Pelvic health

Pelvic health physiotherapy treats the muscles, nerves and connective tissue of the pelvic floor. In practice that means the problems people are most often told to accept and least often talk about. Leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh or run. Needing the toilet urgently or too often. A heaviness or dragging sensation. Pain during sex. A pelvic floor that has not felt reliable since a baby, or since the menopause began.

More information

None of it is something you simply have to live with, and none of it is unusual. NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training over at least three months as the first treatment for stress urinary incontinence, ahead of surgery, and it is also a recognised first treatment for the symptoms of prolapse.

What we treat

Our pelvic health clinic sees women, through pregnancy, in the months and years after birth, and through the menopause and beyond.

Pelvic health physiotherapy treats bladder and bowel issues including pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, pregnancy related musculoskeletal problems such as back pain, sciatica and pelvic girdle pain, postnatal recovery and rehabilitation, diastasis recti, and rehabilitation before and after gynaecological surgery.

What happens at the first appointment

We talk first, about the symptoms, how long they have been there and what they are stopping you doing, what makes them better or worse, any previous treatments or investigations, and your general health and lifestyle.

Then we assess. For diastasis recti, back pain and pelvic girdle pain we may assess your posture, movement and muscle function, and carry out some tests to these areas to determine the cause and the appropriate treatment for your condition.

For bladder, bowel, prolapse and persistent pelvic pain, an internal examination is often the most accurate way to assess how the pelvic floor is working, and it is the part people worry about beforehand. We will explain exactly what it involves before an examination. If you would prefer not to be examined there and then, and would like time to think before you decide, that is absolutely fine. It is entirely your decision, and there is a great deal we can assess and treat without one.

Appointments are private and unhurried, and nothing about what you describe will be a surprise to us.

Is it too late for me

Probably not. Muscle responds to training whenever the training starts. We treat women of all ages and circumstances, and it is never too late to feel the benefits.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is pelvic health physiotherapy?
It is physiotherapy for the muscles, nerves and connective tissue of the pelvic floor. It treats bladder and bowel symptoms, the symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, and the pelvic floor and abdominal problems that follow pregnancy and birth or arrive around the menopause.
Do you treat men as well as women?
Our pelvic health clinic currently sees women. We are extending the service, so if you are a man looking for pelvic floor rehabilitation, for example after prostate surgery, please ring reception on 01428 642577. We will tell you honestly whether we can help you yet and point you elsewhere if we cannot.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly and most of our pelvic health patients do. If you intend to claim on private health insurance, check your policy first, because some insurers ask for a GP referral before authorising treatment. We also accept referrals from GPs, gynaecologists and consultants.
Do I have to have an internal examination?
No. An internal examination is often the most accurate way to assess pelvic floor strength and function, and we will explain exactly what it involves before anything happens, but it is entirely your decision and there is a great deal we can assess and treat without one.
Can physiotherapy help stress incontinence?
Very often, yes. NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training over at least three months as the first line treatment for stress urinary incontinence, ahead of surgery. Supervision is the part that matters, because doing the exercises in the wrong pattern is the usual reason people believe they have tried them and they did not work.