Women’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

 

Have you ever leaked on a cough, sneeze or laugh? Have you felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to urinate or defecate that is difficult to defer, when you’re nowhere near the toilet? Does this stop you from leaving the house and living your life?  A women’s pelvic health physiotherapist may be able to help you to regain your ability to stay dry and clean.

There are a range of conditions with which women’s health physiotherapy can help you manage pelvic symptoms and conditions.

Common women’s health conditions we can assess and treat at Bodycode Integrative Wellbeing:

Incontinence / leaking

• Stress urinary incontinence
• Urge urinary incontinence
• Mixed urinary incontinence
• Faecal or flatus incontinence

Constipation (obstructive and/or fluid/fibre)

Post-void urinary retention / residual volume

Overactive bladder (OAB) (frequency and urgency)

Urethral hypermobility

OASIS recovery (obstetric anal sphincter injury)

Prolapse management (non-surgical)

• uterine, anterior, posterior and multi-compartment prolapse

Pelvic floor muscle training uptraining and downtraining

Pregnancy related pain:

• Pubic symphysis syndrome (anterior pelvic pain in pregnancy)
• SIJ pain (low back/pelvis)
• Low back pain
• Hip pain
• Varicose veins of the leg
• Varicose veins of the vulva
• Excessive swelling of the legs and feet
• Carpal tunnel syndrome / wrist pain
• Pelvic floor strength
• Birth preparation for pelvic floor

Postnatal pain and function

• de quervain’s / thumb pain
• OASIS recovery
• DRAM (abdominal separation)
• Mastitis management
• Functional strength and exercise
• Return to sport and exercise
• Return to work

Pilates matwork

Reformer pilates

Menopause related changes – exercise management

Low bone density and osteoporosis – bone strength and falls prevention

Return to exercise after joint replacement surgery

 

What to expect in your women’s pelvic health physiotherapy consults:

• Detailed discussion of your symptoms
• Assessment of the function of your pelvic muscles (if relevant)
• Initial management strategies
• Multi-day symptom tracking using validated assessment tools for specific diagnosis and analysis of bladder or bowel function
• Ongoing management strategies and treatments
• Home exercise program and / or lifestyle advice to reduce bothersome symptoms
• Referral for specialist assessment or management as appropriate

 

For referrers:

Sarah’s women’s pelvic health training is through APA Women’s Pelvic Health Level 2

Specific assessments may include

• Bladder diary (SR-BD)
• Bowel diary
• external ano-perineal examination
• Internal examination (vaginal examination, DRE)
• TARTUS (coming soon)

 

Treatments offered

TTNS

Sacral TENS

PFMT for strength, endurance, speed, power

EMG biofeedback

Bladder training for urgency

Bowel training for urgency

Constipation management

Fluid and fibre management

Urge suppression

Toileting positioning

Lifestyle modification to reduce symptoms of urgency, prolapse, and incontinence

Contiform