Women's Health

How can Physiotherapy help.

Our women’s health physiotherapist can treat and advise you on many conditions and symptoms relating to your body, movement, pregnancy, sex, and even general health. No complaint is ever too minor or irrelevant.

Women's health encompasses  pregnancy preparation, prenatal care and comprehensive postnatal rehabilitation. It also addresses pelvic floor dysfunction and strengthening, prolapse management and support, urinary incontinence treatment, bowel issues, sexual dysfunction and pain, complex birth recovery and persistent pelvic pain conditions. 

Our physiotherapist Kate Nelson will discuss with you if she thinks an internal examination would be appropriate for you and will thoroughly explain the examination before proceeding with your consent.  This exam may be indicated to help gain as much information as possible regarding your pelvic floor function, in order to create the best treatment plan for you.

Prenatal Physiotherapy 

During pregnancy, it is important to be well prepared for the changes ahead and it is now encouraged for women to see a physiotherapist during their pregnancy. 

A prenatal physiotherapy assessment helps evaluate a pregnant woman's musculoskeletal and pelvic health concerns, including pelvic floor function, abdominal separation, and any pain experienced. 

Pelvic girdle pain is one of the commonly experienced pregnancy-related musculoskeletal conditions. Significant changes to posture, increased pelvic pressure and hormonal changes can all contribute. Physiotherapy can help reduce the pain in not only the main joints that are strained, but associated neck and other issues like carpal tunnel.

Maintaining fitness and doing pregnancy friendly exercise is also important as we develop personalized exercise programs for you and your circumstances. Teaching safe and effective recommended exercises, providing advice on labour and birth positions and identifying potential issues are all integral parts of our supportive prenatal Physio care.

Postnatal Recovery

A postnatal assessment from 4 to 6 weeks postpartum is recommended and helps assist you with improving pelvic stability, restoring continence, and enhancing sexual function after giving birth. If you’ve missed this window, don’t worry. An assessment can still be relevant for a post-natal period of up to 12 months.

During this assessment, pelvic floor function, abdominal separation, prolapses, musculature, joints, and any other concerns you have can be discussed and assessed. 

The post-natal appointment also helps determine if and when it’s safe for you to return to specific forms of exercise. If you are experiencing any symptoms our physio will provide a post partum rehabilitation plan to progress a safe and healthy return to exercise.

Mastitis Management

What is Mastitis?

Mastitis often starts as milk duct congestion  and can quickly progress to inflammatory type mastitis. If left untreated, inflammatory mastitis can progress to acute bacterial mastitis.

Physiotherapy can aid in the management of mastitis by addressing blockages and reducing inflammation. Treatment involving ultrasound, manual lymphatic drainage, and education on breastfeeding techniques can help alleviate symptoms and promote healing. It is very important to start treatment early to reduce the risk of developing an infected abscess.

If you are not improving or if you have signs of an infection (fever and feeling unwell) you should see your doctor immediately. If you have an infection you will be prescribed antibiotics.

Bladder and Bowel dysfunction

Various issues can lead to both urinary and faecal incontinence. If you can’t hold on to reach the toilet in time or leak urine while laughing, coughing, sneezing, or jumping, physiotherapy can assist you. There are several different types of urinary incontinence and help is readily available. Urge incontinence, Stress incontinence, Urinary retention, Overactive bladder syndrome and functional incontinence are some of the issues we address. So whether it’s loss of control of bowel movements or you just struggle with leaking, we can help you.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is when any of the pelvic organs (bladder/urethra, uterus/cervix, or rectum/bowel) can drop into the vaginal (or sometimes, rectal space) Generally due to excessive stretch of the fascia and ligaments that normally suspend these organs in a mostly vertical alignment. 

The most common reason for pelvic organ prolapse is vaginal delivery, but it can also be secondary to chronic straining of this area. With a feeling of heaviness or dragging, pelvic organ prolapse can also affect sexual function and contribute to bladder dysfunction.

Research shows that conservative management is very effective in reducing the symptoms. Such management includes pelvic floor muscle training, optimising bladder and bowel habits and correct use of core and pelvic floor muscles. In some cases, using a soft plastic or rubber ring or cube called a pessary may be very beneficial.

Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis

Patients suffering with pelvic pain often find it difficult to obtain a specific diagnosis, and effective management. Pelvic pain lasting beyond 6 months is called Persistent/Chronic Pelvic Pain, and has numerous causes and symptoms. Pain during sex or dyspareunia is another area of concern that our women’s health physiotherapy addresses.

Endometriosis, where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus in other parts of the body is another condition that can have a significant impact on women’s quality of life. While there is no cure for the condition at the moment,  physiotherapy can help you alleviate the pain that is associated with it.