Pelvic Floor Chiropractic, Tailbone dysfunction and Nervous-System Regulation with Dr. Lauren Rose

What happens when chiropractors look beyond the spine and begin paying closer attention to the pelvis, pelvic floor, fascia and nervous system?

In this episode of The Informed Chiropractor Podcast, Dr. Don MacDonald sits down with Dr. Lauren Rose, a chiropractor from Okotoks, Alberta, to talk about her journey into chiropractic and how learning a nervous-system-focused approach to the pelvis and pelvic floor has changed the way she works with her practice members.

Dr. Lauren shares how her interest in chiropractic began after discovering the philosophy of chiropractic while studying kinesiology, eventually leading her to the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. After returning to Canada and beginning practice in 2020, she developed her clinical experience while working as an associate and learning from experienced chiropractors.

The conversation then turns toward one of the areas that has become increasingly important in her practice: pelvic floor chiropractic care.

After attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in Calgary, Dr. Lauren began applying the approach with patients experiencing a variety of pelvic, hip, fascial and tailbone-related challenges. She explains why she was initially hesitant to add another technique to her practice and what surprised her about the way the pelvic floor approach could fit within a chiropractic framework.

Dr. Lauren and Dr. Don also discuss the relationship between the pelvic floor, fascia, movement and the nervous system, and why the goal is not simply to add more techniques, but to understand how the body responds to the input being provided.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Lauren shares several clinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort, pelvic floor challenges, sciatica, hip function and changes in movement following pelvic floor work. These stories highlight how much there is still to learn when chiropractors become curious about the relationships between different regions of the body.

The episode also returns repeatedly to an important theme of Polyvagal Theory and nervous-system regulation: the state of the practitioner matters too. Dr. Don and Dr. Lauren discuss the importance of co-regulation and why chiropractors should pay attention to their own state before entering the adjusting room.

In this episode:

• Dr. Lauren Rose's journey from kinesiology into chiropractic
• How the New Zealand College of Chiropractic influenced her approach to practice
• Why mentorship and the right practice environment can shape a chiropractor's career
• How Dr. Lauren became interested in pelvic floor chiropractic care
• Why tailbone and pelvic floor challenges encouraged her to expand her clinical approach
• How pelvic floor work can be integrated through a chiropractic lens
• The relationship between the pelvis, fascia, movement and nervous-system regulation
• Why some patients may respond differently depending on the condition of their tissues and their ability to adapt
• Clinical experiences involving tailbone discomfort and pelvic floor-related challenges
• How Dr. Lauren describes using pelvic floor work with male patients experiencing tailbone challenges
• What Dr. Lauren learned from attending Dr. Don's pelvic floor seminar in Calgary
• Why listening to the patient's body can be more valuable than simply explaining symptoms
• The importance of co-regulation in chiropractic practice
• Why a chiropractor's own nervous-system state can influence the clinical environment
• How Dr. Lauren approaches self-care, exercise and maintaining a positive state before practice
• Why continuing education can change the way chiropractors see their patients

Key Takeaway

One of the biggest themes from this conversation is that chiropractic care continues to evolve as practitioners become more curious about how the spine, pelvis, fascia, and nervous system interact.

For Dr. Lauren, learning more about the pelvic