As a woman, your body will undergo a unique journey throughout the course of your life. From menstruation to menopause and beyond, we treat a wide range of women’s health conditions at every life stage, with an integrated approach that delivers the best health outcomes for you. The pelvis often holds the key to an improved quality of life. By focusing on pelvic health, a Women’s Health Physiotherapist help women live with more freedom, comfort, and confidence, by overcoming pelvic conditions that they may be embarrassed to talk about.
Conditions We Treat:
- Pelvic girdle pain including sacroiliac joint, hip, and pubic symphysis pain
- Pelvic floor weakness and tightness
- Urinary and faecal incontinence
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Coccydynia (coccyx pain)
- Sexual dysfunction
- Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse)
- Vaginal pain (vulvodynia)
- Vaginismus (inability to penetrate during intercourse)
- Urinary frequency and urgency –“overactive bladder”
- Bowel and constipation issues
- Pudendal nerve injury
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Rectus abdominus diastasis – tummy muscle separation post-natally
- Perineal/episiotomy and caesarean section scarring
- Post-operative gynaecological rehabilitation
Treatments We Offer:
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises or how to relax the pelvic floor using your best cues
- Biofeedback and electrical muscle stimulation for pelvic floor muscle retraining
- Internal pelvic floor muscle release
- Perineal and internal scar massage
- C-Section scar massage
- Post-natal physio check at 6 weeks to check the alignment of your body (especially the pelvis, lower back & ribs); rectus diastasis check and corrective exercises if necessary; pelvic floor check; and posture advice for breastfeeding and picking up your baby
- Post-natal rehabilitation and returning to exercise advice
In addition to pelvic health, we offer a comprehensive range of general physiotherapy and acupuncture to provide a truly integrated approach to optimising women’s health.
What Can I Expect From My Women’s Health Appointment?
Your assessment and treatment will be tailored specifically to you and your presenting complaints. A comprehensive subjective and objective evaluation is conducted to identify all the factors that are contributing to your symptoms.
A detailed subjective assessment history will be taken in complete privacy. This would include reviewing your past medical history and asking appropriate questions relating to pain, bladder and bowel, and sexual function. We are very sensitive to the fact that these conditions may be difficult to discuss, but it will be a safe place for you to talk about anything that concerns you. If you are uncomfortable to discuss some issues initially that is fine too, but having a complete picture would make the therapist understand your condition better and improve your condition in the shortest time possible.
The objective assessment will look at global contributors such as breathing patterns, posture and alignment of the pelvis, lower back, hip and thorax (ribs), movement patterns, overall strength and conditioning, and the pelvic floor muscle function.
Your physical assessment will begin with an examination of your abdominal muscles, pelvis, and lumbar spine – these structures house all your pelvic floor muscles; a dysfunction in one of these areas can result in dysfunction elsewhere. Your rib cage and diaphragm will also be assessed. If appropriate, you may then be offered an internal examination. This is an important part of your assessment and necessary in identifying the tone, strength and control of your pelvic floor muscles.
Pelvic Floor Internal Examination
Using finger palpation, the pelvic floor muscles and connective tissue will be assessed for injury or scarring, signs of pelvic organ prolapse, muscle tone, tenderness, sensation and neural sensitivity. The pelvic floor muscle will be tested for strength and endurance. Muscle strength is graded. It is important to determine if the left and right superficial and deep pelvic floor muscles are working together, and if not, why not.
We can then develop a specific and individualised treatment and exercise programme. The assessment findings will be discussed with you, and treatment will depend upon the findings and your symptoms. A treatment plan will then be formulated with personalized short and long-term goals.
Women’s health physiotherapists require advanced training to have the appropriate skills to assess your pelvic floor through internal palpation. This assessment is gentle and non-threatening. Your physiotherapist will be able to identify any problems with your pelvic floor and create a treatment plan if necessary.
It may seem strange or uncomfortable to assess the pelvic floor by completing an internal exam of the vagina or rectum, however internal examination of the pelvic floor is the international gold standard by which assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor is carried out for optimal outcomes.
Physiotherapists carrying out internal pelvic floor examinations are highly trained, sensitive professionals who will maintain your comfort and dignity at all times. They will thoroughly explain what the assessment and treatment will involve (including proper draping), give you alternative options, and obtain your consent before proceeding. You may withdraw your consent at any time. When the pelvic floor muscles are assessed this way, the research has shown that the interventions carried out by a physiotherapist for pelvic floor problems are highly successful and should be the first line of treatment for incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain.
