What does Women’s Health Physiotherapy involve?

A physiotherapist which is qualified to examine, treat and prescribe exercises for the pelvic floor and pregnancy related symptoms, pre and post-natal. Our pelvic floor muscles support our bladder, bowel and uterus. These muscles are so important as they help prevent bladder or bowel incontinence, prolapse and sexual function purposes.

These muscles can be weakened by straining, pregnancy, child birth and obesity.

Do I need to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist?

What signs and symptoms to look out for:

• Leakage during coughing / sneezing
• Straining when opening bladder or bowel
• Bulging sensation
• Heaviness sensation
• Urgency to the toilet
• Reduced sensation around bladder, bowel, vagina.
• Muscle tightness around vagina eg: unable to insert tampon
• Muscle looseness around vagina eg: tampon falling out
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Pregnancy
• Post-natal

Common conditions to treat:

• Vaginismus
• Stress incontinence
• Urgency urinary incontinence
• Dyspareunia
• Uterine prolapse
• Vaginal prolapse
• Rectocele
• Voiding dysfunctions and constipation
• Overactive bladder dry/wet
• Pregnancy related symptoms

What to expect if you see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist?

On the initial visit, you will be taken into a private consult room. There will be some paperwork to fill out which will tell us specific, in-depth information regarding your symptoms and problems. You will be asked some sensitive questions regarding your bladder, bowel, and sex life.

An assessment will be taken place to allow for a better understanding of what you are presenting as and how we can help you. This may include using ultra-sound to assess the tone of the pelvic floor, reflexes of the pelvic floor and assess the bladder volume. In addition to ultrasound assessment, a examination of the pelvic floor muscles may be completed. The procedures will be explained in depth prior to the assessments and there will be a lock on the assessment room door. If at any moment you decide you want to stop the assessments, this is OK and the assessments will be stopped immediately.

Following your assessment, an individual specific treatment plan will be discussed for you to help with your concerns.

We look forward to seeing you in the clinic, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.