Women’s Health

physiotherapy for women's healthAt Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy, our women’s health physios provide simple and effective solutions for all women through all life stages of their busy lives, whether it be pregnancy, birth, lactation or menopause.

Sport & Spinal Physio assist women from Gungahlin, Canberra City, and the wider Canberra community presenting with a range of common women’s health problems including:

  • Low back pain
  • Pelvic pain
  • Hip pain
  • Upper back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Coccyx pain
  • Headaches
  • Wrist pain
  • Carpal tunnel
  • Ligament strains
  • Pelvic pain
  • Vaginal prolapse
  • Vaginal pain
  • Vaginisuses
  • Bowel dysfunction
  • Anal pain
  • Anismus
  • Mastitis
  • Breast Engorgement
  • Inflammatory breast conditions
  • Incontinence
  • Overactive bladder symptoms
  • Abdominal muscle separation
  • Pelvic floor weakness
  • Sacroiliac joint pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Muscle strains
  • Plantar fascitis
  • Posture problems
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Pubic symphisis pain
  • Perineal pain
  • Piriformis pain syndrome

Men too can have problems with pelvic floor dysfunction. In particular, our physiotherapists help men from Gungahlin, Canberra City, and the wider Canberra community before and after prostate surgery. We can also assist men with incontinence, voiding problems, bowel control, constipation, pelvic pain and erectile dysfunction.

We understand it may be difficult to talk about these sensitive problems but encourage you to seek treatment with our professional and emphathetic physiotherapists to help improve your quality of life. We have qualified female pelvic floor physiotherapists for any women’s health problems (and male physios for mens health problems) with private enclosed rooms available to ensure your privacy and comfort.

 

PRE & POST NATAL

women's health by physios
We can help you cope with the demands of motherhood with physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and massage. We can use real time ultrasound to ensure you engage the correct muscles to stabilise your spine and pelvis with dynamic core stability training. Our Mums & Bubs classes are ideal for women aiming to improve their strength and fitness for delivery or simply just helping getting back in shape after the birth.

Our pre & post natal therapies aim to:

  • improve your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle strength and control
  • improve your muscle strength and tone
  • Improve your flexibility and correct posture
  • Reduce any pre and post natal pain
  • Reduce incontinence and pelvic floor discomfort
  • Improve your abdominal appearance (restore your flat tummy)

 

INCONTINENCE – Physiotherapy can help

More than 25% of women and 10% of men in Australia are living with bladder control problems regardless of age or background (Continence Foundation Australia). Even athletes participating in high-impact sports experience incontinence (Bø & Borgen, 2001). Research has also indicated that many women cannot activate their pelvic floor correctly when asked (Bump et al 1991).

Some of the common causes of pelvic floor muscle weakness are childbirth (particularly following delivery of a large baby or prolonged pushing during delivery), obesity, constipation, heavy lifting, excessive coughing, menopause and ageing.

Signs that you may have pelvic floor dysfunction include:

  • Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, walk, run or play sport
  • Internal heaviness or dragging sensation
  • A need to urgently and frequently rush to the toilet
  • Inability to control wind
  • Pain around the pelvis
  • Low back pain
  • Inability to relax your pelvic floor muscles

The good news is that continence physiotherapy is a great way to regain control of your pelvic floor. Based on our detailed diagnosis, we provide you with tailored pelvic floor exercises, give you close instruction to master your technique and steadily advance your progress until your symptoms reduce. Real time ultrasound imaging, electrical muscle stimulation and biofeedback machines can also help in engaging and coordinating the correct pelvic floor muscles to ensure you are safely on the way to a strong pelvic floor free from incontinence.

Call 62624464  – and find out how Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy can help with your upcoming birth, getting back into shape after birth or any pelvic floor dysfunction such as incontinence.