Specialist training

Our Pelvic Health Physiotherapists have post graduate training in continence management and issues related to bladder, bowel and sexual function. They’re trained to manage conditions that occur at different life stages such as during pregnancy and recovery after childbirth, menopause and in later years.

Renu Physiotherapy Pelvic Health

We treat the following conditions in a supportive private environment. Our physiotherapists are understanding and specialised in these areas.

• Bladder leakage and urgency

• Difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel

• Bowel incontinence and constipation

• Vaginal pain

• Vulvodynia and vaginismus

• Pelvic pain (endometriosis, urethral, bladder or bowel pain)

• Pelvic organ prolapse

• Back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy

• Abdominal and pelvic floor weakness following childbirth

• Sexual dysfunction and painful intercourse

Continence Care - important to seek help

Continence issues are more common in women, but can occur in men and children too. Loss of bladder or bowel control occurs in 30-40% of women.

Incontinence problems tend to increase with age but should not be accepted as just a normal part of aging. Incontinence is common but it is never normal.

Incontinence can affect a person’s quality of life and therefore it is important to seek help early.

Conservative management including pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as first line treatment and up to 80% of people can be helped with performing correct pelvic floor muscle exercises and learning about good bladder and bowel habits.

Pelvic Floor Function

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs in women who experience incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain. Pelvic health problems are complex and a number of factors can contribute to worsening of symptoms. These can include problems with pelvic support structures and the pelvic floor muscles, bladder and bowel habits, and lifestyle factors.

Our pelvic health physiotherapists recognise that the best way to manage your condition is to understand it. They’ll help you develop strategies to regain control in order to get back to the things in life you love.

Assessment of Pelvic Floor Muscles

Our team have completed advanced post graduate training in the assessment of the pelvic floor muscles.

We’ll conduct a comprehensive assessment of your condition including your ability to perform correct pelvic floor muscle contractions. We can complete this assessment while you’re fully clothed. A more comprehensive assessment of pelvic floor muscles can be performed via a vaginal or rectal examination. This method is recommended for an accurate assessment of the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and sphincters. The method we use is always your choice and based on your consent.

Following the assessment, we will explain to you in simple terms the factors that may be impacting on your problem and design a collaborative treatment plan for your continence management.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Around half of women who have given birth by means of a vaginal delivery experience some degree of pelvic organ prolapse. The bladder, bowel or uterus can descend into the vagina, with the most common symptom being “the feeling of a lump or bulge protruding into the vagina”. Not all pelvic organ prolapse is bothersome.

If you have been diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic floor exercise and lifestyle modification can reduce the bother of the prolapse or prevent the prolapse from worsening. If you do need surgery to correct your prolapse we recommend physiotherapy before and afterwards to optimise your recovery.

1 in 4 women experience pelvic pain - we can help

Approximately 25% of women experience pelvic pain. And for some that pain is severe and significantly affects their quality of life.

Common examples of pelvic pain conditions in women are pudendal neuralgia, bladder or urethral pain syndrome, irritable bowel, vulval pain or vulvodynia, dyspareunia or pain with intercourse, and coccydynia or tailbone pain.

Many people with pelvic pain experience more than one pelvic pain condition. Persistent pain can be very distressing, exhausting and disrupt many important aspects of a person’s life.

Pelvic floor muscle tension and difficulty relaxing the pelvic floor muscles is the cause for persistent pelvic pain in up to 80% of individuals. We’ll help identify this and design a plan to address it.

Pregnancy

We can help in pregnancy with the common symptoms experienced like

Back pain or pelvic pain

Abdominal muscle separation

Bladder leakage or urgency

Constipation

Exercise during pregnancy is very important for physical and mental health. We provide you with an individualised programme to keep you moving and feeling well.

Post Natal Recovery

We can help with some common symptoms experienced by new mothers including:

• Bladder or bowel control issues

• Constipation

• Heaviness/dragging feeling in the perineum

• Pain in the low back or pelvis

• Abdominal muscle separation

• Neck and upper back pain

• Wrist pain/numbness

• Pain with intercourse

Many women like to return to sport after having a baby. Our pelvic health physiotherapists will design a safe graduated exercise programme and will work with you to help you meet your goals. If you’d like to return to running we can perform a postnatal screening to advise you.

Sexual Pain

1 in 2 women will experience painful intercourse (dyspareunia) during their lifetime. It’s particularly common after having a baby and during menopause and has many causes. In 20% of women the pain is persistent or severe.

Increased stiffness or tension in the pelvic floor muscles is commonly associated with this issue, which can affect relationships, desire and libido.

One of the causes is involuntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles during vaginal penetration which is known as vaginismus.

Another cause is pain and increased sensitivity in the vulval /vaginal area, known as vulvodynia which is a condition where the region just outside the vagina is painful even with light touch or without any provocation at all.

Our physiotherapists will help you understand the factors that may be important for you and design a management program coaching you in pelvic floor muscle relaxation, general body relaxation, breathing techniques and a graded return to pleasurable sexual activity.

Looking for something else? See all services here.

You’ll find more reading and information on Womens’ Health in our Health Information here.