Whether you’re pregnant, a mother (no matter how old your children), or simply wanting to take control of your health and wellbeing, women’s health Physiotherapy may be what you’re looking for!
What is Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
Women’s health Physiotherapy is a vital component in a women’s life, in order to sustain physical and mental wellbeing during pregnancy, after surgery and in the postnatal period and beyond. There are many issues that women deal with during these times, that women feel are ‘normal’ or to be expected – and so often they get placed at the lowest end of our priorities. Do you know that 1 in 3 women experience urinary incontinence in the UK? Or that 1 in 2 will develop a pelvic organ prolapse after childbirth? Or that 60% of women will have diastasis recti (tummy muscle separation) at 6 weeks postpartum? All of these may result in bladder or bowel issues, pelvic pain, back pain, hip pain and ultimately impact on your quality of life.
To help with these issues, a women’s health Physiotherapist will assess you and take a detailed history of your concerns and symptoms. This includes questions about your bladder and bowel habits, and obstetric and gynaecological history. They will also want to understand what your goals are for treatment and what’s important for you.
Your ‘physical’ assessment will then be tailored to your unique presentation. It may likely involve assessment of musculoskeletal structures, such as your back, pelvis and hips, your posture, your breathing techniques, your abdominal muscles. You may also be offered an internal examination to examine the skin, tone and function of the pelvic floor muscles.
Following your examination, they will discuss and explain the causes of your symptoms, and a personalised management and rehabilitation programme will be developed with you. The aim is to maximise the benefit of the Physiotherapy, in accordance with your needs, working towards your goals.
During Pregnancy
Your body is constantly adapting during pregnancy, to changes in baby bump, posture and hormones! Issues such as pelvic girdle pain, back pain, and hand and wrist pain and are very common as your body accommodates these changes.
Women’s Health Physiotherapy helps you to manage these challenges, ready for ongoing changes to your body. This includes strengthening your muscles, your pelvic floor, increasing postural awareness and modifying your activities. It is important to exercise during pregnancy and adapt your training as your need to, and they can help guide you with this.
During the Postnatal Period
Many women have issues after having children with pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic floor dysfunctions, separation of the abdominal muscles, tears and C-section scars. No matter how long ago you gave birth, these may be still be problematic. A women’s health Physiotherapist can offer a pelvic floor check to ensure you are contracting properly, and provide treatment as needed. They can assist in re-education of correct pelvic floor function and combine this with rehabilitative exercises to return you to full function.
Women’s health Physiotherapy can also help with the safe return to exercise. See more on returning to exercise in the postnatal period here.
To find out what the pelvic floor is and why the pelvic floor is so important, take a read of our previous blog post.
If you’d like to find out whether Women’s Health Physiotherapy is right for you, or would like to book an appointment, please get in touch.
