Women's Health

How Women's Health Physiotherapy Works

Women's health physiotherapy addresses a variety of conditions that affect women’s bodies. Our physiotherapists use specialized techniques to treat pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence, pre- and postnatal issues, and more. We employ a combination of manual therapy, exercise therapy, postural education, and lifestyle advice to improve pelvic health and overall physical function. Each treatment plan is individualized to meet your specific needs and goals, ensuring effective rehabilitation and long-term health benefits.

Benefits of Women's Health Physiotherapy

• Improves pelvic floor strength and function
• Reduces urinary incontinence and pelvic pain
• Supports recovery after childbirth
• Alleviates symptoms of menopause, including pelvic discomfort and incontinence
• Helps manage and prevent back pain, especially during pregnancy
• Restores postural alignment and mobility

Conditions Treated with Women's Health Physiotherapy

• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Urinary incontinence
• Postnatal recovery
• Pregnancy-related pain (e.g., back, pelvic girdle pain)
• Menopause symptoms (e.g., pelvic pain, incontinence)
• Prolapse management and recovery
• Chronic pelvic pain

Common Presentations

Urge Urinary Incontinence

Urge incontinence is experienced when you can't get to the toilet in time and have some urinary leaking before you can sit onto the toilet. It can also be referred to as Overactive Bladder Syndrome. Symptoms that are also common with urge incontinence are urgency (not being able to delay going to the toilet) and increased frequency (going to the toilet more regularly than before).

Stress Urinary Incontinence

This is when you experience urinary leaking with any activity that puts additional pressure on to your bladder and pelvic floor. This can be experienced with coughing, sneezing and laughing but can also be experienced with jumping, running and during many other forms of exercise.

Mixed Incontinence

If you are experiencing both urge and stress incontinence this is commonly referred to as mixed urinary incontinence.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

These symptoms occur when one or more of your pelvic organs are sitting lower in your pelvis and can give a bulging, pressure sensation at the vaginal entrance. Some ladies' report feeling a lump when they are washing or going to the toilet. Other symptoms can be feeling like you've not fully emptied your bladder or bowels after going to the toilet, a dragging or heaviness sensation in your lower abdomen and sometimes these symptoms can present with low back pain too.

Pelvic Pain

There are several conditions that can cause persistent pelvic pain. Some conditions that we can help manage in the clinic are Bladder Pain Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis and Vulvodynia. Often this pain can be influenced by the pelvic floor muscles working too hard day to day and we help ladies to work on relaxing their pelvic floor muscles to help manage their pain levels.

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)

PGP is known to affect 1 in 5 women during pregnancy. It can present itself as hip, buttock or lower back pain during and shortly after pregnancy. PGP often occurs due to the changes your body goes through physically and changes in your hormone levels can also influence your symptoms.

Some symptoms ladies often describe when they have PGP are:

Pain when walkingPain getting in/out of bed or the carPain when changing positions for example rolling over in bedPain during normal activities of daily livingPain / difficulty standing on one leg for example to putting shoes on.

Keeping active and strong during pregnancy can help to manage your symptoms. Exercise such at yoga and Pilates can be helpful during your pregnancy. PGP symptoms often settle after you have given birth, however for some ladies the pain can continue. If you are post-natal and these symptoms are not settling, a physiotherapy assessment can help you to manage your symptoms.

If you are currently pregnant and think you have pelvic girdle pain, please reach out and we can provide you with a thorough assessment and guidance on managing your symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does women's health physiotherapy treat?

Women's health physiotherapy treats a variety of conditions specific to women, including pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence, pregnancy-related pain, postnatal recovery, and menopause symptoms. Our physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat these conditions with specialized techniques to help you achieve optimal health and well-being.

How can physiotherapy help with pelvic floor dysfunction?

Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause symptoms such as urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, or prolapse. Our physiotherapists use a combination of manual therapy, exercises, and education to strengthen and restore function to the pelvic floor muscles. This helps alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.

When can I start physiotherapy after childbirth?

It’s recommended to start postnatal physiotherapy once you’ve had your postnatal check-up, usually around 6 weeks after childbirth. However, some women may benefit from starting earlier, especially if they are experiencing pelvic pain, incontinence, or other related issues. Your physiotherapist will guide you on the appropriate timing for your individual recovery process.