SPECIALIST PHYSIOTHERAPIST LULU BECKER IS A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE OF HOLISTIC PELVIC HEALTH AND CREATES A POSITIVE, NURTURING AND PERSONAL ENVIRONMENT IN HER LA LUCIA CLINIC, WRITES CANDICE BOTHA
It’s obvious from the moment you start talking to Lulu Becker – pictured left – that she’s passionate about her work as a specialist women’s and pelvic health physiotherapist. She speaks eloquently and excitedly about topics that many find taboo – incontinence, pelvic pain, bedwetting and sexual health – and makes you feel confident and comfortable to share with her about these patently uncomfortable subjects.
“I aim to provide a relaxed and safe environment to discuss any pelvic floor, bladder, bowel or pelvic pain issues and to treat and guide my clients to be as pro- active and educated about these areas as possible. My physiotherapy approach is quite holistic, and I draw quite extensively on my yoga knowledge as an adjunct to my physio treatments,” she says.
Incontinence is very common – one in three women will experience it in their lives – but it’s also treatable, and Lulu works to ensure that her patients know how to connect to their muscles and strengthen their pelvic floor, make lifestyle changes, and access both physical and emotional support to treat issues conservatively way before surgery is necessary. When I was studying at WITS, I didn’t think women’s health would be where I would end up,” she recalls. An interest in paediatric physio led her to her specialisation when she landed a post at London’s posh Portland Hospital for Women and Children, where working with kids involved dedicating some of her time to working with women as well. “I soon realised that this work was so important for the well-being of women and now feel strongly about the impact that a holistic approach can have.”
After running a busy practice in London for over a decade, Lulu relocated to Durban with her husband, Peter, and two daughters, Poppy, four, and Isla, two, last year. She now treats patients from her La Lucia clinic, runs yoga classes and workshops, and conducts Skype consultations with patients all over the world.
Talking about anything to do with the nether regions tends to be awkward for many people but Lulu’s warm, optimistic approach makes patients feel safe enough to share their issues. “It’s intimate on every level and I find a balance by teaching pregnancy and yin yoga, and writing articles to reduce the taboos around the pelvis and women’s health,” Lulu says.
She reads widely and shares nuggets of wisdom gleaned from titles such as Me And My Menopausal Vagina by Jane Lewis, and The Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden, with her followers on Instagram which leave you in no doubt that she works regularly to expand her understanding and apply new learning to her practise.
Keeping up-to-date with new advances is also a focus, and Lulu regularly attends courses to enhance her qualifications. One of these was with American Dawn Sandalcidi, a leading authority in treating children with incontinence. “Constipation is the cause of bedwetting and small changes can have such a big impact for kids struggling with both urinary and faecal incontinence,” Lulu explains.
Another area of expertise is in working with breast cancer patients. Lulu is a qualified Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage therapist and works with patients who have had mastectomies and reconstructive surgery to mobilise scar tissue, fit compression garments and ensure early lymph drainage happens to lay down new pathways – all steps that can reduce their discomfort considerably. Lulu also treats men who are struggling with incontinence, usually following prostate surgery. “My heart aches for these men who often struggle even more than women do with the emotional and social impact of reduced bladder and bowel control,” she says.
“My dream is to help to create a society where women are educated about the part of their anatomy that truly makes them a woman,” Lulu says. “Understanding the impact that pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, illness and ageing can have on your pelvic floor health, treating issues timeously and making time for self-care can be so empowering.” *
FOR MORE INFO
www.luluphysio.com; follow Lulu on Instagram @luluphysio