26/08/2021
Women’s health physiotherapy is a non-surgical treatment used for a number of women’s health problems
Women’s health physiotherapy treats a wide range of women’s needs in addition to pregnancy and birth support.
Due to hormones, structural makeup, pregnancy and childbirth, women require specific advice when it comes to exercise, flexibility, and dealing with aches and pains in the body.
To give you an idea of the basics of women’s health physiotherapy, here, we’re going over what it is and what you can expect at your first appointment before diving a bit deeper into pregnancy-related physiotherapy in terms of preparing, healing, and staying active before and after childbirth.
Women’s health physiotherapy helps treat women’s health issues such as incontinence, pelvic/ vaginal pain, prenatal and postpartum musculoskeletal pain, osteoporosis, rehabilitation following breast surgery, lymphedema, education prevention, wellness and exercise and so much more.
Women’s health physiotherapists can tailor an exercise plan to help you improve a variety of symptoms caused by women’s health concerns. For example, bone density naturally decreases during menopause. So, a physiotherapist can help you strengthen your bones and improve your bone health through exercise.
Additionally, strengthening your pelvic floor, especially during and after pregnancy, is a huge component of women’s health physiotherapy. Pregnancy and childbirth obviously put a lot of stress on your pelvic floor and it’s essential to strengthen this area as much as possible. It’ll not only help you during childbirth but also can help prevent incontinence, prolapse and other pelvic floor related issues.
A few of the most common issues you can see a women’s physiotherapist to treat include:
Pregnancy-related pain
Relaxation and mindfulness exercises to aid in childbirth
Abdominal separation due to pregnancy
Pelvic floor strengthening during and after pregnancy
Caesarean/Perineal scar management
Bone density concerns related to menopause
Pelvic girdle instability or pain
Urinary or f***l incontinence
Pelvic floor prolapse due to childbirth
Pelvic pain or pain related to sexual in*******se
Overactive bladders
Urinary urgency
Constipation
Antenatal and postnatal exercise
Antenatal and postnatal Pilates
Antenatal massage
Mastitis or Blocked Milk Ducts
Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS)