Here are some of the common issues that our women’s health physiotherapist can help you manage during your pre and post-natal journey.
Many women can have pelvic floor muscle weakness and it is common in women during pregnancy and after childbirth and menopause. We can assess your pelvic floor muscle strength and give you a tailored exercise program to get these important muscles functioning at their best.
Most women develop abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy due to the baby and uterus growing forcing the muscles to stretch and weaken. After birth, it is important to have a women’s health physiotherapist assess the abdominal muscles, determine if there is a separation, and provide women with the correct exercise advise to optimise the recovery.
Did you know that 37% of women can be affected by urinary incontinence, but the majority of these people do not seek help for it? This common and embarrassing condition can be successfully treated by physiotherapists. Symptoms of frequency, urgency, nocturia, leakage and poor bladder emptying can improve and you will be feeling confident again.
Prolapse is a very common condition especially in women who have had children. The symptoms can include ‘heaviness’ in the vagina or actually feeling or seeing a lump or bulge. Prolapse can be successfully treated by improving the strength of the pelvic floor muscles under the guidance of your physio.
Physiotherapists use ultrasound treatment for blocked milk ducts and mastitis in breastfeeding mothers. Treatment can help to resolve these painful conditions quickly.
Breast feeding can be a very stressful time and some breastfeeding mothers experience grazed or cracked nipples along the way. We offer Low Level Laser Therapy to help improve the healing time of the injured nipple.
Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) can have many causes including overactive/tight pelvic floor muscles, scar tissue after vaginal childbirth and hormonal changes through your different life phases. Your physiotherapist can assess and treat the factors causing your pain and work with you to manage the problem.
After a baby is born, women are surprised at how weak they feel, especially in the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles regions. We recommend all women get a postnatal checkup done by our women’s health physiotherapist at 6-8 weeks and get a detailed understanding of what their postnatal recovery needs to focus on. Then, specific exercises can be individually prescribed, that will help women return to optimal strength and fitness over a 3-6 month period.
High impact exercise like running and jumping, should not be started before three months postnatal, as it can increase the risk of developing incontinence, prolapse and pain.
As an experienced practitioner, Libby has a wide range of physiotherapy knowledge and integrates it with essential life skills to be a successful clinician, and enjoys being able to make men, women and children feel comfortable to discuss all sorts of private matters which is important to really understanding their problems.
