Women’s health physiotherapy is an area of specialisation within physiotherapy. A women’s health physiotherapist has completed postgraduate study, making them uniquely qualified to assess and treat conditions unique to female patients.
No matter if it be running, coughing or sneezing, or experiencing symptoms in your bowel such as wind, bloating or straining to empty them – womens health physio Woodville can provide essential assistance.
Pregnancy
Many women experience various issues during and post pregnancy, including pelvic pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction including incontinence and diastasis recti (tummy separation) leading to back or hip pain. Although these may appear normal to some extent during gestation, consulting with a woman’s health physio could prove invaluable in providing assistance and relief from discomfort.
At an assessment, physiotherapists perform a complete physical examination to assess pelvic floor muscle function and abdominal muscles. From there, treatments will be planned using manual therapy techniques as well as relaxation techniques in order to loosen tightened muscles.
Women’s health physiotherapy can assist in maintaining an ideal pelvic floor environment to facilitate a comfortable pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal recovery process. Furthermore, pelvic health physiotherapy helps treat and prevent several conditions related to pregnancy such as pelvic girdle pain, stress urinary incontinence and diastasis recti.
Exercise is an integral component of women’s’ health physiotherapy, helping keep pelvic floor and core muscles strong throughout pregnancy. Your physiotherapist will advise on safest and most effective exercises for you to perform; such as Kegel exercises to strengthen deep abdominal muscles.
Postnatal
Pregnancy, childbirth and its aftermath place great strain on women’s bodies, so it is crucial that they take time after giving birth to rest and strengthen themselves physically. A women’s health physio can assist here; they have conducted research into which exercises work best and will show you how to perform them correctly – this is especially beneficial for C-section mothers as knowing this information will prevent further damage to pelvic floor muscles and abdominals.
WCH (Adelaide, Australia) experienced a reduction in attendance at postnatal education classes led by womens health physio Woodville during 2012 due to low participation. Staff investigated possible causes and completed a consumer-focussed project with assistance from health promotion physiotherapy students from UniSA that explored barriers and opportunities related to class attendance as well as offering suggestions regarding alternative delivery models and structures for delivery of postnatal education classes.
Your women’s health physio can assist in both the recovery of your pelvic floor and abdominals after childbirth as well as assess any scar tissue around your uterus (c-section scar) to determine its healing. They can also advise whether exercise puts too much strain on abdominals, helping you find ways to avoid this.
Menopause
Women’s health physiotherapists commonly treat symptoms associated with menopause. This may include hot flushes, vaginal dryness and changes to menstruation cycle patterns. It’s essential that these symptoms are discussed with both gynecologists and healthcare providers so they are managed in an appropriate and safe manner.
Women experiencing menopause often report feeling an impairment to sexual interest and performance, often manifested in decreased libido. Education and exercise may help restore sexual function. Due to hormonal depletion, some women may also become more prone to constipation, diarrhoea, and urinary incontinence at this time; physiotherapy may provide assistance by improving muscle mass while conducting pelvic floor down-training exercises that assist bladder and bowel control.
Vulvodynia, an issue which affects many women at this stage of their lives, may also arise as trauma, inflammation or pelvic adhesions occur, but can often be eased through manual soft tissue therapy and exercise.
Many women over fifty also report poor sleeping patterns and difficulty falling asleep, often caused by night sweats, awakening during the night or difficulty settling into deep restful slumber. This can have an enormously detrimental impact on quality of life; therefore it is crucial that these issues be discussed with a physician, psychologist or womens health physio Woodville immediately.