Further Information

Pregnancy can make women more prone to  musculoskeletal injuries such as lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain. It is estimated that 1 in 5 pregnant women will experience these conditions. These problems can be due to many factors including altered muscular support around the pelvis and the pelvic joints moving unevenly.

Additionally, up to 75% of women during pregnancy will experience urinary incontinence.

Physiotherapy can help with these problems by providing manual therapy, exercise prescription, advice and management strategies dependent on the nature of your problem.

All consultations are treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be tailored to your needs and goals. 

Labour and the post natal period can place more stress on certain areas of your body. At this time women are more prone to a range of conditions including rectus diastasis (abdominal separation), lower back pain, neck pain and ongoing pelvic girdle pain.

Physiotherapy should be your first point of call for post-natal rehabilitation and therapeutic relief of these conditions. I am a Mummy MOT trained practitioner. I recommend having this specialist assessment at 6 weeks post birth onwards. 

It is also estimated that 45% of mothers will experience urinary incontinence following the birth of their child regardless of the mode of delivery. Bowel incontinence is also very common post delivery. Many women feel embarrassed and are fearful of socialising with these problems. Physiotherapy can help these problems and allow mothers to resume normal daily activities without fear of 'accidents'.  Incontinence conditions are very common but should not be thought of as normal or to be lived with.  

Pelvic floor dysfunction is not an exclusive problem for childbearing women.

Athletes can suffer from pelvic floor problems, often associated with high impact sports such as running and gymnastics. Additionally some athletes may suffer from pelvic pain which can be associated with altered muscle activity in the pelvic floor.

Another common time for women to begin experiencing changes with their pelvic floor function is during the menopause.  Women may begin to suffer from incontinence, notice a sensation of vaginal prolapse or sex may become painful. 

Physiotherapy can help with all these pelvic floor problems by thoroughly assessing how well the pelvic floor muscles are working. We will also try to identify any other causes that may be contributing to your symptoms by taking a thorough history of your condition. 

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of pelvic problems and pelvic floor conditions that we can treat.