Pelvic floor physiotherapy can assist you with the treatment of:

• poor control of your bladder
• frequent use of the toilet
• wet pants eg when coughing, sneezing or exercising
• urgency (sudden strong urge to empty the bladder)
• urge incontinence

Your physiotherapist will explain how your bladder works and teach you how to gain back control.

Did you know one in three women over the age of 45 experience urinary incontinence?

Evidence shows 60-80% of women can improve bladder control with pelvic floor treatment.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy can offer help with:

• loss of control of the bowel, or having accidents
• escape of wind at the wrong time
• prolapse of the bowel
• difficulty fully emptying the bowel
• constipation and straining
• bloating
• urgency (having to get to the toilet in a hurry)

Bowel dysfunction causes a lot of distress. Treatment involves a thorough assessment to determine whether relaxation or strengthening of the pelvic floor is required.

Your physiotherapist will also give you basic dietary advice and education on positioning and techniques to aid full emptying and stop leakage.

Did you know….10% of New Zealanders have problems with leakage from the bowel??

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs (bladder, bowel and / or uterus) slip down. Symptoms include a heaviness or dragging sensation in the pelvis or back, or a bulging or heavy feeling at the vaginal entrance.

Did you know?…. over 50% of women have some form of pelvic organ prolapse during their lives

Prolapse can result from a combination of factors including:

• pregnancy
• childbirth trauma
• ageing
• hormonal changes around menopause
• straining and constipation
• heavy lifting
• repetitive coughing
• inappropriate exercise

Sometimes a prolapse can be minor an there are no symptoms. Having a check-up and getting access to the right treatment may mean it never gets worse, and never causes you to have any symptoms.

Recent research has shown that a supervised pelvic floor muscle training programme, with a qualified pelvic floor physiotherapist, will help lessen or even get rid of all your symptoms. It can also delay or prevent the need for surgery.

Your pelvic health physiotherapist will provide you with a customised pelvic floor training programme. You will also be given advice on lifestyle modifications and self-help measures to reduce stress on the pelvic floor.  

If you do end up needing surgery, pelvic floor physiotherapy helps improve long term outcomes. Many surgeons now refer patients both prior to, and following, prolapse repair surgery.

Pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction can be very distressing and it can be a challenge to find the right help. Our pelvic health physiotherapists work with other health professionals when necessary, and have a holistic approach to treatment.

We treat patients with a range of diagnoses, including:

• chronic pelvic pain
• overactive pelvic floor
• vulvodynia / vestibulodynia
• vaginismus
• dyspareunia
• endometriosis
• pudendal neuralgia
• interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome

Treatment is based on evidence from the latest pain science research. Goals are to relieve pain and promote optimum bladder, bowel and sexual function so that you can get back to living a normal life.

Treatment includes:

• education on pain mechanisms
• pain relief self-management strategies
• pelvic floor relaxation strategies
• general relaxation and breathing techniques
• posture and movement advice
• pelvic floor stretch and release techniques
• use of biofeedback or TENS if required
• dilator therapy if required

Did you know?… 20% of women experience pain with penetrative sex at some stage during their lives. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help with this

Your Pelvic Health Physiotherapist is able to offer the following services during pregnancy:

• assessment and treatment of back / pelvic pain
• assessment and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and other pregnancy related conditions
• access to pregnancy hydrotherapy classes (no charge for classes)
• provision of wrist splints and back supports when required
• general advice on lifestyle factors and self-help measures to encourage and maintain good posture and prevent injury
• pelvic floor exercises for good bladder and bowel control, and prevention of other issues

We offer a pregnancy or postnatal warrant of fitness assessment – for more info click here

Did you know 60% of women experience problems with bladder control during pregnancy?

All the ligaments in the body remain loose for some time after giving birth. This means repeated lifting of children, car-seats and pushchairs can make you more susceptible to injury. We can help treat problems with the pelvic floor, back, neck, shoulders and wrists.

Pelvic floor physiotherapists can help women after childbirth. We provide treatment after Caesarian Section or vaginal delivery. 

