1 in 3 women experience pelvic floor symptoms at some point. thankfully a Women Pelvic Health Physiotherapist can be really effective for helping with symptoms such as leaking (urinary or faecal), urgency (rushing to the toilet), frequency (needing to go to the toilet a lot), pelvic pain and sexual issues, such as trouble with orgasm, or pain with sex, as well as the diagnosis and management of a prolapse.
Pelvic health physiotherapists have post-graduate training in the pelvic muscles, including the pelvic floor. The training includes internal examinations, in order to be able to assess the pelvic floor muscle strength and control. However, there is more to pelvic health physio than just pelvic floor exercises! The majority of our problem-solving comes in the way of simple but incredibly effective lifestyle tweaks.
Initial appointments are 1 hour and 15 minutes long, to allow plenty of time to listen and explore your symptoms and lifestyle, including discussions around your bladder, bowel and sexual health. Following this, a physical assessment of your whole body movement and strength.
Pelvic health physiotherapists have post-graduate training in the pelvic muscles, including the pelvic floor. The training includes internal examinations, in order to be able to assess the pelvic floor muscle strength and control. However, there is more to pelvic health physio than just pelvic floor exercises! Treatment is individualised and can vary depending on your needs, but may include breath work, mobility and strength exercises and lifestyle tweaks, as well as ensuring your pelvic floor muscles are strong and well coordinated.
Adrianne is passionate about bridging the gap between pelvic floor physiotherapy and sports medicine, and will guide you step by step to get you back in the gym, on the track or on the field without the fear of any pelvic floor symptoms.
Pelvic health physiotherapy at Beyond promises to provide a holistic and sensitive approach regardless of your age, your goals or however long you’ve struggled with pelvic floor symptoms. We work cohesively with other services, such as GPs, Gynaecology, Menopause Doctors and Psychological services to ensure you have the best care possible.
Appointments are 1 hour and 15 minutes long.
The majority of the assessment will involve a conversation exploring your symptoms, and we discuss bladder, bowel and sexual health. An internal assessment is considered the gold standard and most accurate way to assess the pelvic floor, but it’s not imperative.
During the internal assessment, Adrianne will look at the health of the vagina, the strength and control of your pelvic floor muscles and assess for a prolapse. Studies have shown a very high percentage of ladies are not able to contract their pelvic floor optimally, so this is a great opportunity to teach you how to do it properly and get the most out of your exercises!
For some, assessment may also include running gait or lifting analysis or strength testing of the trunk/hip. If there are things that can be improved, an individualised programme will be provided.
This will of course vary depending on the individual and their needs, but the majority of women come between 2 and 6 appointments.
How long does it take to get better?
Like with any other rehabilitation, timelines vary between individuals! However, many people get significant improvements with just small lifestyle tweaks. For pelvic floor muscle training, coordination and motor control has been shown to improve in just 2-3 weeks if completed consistently. For true strength, like other muscles in the body, it can take 12 weeks of regular pelvic floor +/- lower body strength training. Thankfully, you won’t need to see me every week during this time – I often suggest 4-6 weekly catch ups!
No! It’s never too late to get stronger and make positive changes. No matter how long you’ve had your symptoms, you will definitely benefit from pelvic health physio input.
