Services

Pregnancy

Pregnancy and Postnatal Physiotherapy

I offer Women's Health Physiotherapy for women both during pregnancy as well as postnatally. Aches and pains are common during pregnancy, especially if you consider the vast amount of changes your body goes through whilst pregnant. Whilst these aches are common, physiotherapy can be extremely helpful and we also know that early treatment is best and can help improve things for you during your pregnancy. My aim would be to help you to be as comfortable as possible during your pregnancy as well as educating and advising you on safe exercise as your body changes.

A postnatal check after you have had your baby is one of the best gifts you can give yourself, regardless of the type of delivery; research is showing that being seen early by a Women’s Health Physiotherapist after giving birth is reducing the presence of long term pelvic health issues. A Mummy MOT is a thorough assessment of your body, including your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles with the aim to advise you on your postnatal recovery and getting you back to the exercise that you love.

Bladder

Bladder & Bowel

Research suggests that at least 1 in 3 women experience pelvic floor related symptoms at some point during their lifetime and bladder and bowel problems can severly affect your qualoty of life as well as self-confidence. Whilst that statistic sounds depressing, the good news is that although common, these problems can be improved with treatment and physiotherapy has been shown to be highly effective in addressing these symptoms. I am able to advise and treat a wide range of pelvic floor related problems, including:

Leaking during exercise or with coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting etc.
An urgency to empty your bladder or your bowels and/or leaking if you don't reach the toilet in time
A frequency to go to the toilet (more than 8 times in 24 hours)
Difficulty emptying your bladder or bowels properly
Difficulty holding on to wind
Constipation

Pelvic

Pelvic Health

Many women will experience pelvic pain, which can be due to many causes, including weak pelvic floor muscles (although it is also possible to experience problems as a result of pelvic floor muscles that struggle to relax fully), prolapse,menopause, gynaecological surgeries (including caesarian sections, hysterectomies, prolapse surgery and surgery for endometriosis). Symptoms of pelvic pain may include:

Pain or discomfort internally and or externally in the pelvis, lower tummy, bladder, vagina or anus
Difficulty inserting tampons
Pain with intercourse including Vaginismus
Vulvodynia
Pelvic organ prolapse
Hip, groin or lower back pain

Pilates

Clinical Pilates is a form of modified Pilates which draws on traditional Pilates principles and exercises to help with rehabilitation as well as injury prevention. The Pilates Method was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century and is a form of physical exercise that focuses on posture, core stability, balance, control, strength, flexibility and breathing. As a physiotherapist I use my knowledge of your specific needs for rehabilitation and am able to modify the traditional Pilates exercises in conjunction with physiotherapy as part of a treatment program or for injury prevention helping to improve posture, strength and flexibility. A 1:1 session of Clinical Pilates with a physiotherapist can also be very beneficial if you currently attend Pilates classes, but feel unsure whether you are doing core exercises correctly.