The Body Fusion Therapy: Recent Episodes
Heather Demirci
Have you ever wondered why your injuries aren't getting better? Do you feel like there is something deeper going on with your body? In this podcast, we will explore the beauty that is the human body and how all its systems are integrated together and where that connectivity can go awry. This is more than just a Physical Therapy podcast, it is a deeper look into the interplay of the body and how to achieve optimal efficiency.
You may be wondering how working on the bladder and prostate can help a male's mobility and strength but in this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci talks about the amazing effects it can have on your low back pain and core function. The mobilization of this area is more profound for men than women due to some anatomical differences which also means that when it's not working well, it can cause quite a few issues. Learn how to treat the area, all externally, to improve mobility and clear up restrictions.
If you've listened to the podcast in the past, you've heard Dr. Heather Demirci mention the liver on multiple occasions. On this episode, she dives into more specifics about the liver and the interesting effects a gallbladder restriction can have on the musculoskeletal system. Heather also discusses how you can start to treat these areas yourself to improve function and mobility.
If the stomach and esophagus are adhered, there can be more than just stomach problems. Did you know stomach adhesions can cause limited left shoulder and neck mobility, as well as SI joint pain? Intrigued? Dr. Heather Demirci talks more about what issues you can see if you have restrictions around your stomach and esophagus and how you can start to treat it yourself.
Moving around organs might seem like a strange concept and one that doesn't apply to you but you'd be surprised how effecting change of the soft tissue around the organs can improve the aches and pains you're struggling with. Dr. Heather Demirci will be starting a series of episodes on mobilization of specific organs but she wants to first discuss why you would treat them in the first place. In this episode, she discusses what visceral mobilization is, why you would have it done and who could do it.
You may not realize there is more than one type of Physical Therapy practice and choosing which one is right can seem daunting. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci breaks down what questions you need to ask yourself, what to ask potential PT sites and what type of PT practices are out there. There are pros and cons to all fo them and finding the right one for your needs will make for a better outcome and recovery.
The demands of sports lead to different demands on the body that can be seen in how the athletes stand and move. These adaptations to achieve greatness in the sport can also lead to injuries. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses some of the hallmark postures of the different Summer Olympic sports and how they can lead to or be indicative of injuries.
After finishing a series of posture episodes, Dr. Heather Demirci thought it was important to address how infant developmental milestones and posture can be engrained properly. Why not learn it properly the first time rather than having to untrain the brain how to move? Heather talks about the importance of different postures, when they should occur and how to encourage proper motor planning.
In this bonus episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses the importance of finding a mentor rather than a coach. After the passing of Dr. Mary Hickey, a beloved teacher at Northeastern University, Heather reflected on the impact a mentor can have. There is one big difference between a coach and mentor and hopefully, you're lucky enough one day to experience it for yourself!
Efficient standing posture is more difficult to find than you would think. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses why changing your standing posture can be so hard, what efficient standing posture means and finally how to achieve it. Standing should be relaxed and be automatically connected to your core. It may take some time to make it a habit, but it's worth it when you hear where to focus your attention.
Countless people complain of pain with sitting but don’t know how to make it better. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci focuses on key areas to pay attention for more efficient sitting posture, how to pick out the perfect chair and how to make modifications if that perfect chair can’t be found. Ergonomics don’t have to be so complicated and learn in this episode how to be a better sitter.
We've all heard we need 8 hours of sleep a night but we don't put the work in to achieve that 33% of our life to be of quality. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses sleep hygiene, how to pick the best mattress and pillow, and finally how to position yourself in the different sleeping postures. Sleep is a crucial part of healing and recovery from injuries and ensuring better overall health. Getting a good night's sleep doesn't have to be a mystery after you hear these tips and tricks.
The number of different workout shoes out there seems endless! How do you know which one is the best? Is there a difference between shoes? Why does the same style feel different from the last pair? Dr. Heather Demirci discusses how to pick up the best shoes and the importance of testing each individual shoe to find the perfect pair. This episode will start to take some of the guesswork out of picking out new workout shoes.
Running is a great physical activity, accessible to almost everyone and anywhere, but there is more to the sport than meets the eye. Dr. Demirci discusses the coordinating motion of running and the importance of the shoulder blades and pelvic motion. She discusses what common injuries are associated with specific dysfunctions of this coordinated motion as well as the proper posture of efficient running and specific exercises for runners.
Many people are lead to believe they have flat feet but they actually have high arches and their ankle compensates by collapsing inwards. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses how to assess for this compensation, how this compensation can affect the body, treatments for it, and when to use orthotics. Learn more about how foot alignment and the importance of efficiency.
Today’s episode is a little different, Dr. Heather Demirci selected 4 questions asked on instagram for a listener Q&A:
- Tight hip flexors and where the problem could be
- How PT can help with Parkinson’s Disease and some tips for people at home
- Her tips and tricks for people pre and post surgery
- Why you would treat the tongue and how to mobilize it
Dr. Heather Demirci is talking about poop today, or the lack thereof. Gut health is a critical part of overall health as more is coming to light with the gut-brain connection. Dr. Heather discusses what is an efficient transit time of food in to food out, what efficient poop looks like, where it all goes wrong after infancy, why it's important and how to get more efficient bowel movements. Dr. Heather also discusses some interesting cases she has recently treated in a demographic she didn't expect.
