked for too long in such work environments: the impact of lifting on pelvic floor health.

The remarkably complex pelvic floor and its disorders are one of the most interesting - and challengingareas of physical therapy. These important muscles and ligaments span the bottom of the pelvis and support the pelvic organs: bladder and bowel, and uterus in women.

Florence spoke with Lori Forner, a dedicated pelvic floor physiotherapist and host of The

Pelvic Health Podcast, about why women in the construction industry should take extra care when it comes to their pelvic floor.

Currently pursuing her Ph.D. with the University of Queensland, Lori’s research project “Pop Lift” is looking at the correlation between heavy lifting and pelvic floor disorders - especially in women who have experienced at least one vaginal delivery, a well known risk-factor for pelvic organ prolapse.

Her study wants to determine whether women who engage in regular heavy lifting demonstrate greater pelvic organ descent compared to physically active women who avoid heavy lifting. Heavy lifting as a risk-factor in the development and progression of pelvic floor disorders has long been acknowledged but scarcely researched. However, Lori is determined to dig deeper into this issue.

“A lot of our knowledge about heavy lifting is based on research that was done in occupational lifting in nurses a very long time ago, and was very subjective. They just kind of did a survey and decided, ‘oh, okay, all of these women who seem to have prolapse are also nurses doing the heavy manual lifting’, which they don’t really do anymore. But then no one’s ever really looked into it further.”

“Heavy lifting has always been deemed to be a risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse, which is a pelvic floor issue where the bladder or the uterus can drop down. It’s often because the person is placing so much more pressure on their pelvic floor than their body can handle.”

“And if people don’t do anything about it - they ignore it and they keep pushing through - that just makes things worse,” explains Lori.

Lori wants to empower women with the understanding of how things like heavy lifting and giving birth can impact their pelvic floor health. As pelvic organ prolapse can cause significant discomfort and complications if left unaddressed, Lori is passionate about encouraging early detection and intervention.

She emphasises the complex nature of postpartum recovery.

“Genetics also play a really big role in how well your body will come back from giving birth. But so does your fitness beforehand, or how fast you go back into those activities.”

She underscores the significance of proactive measures in ensuring pelvic floor health, particularly for women rejoining physically demanding professions after giving birth.

“If you have discomfort going to the bathroom, or using a tampon, or if having sex is uncomfortable or painful or if you’re leaking urine or if you feel like there’s a bulge sensation, you should see a pelvic floor physio immediately.”

Lori is determined to change the hush-hush attitude Aussie women generally have around reproductive health and advocates for open conversations about intimate health matters. With her podcast full of interesting guests and light but informative conversation, Lori hopes to create an environment where women feel comfortable booking in a pelvic health screening to see if they are at risk of pelvic floor problems.

By normalising conversations about pelvic health and following practical steps to protect workers, the construction industry, and society as a whole, stands to benefit from a healthier and happier workforce.