Women’s Health
See below how our women’s health specialist, Lyndsey,
can help with incontinence, prolapse as well as ante- and post-natal physiotherapy..
“Time to feel good again”
How Benji Physio can help
Ante-natal physiotherapy – Let's get you ready for this baby
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The last thing you want in the last few months of pregnancy is pain – as if feeling bloated and massive all the time wasn’t enough!
Because of the little one(s) growing inside your tummy, there is a higher load on your back which can become quite painful. In some cases, the stress on the back is so great that it causes sciatica, which is a trapped nerve in your back that causes pain down your leg.
Also, the increase of the ligament’s laxity in your pelvis (caused by progesterone to prepare your body for birth), means that your ligaments can feel stretched and cause pain. Pelvis girdle pain, for example, causes issues in your lower back as well as at the front (where the pubis symphysis is located).
Find the cause
By staying in pain during your pregnancy, you will become weaker quicker. This could lead to more struggle during labour and could increase the recovery time after birth. And most of all, pain is not something you should simply have to accept.
Book your appointment now or arrange a free callback to ask your questions and make sure we can help you!
“Back pain and pelvis girdle pain during pregnancy is very common but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.”
Post-natal physiotherapy – Enjoy being a mummy
Did you know that women in France automatically get six sessions of physiotherapy after giving birth? It helps speed up recovery from pregnancy and labour significantly.
Recover Faster
Post-natal physiotherapy will help you to recover better and faster. Not everybody needs six weeks of treatment. But even getting advice on what to do (or not) and a specific exercise programme to help you get back to strength can make a big difference.
Seeing a women’s health physiotherapist early on can also help prevent and treat specific post-partum issues such as:
Incontinence
Pelvis organs prolapse
Abdominal muscle separation (Diastasis Rectus)
Back and pelvis pain
“If a football player tears a muscle in his leg, he gets crutches and physiotherapy, no questions asked.
But as traumatic pregnancy and delivery are for your body, there’s often no help in sight.
You’re expected to “get on with it” and walk out of the hospital within hours or days of giving birth.”
Incontinence
Incontinence is a very debilitating problem and can affect your life on a day to day basis. Whether it only happens when you’re doing your chores at home or when you’re running, incontinence can be different for every woman. The discomfort, however, is always the same.
A lot of women have difficulties to see their GP about problems with incontinence. They are often too embarrassed to mention it or they think nothing can be done about it, that it’s normal and just what happens.
Find the cause
Incontinence can be classified in two groups: The first one is called Stress Urinary Incontinence, the second is called Urge Urinary Incontinence or Overactive Bladder.
In spite of the name, stress urinary incontinence has nothing to do with you feeling stressed. It’s your pelvis muscles that are stressed and can’t cope, generally caused by giving birth or by menopause.
In case of an overactive bladder, incontinence happens because the bladder is not contracting at the correct times. When, for example, you have to get up a lot at night to pee (also called nocturia).
This is generally caused by chronic constipation, jobs involving heavy lifting or medical conditions that cause you to cough a lot.
“Let’s get rid of those little “oops” moments. – You know the ad, don’t you? We hate it.”
Prolapse
Do you feel a heaviness in your genitals or pelvis area or have you ever felt an abnormal lump when washing or wiping yourself? Do you suffer from lower tummy pain or do you have problems peeing? Is having sex uncomfortable?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you might be suffering from Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
Find the cause
A prolapse occurs when one of your pelvis organs (e.g. bladder, uterus, bowel or vagina) slips down and forms a bulge at the entrance of your vagina.
“Although non-life-threatening, this condition can be very uncomfortable and disrupt your daily life. Prolapses are generally caused by childbirth (esp. multiple), menopause or by long-term constipation.”
Women's Health physiotherapy – Change the outcome
During your initial assessment in our physiotherapy clinic in Dunfermline, Fife, Lyndsey, our women’s health expert, will talk about you, your issues and how they affect your life.
Lyndsey will then run a full physical assessment (which often includes a gynaecological assessment) to work out exactly what you need.
How can we help?
We strongly believe that if you understand your symptoms, you can manage them better. So we will always make sure you understand what caused incontinence, what can help you get better and how to avoid it in the future.
Our women’s health specialist, Lyndsey, will then design a bespoke treatment programme which could include:
Exercises to strengthen your pelvis floor
Bladder retraining (for incontinence)
Neuro-stimulation (using a small machine helping you to see your pelvis muscle better; for incontinence & prolapse)
Massage
Exercises
Taping
TENS
Acupuncture
Advice on support belt to take off some of the pressure on your back or pelvis