Services

Women:

Whatever your age or stage of life, pelvic health is an increasingly common topic of conversation with friends -period pain, endometriosis, bladder health, bowel health, painful sex, prolapse, pregnancy, postnatal recovery, peri-menopause, menopause, post-menopause - pelvic health impacts all stages of a woman’s life.

The statistics tell us pelvic health issues are extremely common:

  • 1 in 3 women who have had a baby leak

  • 50% of women experience pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy (may be as high as 70%)

  • up to 80% of women leak when participating in high intensity or high impact exercise

  • 47% of Australian women have experienced pelvic pain in the last 5 years

These few examples show that if you are having challenges with your pelvic health you are not alone. It is common and there is help available! Pelvic physiotherapy is supported by robust research showing it is highly effective at helping with many of the pelvic health issues faced by women.

Men

Urinary incontinence (leaking urine) is common following prostate surgery, however optimising pelvic floor function -ideally before surgery -can help improve or resolve this.

Seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist prior to your surgery is best practice, however it is not too late following surgery to see a pelvic health physiotherapist for a targeted exercise program.

Learn:

  • how to use your pelvic floor optimally

  • how to get back to exercise -gym, tennis, golf, cycling, running etc

  • good bladder habits

  • good bowel health

Bladder urgency, frequency and urinary incontinence are common issues, particularly as we age. Improving pelvic floor function, and improving bladder habits helps.

Constipation is very common across all ages and stages of life - addressing pelvic floor function, fluid and fibre can make an enormous difference.

Pelvic pain is pain felt anywhere in the pelvic and lower abdominal area, including genital pain and anal pain. Pelvic health physiotherapy can be very helpful in providing strategies and treatments addressing some of the causes of pelvic pain.

Athletes (recreational and elite):

Pelvic health issues are common amongst athletes with 1 in 3 women experience leaking urine during sport or exercise (up to 80% of women in high impact and high-intensity sport). Incontinence (leaking) and/or pelvic pain is very common amongst exercising women and men.

This impacts your performance, and in many instances your willingness to participate in sport and exercise, however pelvic health physiotherapy can help and get you back participating confidently.

Common pelvic health challenges for athletes:

  • Pelvic pain - pain anywhere around or within the pelvic area, groin area, including genital pain, testicular pain, pain with sex

  • Leaking with exercise -urine, gas (wind) or stool

  • Bladder urgency or frequency - feeling that you need to empty your bladder urgently and/or frequently

  • Return to Sport after a having a baby -returning to sport requires high level rehabilitation of your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, beyond the basic pelvic floor or Kegel exercises given to you following birth. Regardless if you have a vaginal or caesarian birth your pelvic floor requires rehabilitation to be ready to return to sport. At a minimum a 6 week postnatal pelvic floor check with a pelvic health physio is highly recommended.

  • Dynamic core for performance - the core (vital to sports performance) consists of four groups of muscles:

    • the deep back muscles

    • the deep abdominal muscles

    • the pelvic floor muscles

    • the diaphragm.

      Your ability to generate power and performance for your arms and/or legs relies on a strong core/base them to work from. The pelvic floor is a vital part of your core and improving your core strength and performance relies on good pelvic floor function.