• back / pelvic pain and other musculoskeletal conditions
• exercises for good bladder and bowel control
• advice and self-help measures following perineal tears or episiotomy
• general strengthening programmes
• advice on returning to exercise
• advice on posture and back care
• rectus diastasis (abdominal muscle separation)
• coccyx pain
• prolapse
• sexual pain
• rehabilitation after Caesarian Section
• release of scar tissue around episiotomy or Caesarian scars.

Your physiotherapist will be able to check your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal / core strength. You will be given advice on when to return to exercise and what sort of exercise is appropriate.

Birth related trauma is common. This may be physical and / or emotional trauma. It may affect you straight away or many months later, and may be related to an event or events that occurred in pregnancy, during the birth, or afterwards. We are used to dealing with these sensitive issues and can help you get the right help – including physiotherapy treatment with us, and referral to a therapist for emotional support.

Pre-operative care

Good pelvic floor muscle function reduces the risk of recurrence of symptoms following bladder, bowel or prolapse repair surgery. Your physiotherapist can assess your pelvic floor muscles and start you on an exercise programme.

You will also get advice on what to expect post-operatively, and how to care for and protect your pelvic floor during the first six weeks. You will be told how early it will be safe for you to start doing pelvic floor exercises.

Post-operative care
Even if you didn’t get to see a physiotherapist prior to your surgery, it’s never too late. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and learning to modify daily activities will help prevent recurrence.

Post-operative treatment involves:

• pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation
• general fitness and conditioning for both daily activities and exercise
• advice on return to sport and exercise
• advice on long term maintenance exercises and lifestyle modifications to maximise surgical outcomes.

Regular exercise has many known health benefits, but for some people, certain exercise may not be “pelvic floor safe”.

Did you know?……  there is a link between certain types of exercise and increased risk of pelvic floor problems (e.g. incontinence and prolapse)

Times when you may be more at risk include:

• during pregnancy
• after childbirth
• during and after menopause
• as you get older
• when you are participating in high impact or high intensity exercise training

We can help identify whether you are at risk of causing pelvic floor problems with undue stress and pressure on the pelvic floor as a result of inappropriate exercise.

You will be given a personalised pelvic floor strengthening programme, and advice on activity modification to ensure you do not damage your pelvic floor.

Your pelvic floor physiotherapist will also advise you on when it is safe to return to sport after childbirth.

Most women begin to experience hormone changes in their mid to late forties, with the onset of menopausal changes. This leads to thinning of tissues, and potential weakness in the pelvic floor muscles.

Together with age related changes, this can cause symptoms such as:

• Bladder and bowel leakage
• Difficulty emptying the bowel
• Prolapse
• Painful sex

Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help to lessen the impacts of these changes as you age.  Your pelvic floor physiotherapist will help you to strengthen and rehabilitate your pelvic floor. You can also get help with mobility and general strengthening, and advice on pain relief.

We all know that exercise is beneficial for good health, but as we age there are certain things that should be avoided – to help stop pressure on the pelvic floor that may result in incontinence and prolapse. We can help you choose safe exercise options, to protect your pelvic floor and keep you in control.

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy can offer help with:

• loss of control of the bowel, or accidents
• loss of wind at the wrong time
• prolapse of the bowel
• difficulty fully emptying the bowel
• constipation / straining
• bloating
• urgency to get to the toilet

Bowel dysfunction causes a lot of distress. Treatment involves a thorough assessment to determine whether relaxation or strengthening is required.

Your Physiotherapist will give basic dietary advice and education on positioning and techniques to aid full emptying.

Did you know….10% of New Zealanders have problems with leakage from the bowel?

Following surgery for removal of the prostate, most men experience significant loss of bladder control, and erectile dysfunction. This can be very distressing.

There is good evidence that improving pelvic floor muscle strength can make a big difference in:

• reducing the amount of urinary leakage
• reducing the time it takes to become dry again

An appointment with an experienced pelvic floor physiotherapist means that you can be sure that you are doing your pelvic floor exercises correctly. We have various biofeedback options to help with this if necessary.

We are able to:

• customise your pelvic floor muscle exercise programme
• progress the exercises appropriately
• provide feedback and motivation
• teach you how to use your pelvic floor muscles with daily activities (eg walking, sit to stand, bending and lifting) so that you don’t leak

You will also be given advice on:

• pad use
• return to exercise

Your pelvic floor physiotherapist can also guide you with penile rehabilitation to help with earlier return of erectile function.