Why is this subject, “The Musculoskeletal Mystery,” important in the world?
The pelvic musculoskeletal system is our hammock that supports the functions of the intestines, bladder, and reproductive organs, including sex, bowel movements, urination, pregnancy, and delivery. Pelvic floor muscles work in synergy with your abdominal and back muscles to stabilize your pelvic organs. Without a strong pelvic musculoskeletal system, the area will become destabilized and can lead to a myriad of issues, including urinary issues, bowel issues, reproductive issues, back pain, etc.
What is the pressing issue right and how are you addressing it?
Pelvic health education is the most pressing issue right now. Most people don’t even realize the importance of their pelvic floor in their overall health plan, let alone what their pelvic floor even is. I and other PTs around the country are working tirelessly to educate the general public and even clinicians in other specialties via educational courses and social media platforms on the importance of addressing the pelvic floor to prevent and treat a variety of conditions. For instance, there is a large movement directed at making pelvic floor physical therapy a required insurance benefit and part of the overall care plan for pregnant women. Beyond the borders of the U.S. pelvic health education is even more lacking. Our pelvic and sexual health course in Turkey was our first foray outside the U.S. to expand our pelvic health education.
Ingrid Harm-Ernandes Biography
What is your background in this subject?
I have been working with pelvic health professionals and doing clinical research in pelvic health, with a specialty in women’s health, for almost 30 years now.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I am one of those people that experienced painful conditions for many years before getting the right help. I suffered from endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and polycystic ovary syndrome for many years after birthing my two children, without any options presented to me other than surgery or hormonal therapies. I had two surgical excisions, but my issues would always come roaring back with a vengeance. I had been working with pelvic PT’s for years in relation to interstitial cystitis and bladder health. I never thought of it for my female conditions until research began to come out showing the benefits of pelvic PT for my female conditions. Then the light bulb went off and I realized the women of the world needed to know they had options.
What are your passions outside of your career?
Lucky for me my career and personal passion, travel, intersect. I love to travel the world, experience new cultures, and push myself out of my comfort zone. Travel to me is the embracement of life and the ultimate aphrodisiac for personal growth.
Are there any social causes that you believe in and support?
I am a firm believer in the ideals of equality for all. Unfortunately, our healthcare system for women and LGBTQ+ is about 100+ years behind in research and treatments. I want to bridge that gap, so I’m doing several projects in my “spare time”, including innovating a new women’s health research technology using AI and donating my time/money to organizations such as Partners for World Health, an organization working to address global health issues, and Trans Asylias, an organization that supports relocation of transgender asylum seekers to safer locations.
What is next for you?
Next stop, is Peru in August 2023(hopefully). We have plans, that are tentatively up in the air due to the political climate, to hold a course in a clinic outside Cuzco, Peru for indigenous women that we will bring down from the mountains surrounding Cuzco. We will teach this course multiple times over a week to capture as many women as possible. We have been told that we will need to start with the basics of women’s healthcare and work our way up, as their knowledge of their own bodies is little to nothing, which is probably why Peru has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. We hope that education will be the key to their empowerment over their own bodies.
The Musculoskeletal Mystery
Tell me about your book
The Musculoskeletal Mystery is a complete and comprehensive guide on pelvic floor health and resolving pelvic floor pain without surgery. Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, a recently retired pelvic PT from Duke University, and I partnered together because we realized there was this educational gap missing for patients and clinicians. We wanted to create a comprehensive book together that could be a pelvic health guide. Both Ingrid and I were sick of hearing stories of patients waiting 30 years or more to get relief from their condition; a mystery that could have been solved many years before with the right pelvic health options.
The Hidden Entertainment Gems of New York(Opens in a new browser tab)
Where can people buy the book?
The Musculoskeletal Mystery: How To Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms is available on the Desert Harvest website at The Musculoskeletal Mystery: How To Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms or also available on Amazon.
