Pelvic Health

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is a niche field of physiotherapy that focuses on helping people who have been having issues with their pelvis or pelvic floor muscles.

These symptoms can really affect how you function in your day to day life, including your ability to exercise, go places and enjoy spending time with loved ones. They often cause anxiety, and historically have been swept aside as ‘part of being a woman’, however what lots of people don’t know is that you can often reduce these symptoms with the right advice and lifestyle changes.

If you are having issues in the following areas you may benefit from
seeing a pelvic physiotherapist:

● Bladder issues
● Bowel issues
● Pelvic organ prolapse
● Pelvic pain
● Before and after gynaecology surgery
● Peri and Postmenopausal changes

Appointments consist of a thorough history of your condition, including questions around your medical history and medications as well as current bladder and bowel function.

Often there is an internal vaginal or rectal assessment of your pelvic floor muscles, though this is not always necessary and depends on the  condition you are needing help with.

You do not have to have one of these examinations if you do not want one and there are still options for treatment without an internal examination.

Treatment with a pelvic floor physio centres around pelvic floor muscle retraining but there is a lot more to it than that. Some of the treatment options that may be used to help you regain your confidence include:

● Pelvic floor muscle strengthening
● Pelvic floor relaxation exercises
● Postural and strength training
● Electrical stimulation
● Manual muscle and scar release work
● Breathing retraining
● Relaxation and mindfulness work
● Lifestyle management
● Bladder retraining
● Defecation retraining
● Acupuncture and dry needling