I hope you find the articles on this website helpful. But each person has an individual story and journey. Many problems need to be individually understood, assessed in the flesh, and treated according to your specific situation.
FIND A SPECIALIST PHYSIOTHERAPIST TO TALK TO
If you feel that you would like to talk to a physiotherapist about your personal situation, your needs will be best met by a physiotherapist who has specialised in “Women’s Health”. Also sometimes referred to as ‘obstetrics’, ‘gynaecology’ or for pelvic floor problems sometimes ‘urogynaecology’. She will have knowledge of all the issues that arise during the childbearing year, the menopause, after surgery or other gynaecology problems and will have specialist skills for treating them.
Specialist physiotherapists, like myself & Tara, have passed exams to become full members of the Professional Network of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP) or to train to offer a Mummy MOT.
PELVIC FLOOR ASSESSMENT BY A SPECIALIST PHYSIOTHERAPIST
There is so much that a specialist pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you. Especially to improve internal muscle strength, endurance and co-ordination.
Through post-graduate training we have the skill to properly assess and examine the pelvic floor muscles with a vaginal examination. We do this in a kind and gentle way. We will put you as much at ease as we can, aiming to help you understand how they work.
Once, together, we have a better understanding of where your muscles are at presently, we can then show you how to help them to grow. Also to improve your skill at using them to prevent incontinence and improve internal organ support.
It’s not just up/down squeezes! We have lots of different ways to the standard exercises you may have already tried! We have tips & tricks to encourage proper muscle activation. Also interesting exercises, even great gadgets, that can show you what you are doing and help your muscles work.
FIND A PHYSIO NEAR YOU
Rather like dentist services you can choose between NHS and private physiotherapy.
NHS PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES
Across the whole UK all the NHS maternity services have a linked specialist physiotherapy service. Most commonly known as the Women’s Health Physiotherapy department or Obstetric Physiotherapy. Your midwife, GP or health visitor will all be able to put you in contact with your local team.
In many areas of the UK you can now self-refer to physiotherapy. For example if you live in Cambridge PhysioDirect is a self-referral telephone consultation and triage service.
PRIVATE PHYSIOTHERAPY
Most private physiotherapy practices predominantly treat sports injuries and orthopaedic problems. They will be more than happy to help you with a straightforward back or pelvic issue. However, you may wish to work with a specialist ‘women’s health’ physiotherapist for a pelvic floor or pelvic girdle pain problem. It they don’t have a specialist women’s health physio working with their clinic, ask them to recommend the nearest one to where you live.
Use the great directory at www.thepogp.co.uk or www.themummymot.com or www.squeezyapp.com to find a specialist physio near you. Of course if you are in Cambridge then do visit our beautiful calm clinic in Great Shelford! Contact us to ask a question or book an appointment.
