Quay Health is excited to announce it will now be offering Women’s Health Physiotherapy.

Women’s Health Physiotherapy assesses, diagnoses, and treats conditions specific to female anatomy and the female hormonal cycle. Commonly, these conditions are associated with pregnancy. However, several conditions can present at any time throughout a woman’s lifespan. Women’s Health Physiotherapy is centred around the assessment and management of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor refers to all of the contents of a woman’s pelvis, including the organs (bladder, uterus, vagina, anus, colon), muscles, fascia, and ligaments. Just like any other part of the body, issues can arise when (for whatever reason) the support structures of the pelvic floor – meaning the muscles, ligaments, and fascia are either overactive or weak.

Some conditions related to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction include:

  • Pelvic Pain
  • Pain with Intercourse
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  • Urinary Incontinence (Involuntary loss of urine)
  • Urinary Urgency Constipation
 

Additionally, Women’s Health Physiotherapy also aims to support and guide women through their pregnancy focusing on the treatment of:

● Pregnancy-related pain (Pre / Post Natal) ● Providing programs and education surrounding exercise during and post-pregnancy ● Treatment of Abdominal Separation    
Pelvic floor muscles
Source: Openstax

What to expect during a Women’s Health Physiotherapy Session?

Similar to a regular physiotherapy appointment, the therapist will discuss your medical history and presenting symptoms. Depending on your symptoms, specific assessments will then be performed to determine the diagnosis. For those presenting with pelvic floor related symptoms, this will require an assessment of your pelvic floor. A pelvic floor assessment is performed with the assistance of real-time ultrasound, whereby the ultrasound device is placed on the abdomen whilst you are instructed to contract the pelvic floor. When a contraction is initiated, you can view and see the activity of your pelvic floor on an ultrasound machine screen, indicating whether you can activate and sustain a contraction as well as the degree of your muscle activation. Additionally, external examinations may also need to be performed depending on the condition and patient preference. Additionally, the therapist may also request that you fill out specific questionnaires or bladder diaries to learn more about you and how physiotherapy can assist in managing your women’s health needs. If you are are suffering from any of the above mentioned symptoms or what to book in for a Women’s Health appointment, give us a call in the clinic today on (02) 9252 2825