Our Services
Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. Whist it may be common, it should certainly not be accepted as normal.
Leaking of urine is usually related to either stress incontinence (loss of urine with cough/sneeze etc) or urinary urgency (racing to get to the toilet).
Individualised pelvic physiotherapy may involve: pelvic floor muscle strengthening, bladder and bowel habit retraining, fluid intake modification, pessary use and more. The good news? Individualised treatment can cure urinary incontinence in up to 80% of women.
Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse is the symptomatic descent of one or more of the bladder, bowel, the uterus, or the apex of the vagina (in absence of a cervix) from the normal anatomical position. Women often describe it as feeling like there is vaginal heaviness, a vaginal bulge, incomplete bladder/bowel emptying, low back ache, or a pressure in the vagina. Up to 75% of women will develop prolapse over their lifetime. Physiotherapy treatment can be very successful in helping to non-surgically manage, whilst reducing symptoms of prolapse.
Pessary Fitting and Management
A pessary is a medical grade device made of silicone that is inserted into the vagina. They are individually prescribed and are an excellent option for the management of pelvic organ prolapse as well as urinary incontinence. The presence of a pessary can help lift and support a prolapse, reducing or resolving symptoms, whilst allowing more effective pelvic floor strengthening. A pessary may also support the urethra, helping in the reduction or resolution of urinary incontinence
Abdominal Separation
Abdominal separation, or Diastisis Rectus Abdominus Muscle (DRAM) is the widening and thinning of the linea alba (the connective tissue) between the 2 edges of the abdominal muscles. It is extremely common, occurring in 66-100% of pregnancies. The good news is that with individualised exercise prescription, the majority will resolve. Early intervention is very important. An abdominal wall assessment using real-time ultrasound will be conducted in our 6-week postnatal assessment and an individualised exercise program prescribed. Don’t worry - if you are beyond this point we can still conduct a full abdominal wall assessment!
Sexual Pain and Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction can relate to pain with sexual intercourse/outercourse or difficulty with penetration. This an be complex, but may be related to hypertonic (tight) pelvic floor muscles, pain associated with episiotomy, surgical scars, or tearing post vaginal delivery, changes to the vaginal tissues or other psychological contributors. Physiotherapy treatment includes: release of the pelvic floor muscles, use of dilators to increase the size of the vaginal entrance, hip and pelvic stretches and management of other associated conditions.
Post-natal Check
A post-natal check can be conducted from 6 weeks post-natal. This is an appointment all about you. It is a thorough assessment involving hearing of your pregnancy and birth story, determining your exercise goals, a pelvic floor assessment to determine strength, coordination, presence of prolapse, assessment of caesarean scar healing, abdominal wall assessment as well as an assessment of the musculoskeletal system including hips, pelvic, lumbar and thoracic spine.
Pregnancy-related conditions
Pregnancy is a time of great change within a woman’s body. Common pregnancy-related conditions treated by us include: back and pelvic girdle pain, wrist and thumb pain. Additionally we encourage all pregnant women to have a pelvic floor check during their pregnancy to establish if a pelvic floor strengthening program needs to be prescribed, and ensure correct activation. Perineal massage and pelvic floor birth preparation is a vital part of what we do, and has been shown to reduce the risk of tearing and episiotomy during vaginal delivery
Musculoskeletal
Physiotherapists specialise in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. Treatment of musculoskeletal complaints including back and pelvic pain, thoracic pain, hip pain, headaches and neck pain, involve looking at the whole body to ensure a holistic approach to treatment. Treatment may involve soft tissue releases, joint mobilisations, stretching, specific strengthening and exercise programs, taping or application of a brace eg pelvic belt