Pelvic health and continence issues can be due to a wide number of conditions or reasons. They can also affect ANY person irrelevant of their gender, age or child-bearing status.
At Full Circle we understand how someone's pelvic health issue can have a significant impact upon their quality of life and also what a life-changing experience physiotherapy can have to improve this. Due to the nature of many pelvic health issues still being taboo, it is still common to hear that people simply put up with them or are unsure of who can help. That is where pelvic health physiotherapy shines a light.
We fully appreciate that this is a personal and somewhat intimate topic to talk about, however we will always ensure that every client is heard, understood and supported during their time within our care and it will be done in a professional, sensitive and caring manner. If you are experiencing ANY of the following conditions or symptoms, then we would be more than happy to assist you with these:
- Bladder issues such as: Stress Urinary Incontinence, Urgency Urinary Incontinence, Frequency, Bladder Pain Syndrome, Urogenital Dysfunction, Overactive Bladder
- Bowel issues such as: Constipation, Fecal Urgency, Fecal Incontinence, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Haemorrhoids & Fissures, Defecation Dysnergyia
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Pre/post Gynaecological Surgery
- Pelvic Pain Syndromes (Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Vaginismus, Neuralgias)
- Sexual Pain & Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
- Perimenopausal Symptoms
Prior to your initial assessment, you will be sent a questionnaire to complete ahead of time so that we can grasp a better understanding of your main complaint. We then go through a thorough assessment of your pelvic health history as well as any other background information we may need (it can be helpful to bring a list of any medication that you may currently be taking.)
With regards to a pelvic health assessment, we will always aim to treat the person and not simply the issue that they are having and so we adopt a whole-body approach during this process. Having a better understanding that the pelvis is simply one part of a bigger puzzle, can be integral to fully understanding a complete picture of any pelvic health issue you maybe experiencing. Due to this, we will first observe your body posture, alignment and range of movement in standing and then observe your breathing mechanics, abdominal/trunk control and hip range of movement in lying. If you are happy we will then perform an internal examination either vaginally or rectally (this is not essential but can be helpful) so that we can establish your connection to your pelvic space.
Treatment may include manual therapy, soft tissue bodywork, fascial release, pain management advice/education, individual exercise prescription, education regarding bladder/bowel habits and your condition, acupuncture and/or biofeedback/E-STIM. The frequency and type of treatment will very much depend upon the individual and their clinical presentation.
At Full Circle, we endeavor to empower all our clients with the things that they can do to help themselves and improve their own situation. We are simply here to facilitate this process and help clients to better understand their own bodies and essentially make life-long changes that last.
