WOMEN'S HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPY
Physiotherapy offers effective treatment and management for a variety of problems that are unique to women’s health.
These problems can include urinary incontinence (urge and stress) and pelvic organ prolapse. We offer acupuncture to aid menopausal women in symptom management and for certain pregnancy related problems. For ante natal and postnatal women, we offer Mummy MOTs, treatment for sacroiliac joint or pubic symphysis dysfunction, diastasis recti (separated stomach muscles), pelvic girdle pain as well as exercises and advice for a graded return to sport.
Physiotherapists are uniquely skilled to use a variety of techniques to address these problems. At Wallace Practice, our women’s health practitioner Hazel Groves, is specially trained in assessing and treating these problems in a way that is discreet, sensitive and tailored to women’s needs. Utilizing manual therapy, acupuncture and techniques to correct muscle imbalance, Hazel will aid you in achieving self-management and muscular stability.
Hazel Groves
Women's Health Physiotherapist
Grad. Dip. Phys., MCSP, HCPC Reg., MAACP, MPOG
Hazel qualified in 1984 and worked in the NHS for 10 years. She then moved to Newcastle Sports Injuries Clinic and enjoyed her experiences there before moving into private clinics that offered a mixed patient case load of musculoskeletal, sports injuries, occupational health dysfunctions and women’s health. Since 2012 she has undertaken further training in Urinary Stress incontinence, Pelvis Organ Prolapse, Acupuncture for Pregnancy related conditions and Women’s Health (including Menopausal symptoms) and Bladder Pain Syndrome. She enjoys Lumbo-pelvic musculoskeletal dysfunctions; treating them manually and the applying a muscle Imbalance approach to achieving muscular stability and self management.
Our Services
1
Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (DRA)
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The Rectus Abdominus is our vertical abdominal or our “six pack”. The Diastasis Rectus Abdominus is caused by a thinning of the ligament between the 2 muscles.
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We commonly see patients who experience this postnatally. It is increasingly believed that 100% of women will have a DRA by 35 weeks of pregnanacy but it should resolve by 8 weeks post-delivery.
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There is an increase in DRA menopausal and post-menopausal women.
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It can occur in both women and men and have nothing to do with pregnancy or hormones but how we use/ train our abdominals.
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Physiotherapy treatment is aimed at assessing the underlying factors and providing an individual specific programme of exercises to retrain the abdominals.
2
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
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PGP describes pain in the joints that make up your pelvic girdle. It can give you a wide range or symptoms with varying severity. The pain can be in your pubic symphysis at the front and /or the sacroiliac joints at the back. The pain is often felt over the pubic bone into the groin, lower abdominals, across one side or both sides of your back and it can also go into your buttocks or your “hip bones”.
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Around 1 in 5 people can experience PGP in their pregnancy.
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Physiotherapy would involve assessment of the pelvis girdle, followed by specific treatment and/or advice about how to manage it.
3
Prolapse
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It is thought that 1 in 3 women who have had children will have a prolapse.
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A prolapse may involve the bladder, bowel, rectum or the uterus.
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A prolapse maybe mild with little or no symptoms and it is not necessarily progressive. However, it maybe be moderate or severe and cause a lot of symptoms and affect your quality of life.
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The common symptoms are a feeling that something is coming down or a feeling of heaviness. It may also be associated with urinary or bowel symptoms, pain or sexual symptoms.
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Physiotherapy would involve assessment of the pelvic floor, trying to identify and address underlying factors. We can then provide an individual management programme.
4
Incontinence
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People can have incontinence of urine(wee), faeces(poo) or flatus(wind).
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There are different types of incontinence:
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Stress incontinence is leakage with coughing, sneezing and activity.
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Urge incontinence is the sudden urge to go to the toilet.
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Mixed incontinence is a combination of both of the above.
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Physiotherapy would involve assessment of the pelvic floor to ascertain how the muscles are working; if there is weakness, overactivity, tightness in soft issue and trying to identify and address underlying factors. We can then provide an individual management programme.
5
Mummy MOT
A Mummy MOT is a specialist postnatal examination for women following both vaginal and C-section deliveries. It will assess how your posture, pelvic floor muscles and stomach muscles are recovering after childbirth. Your Mummy MOT physiotherapist will provide you with gentle exercises and treatment to help with your recovery – and get you back on track with your fitness goals. These appointments are suitable for those who have reach 8 weeks post natal onwards.
For more information regarding Mummy MOT please click below.