The patient interview is a crucial part of finding the root cause of their pain, Patients are half this is equation. Patients need to know their history and specifics. Practitioners need to know how to ask the right questions and get the pertinent information out of their patients. Also, practitioners need to learn how to keep the rapport with their patients. If you want to get the most out of your sessions, patient or practitioner, you need to learn the power of the subjective intake.
Scar Tissue and adhesions can wreak havoc on the body by intertwining through the organs, tissues, and joints. These extra connections are troublesome when they inhibit motion and proper function. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses what is the difference between scar tissue and adhesions, how they are formed, why they can cause problems, and how to get rid of them. Don't just think because you have a little scar on the outside that the inside is the same. The web of scar tissue can have a big impact on how efficiently your body is.
In a time when going to see a specialist is the best course of action a person thinks they can take, Dr. Heather Demirci questions that theory. Specialization can laser focus a practitioner so much that they can lose sight of the patient and the whole picture. In this episode, Heather discusses why it's important to look at the whole body, the power of critical thinking and why the medical diagnosis is only a small part of the journey to regaining your health.
1 in 5 Americans suffers from chronic pain according from a 2016 report from the CDC. Chronic pain has a large effect on the mental and physical health and capabilities of the sufferer and can lead to addiction to opioids. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses the different categories of treatment chronic pain sufferers can fall into, how stress has a physical effect on your pain and finally key areas to treat. Chronic pain so often becomes the identity of the person suffering from it, but there is hope if you understand more about the treatment approach to use.
If you want to truly fix the problem, you need to find the root cause! In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses the idea of hypomobilities in the body causing areas of hypermobilty which become the painful area. These hypomobilities can be caused by the joints but also the nerves and the viscera. Heather gives multiple examples of each of these areas in the hope that maybe one of them helps to answer why the root cause of your pain has not been discovered.
You've had the baby, now what? The aches and pains you might have felt during your pregnancy may not have subsided or possibly some new ones have popped up. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci will talk about why you might feel loose, low back pain, SI joint pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, posture and the key structures to treat to resolve the dysfunctions.
Dr. Heather Demirci breaks down the trimesters of pregnancy to explore what the focus of Physical Therapy can be in each trimester and what the female could be experiencing. She explains the different treatment focuses of each trimester and how you can help yourself to alleviate the pain, including what you should get treated prior to getting pregnant to help avoid developing a diastasis recti.
This episode is for anyone that has had or knows someone who has had Covid-19. In this episode, Dr. Heather Demirci discusses treating patients post-Covid and not just those experiencing Long Hauler Symptoms (PASC) but people that are having pains and dysfunctions elsewhere in the body where their usually treatments are no longer solving their pain. Dr. Heather discusses the latest research on heart involvement and how that can explain many of the symptoms patients are feeling in all areas of the body. Even if you were asymptomatic, you may be experiencing the after effects of the disease process and Dr. Heather will discuss her findings through her own patient examples.
Please share this episode with everyone that you know who has been through COVID-19 and suffering from long term effects of the disease.
Ever feel like no matter how much you stretch, you never seem to get more flexible? This episode discusses the different reasons for inflexibility, how to test yourself and finally how to effectively improve mobility after the cause has been determined. Stop wasting hours trying to touch your toes and start stretching more effectively!
Do you suffer from headaches and have a hard time getting them to go away? There are over 300 different types of headaches and in this episode Dr. Heather Demirci discusses some of the main types of headaches, different referral patterns and how to treat your headaches.
If you struggle with belly bloat, and have tried the supplement and weight loss route to no avail, the cause might be a structural/mechanical problem within your digestive tract and lymphatic system. In this episode, Heather discusses the types of bloating, what organ they are associated with, how to treat the restrictions and finally the benefits of beating the belly bloat.
A single round of IVF can cost up to $20k in the US and Physical Therapy is rarely a part of the standard of care. In this episode, we go over the assessment and treatment for both male and female infertility in the hopes more people struggling with starting a family will look at other avenues rather than only traditional medicine.
The elusive strong core is easier to find, if you know what you’re looking for! In this episode, Heather discusses what makes up your true core muscles, why they may not be working for you and how to get them back on line.
Have you ever struggled with an injury that just couldn’t get better? Do you feel better for a few days or even just hours after treatment but the pain or dysfunction come back? It could be due to a more important organ system being impacted and your muscles and joints must go out of alignment to take the pressure off. In this episode, I will describe this concept and give some examples when the problem isn’t just musculoskeletal related. For those sufferers of chronic pain, this could be the game changer for you to discovery why you can’t seem to get better.
Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having
Welcome to The Body Fusion Therapy podcast where we will explore the how and why of the body to arm you with an in-depth knowledge you can then take and apply to your own health journey!
Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having