Women’s Health Physiotherapy

Specialist Women’s Health Physiotherapy appointments are available on a week day evenings at Innercore Clinics Leeds.

Professional and sensitive physiotherapy service for pregnancy related pelvic & back pain, also physiotherapy input for urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence and prolapse.

 

Do you suffer from pregnancy related problems such as:
  • Low back or pelvic pain in pregnancy
  • Post natal low back or pelvic pain
  • Swollen hands or feet
  • Weak or separated stomach muscles
  • Pelvic floor weakness
  • Weak bladder
  • Weak bowel
  • Pain in the pelvic floor after delivery
Do you suffer from pelvic floor problems such as:
  • Weak pelvic floor muscles
  • Bulging dragging sensation in the vagina
  • Prolapse
  • Leakage from the bladder with exertion
  • Leakage from the bladder with urgency
  • Lack of control of the back passage
At Innercore Leeds, we provide a sensitive approach to assessing your symptoms in order to produce an optimum programme of treatment based on you as an individual.

Treatment may include:
  • Acupuncture
  • Stability exercises
  • Gymball exercises
  • Pilates
  • Advice on appropriate use of support
  • Massage
  • TENS
  • Pelvic floor education
  • Visual feedback of exercises, (biofeedback)
  • Pelvic floor weights, (cones)
  • Pelvic floor muscle assistance
  • Electrotherapy

Care for your bladder and your bowel
The Pelvic floor muscles run from the front to the back of the pelvis. These muscles have many functions including supporting your pelvic organs, to wrap around the openings to your bladder, vagina and bowel. They also function during intercourse and orgasm.

Pelvic Floor muscles can become weak and lead to problems with bladder and bowel function; prolapse or sexual dysfunction. There are many risk factors for developing weak Pelvic Floor muscles; lack of use, pregnancy, child birth and surgery, are a few of the major risks, however other lifestyle influences can also add to the symptoms, these include lifting, coughing and straining etc.



Womens health symptoms and treatments

Bladder Symptoms

The Pelvic Floor muscles wrap around the opening to the bladder. If the Pelvic Floor muscles are weak this can lead to leakage of urine from the bladder with a cough, laugh, sneeze or with a feeling of urgency. At Innercore Leeds, we have the skills to provide specialist Pelvic Floor rehabilitation to improve the symptoms which can limit or prevent you from leading a normal quality of life.

Bowel Symptoms

The Pelvic Floor muscles wrap around the opening to the bowel as well as the bladder.
This means that weakness of the muscles can also cause reduced control over bowel motions. This could be difficulty controlling solid, liquid or gas. At Innercore Leeds, we will ask you about your bowel habits as well as well as your bladder. We like to provide an overall approach to improving distressing symptoms arising from your Pelvic Floor.

Sexual Dysfunction

As the Pelvic Floor muscle passes from the front of the pelvis to the back, it circles the vagina to provide support and closure. Weakness to these muscles caused by childbirth, surgery or lack of pelvic floor muscle exercise, can lead to reduced sensation or pain during intercourse. This can impact on the enjoyment of your sexual relationship and therefore your relationship. At Innercore Leeds, we appreciate the effect these symptoms can have on your self esteem and confidence and we are committed to supporting you to improve. These symptoms will be discussed in your assessment if you feel you would like to raise the issue to the therapist’s attention.

Treatment for Pelvic Floor Care

Treatment for bladder/ bowel leakage or weak Pelvic Floor muscles will include Pelvic Floor exercises and lifestyle advice, in addition to this you may be offered treatment to help motivate you in your strengthening process, this may include cones, biofeedback, electrotherapy or acupuncture.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

This involves exercising the muscles in order to improve strength and therefore reduce symptoms occurring from weak Pelvic Floor muscles. Research shows that if a lady can perform a successful contraction of the Pelvic Floor muscles, doing specific exercises on a regular basis, (4-6 times per day), is as effective as any other treatment for strengthening the muscles. Pelvic Floor exercises are a vital part of a rehabilitation programme for the Pelvic Floor, without these exercises, improvement is very limited.

Cones (weight training)

When the Pelvic Floor muscles lose strength they can also lose endurance. Cones are specifically designed to improve the endurance of the Pelvic Floor through regular training.
Cones come in two sizes and come with various small weights to put inside the cone. The cone is inserted into the vagina and left in place for 2-10 minutes aiming to build up time and weights. Normal activities should be encouraged with the cone in position and this may be progressed to star jumps, stairs and jogging etc.
(*Cones are individual patient use and are not suitable for all ladies, for example those with a prolapse).

Biofeedback

Biofeedback can be used on most muscles in the body and the Pelvic Floor muscle is a key muscle to use it on, since there is limited ability to visualise the Pelvic Floor muscle during a contraction.
Biofeedback involves inserting a small, specifically designed vaginal probe into the vagina and attaching the probe with wires to a biofeedback unit. This unit can then measure the strength of the Pelvic Floor and provide visual feedback of what is occurring during the contraction.
Biofeedback helps the lady to see if she can contract the muscle instantly, if she can keep it contracted as long as she thinks she can, and if she can fully relax afterwards. It also measures strength and is therefore a great tool for measuring improvement.

Electrotherapy Vaginal Stimulation

When the Pelvic Floor muscles become weak they can sometimes need assistance to help strengthen them. This can be achieved through vaginal stimulation in addition to Pelvic Floor exercises. This involves placing a small specially designed probe* into the vagina for 10 to 20 minutes of electrotherapy. This will be set up by the qualified Physiotherapist depending on what your individual symptoms and Pelvic Floor strength are at the time of your assessment.
(Probe is single client use).

Sacral electrotherapy

Sacral electrotherapy is for ladies suffering from urgency or frequency of the bladder, (needing to rush to the toilet or needing to visit the toilet more often than normal).
A current is delivered through sticky pads which are carefully positioned on the lower back. This current stimulates the skin and sends messages to the brain to reduce the feeling of needing to empty the bladder. This works well alongside bladder re-training to improve bladder habits.

Acupuncture

Weak Pelvic Floor muscles and bladder/ bowel symptoms can sometimes lead to associated pain. Needling specific points on the body in 20-30 minute sessions can sometimes help relieve pain and allow the symptoms to be treated.

 

Questions regarding womens health treatments

What will my first appointment consist of ?

At your initial consultation, you will sit down with the therapist and discuss your current symptoms and problems. You will be asked a long list of questions about your bladder, your bowel, your lifestyle and your medical background. This information will help the therapist to see what your problems are, how this is affecting your lifestyle and activities and what you are hoping to achieve.
This will then allow the therapist to explain what may have lead to the current problems, how to prevent the symptoms from getting worse and hopefully how to improve the quality of your life by improving your control of your bladder, your bowel or your prolapse.
At this appointment you will be taught Pelvic Floor exercises and other lifestyle advice.

What will my second appointment consist of?

At your second appointment you will be examined to assess your Pelvic Floor muscles. This will allow the therapist to record how much muscle is there to start with, how strong the contraction is, how long you can hold the contraction for and how many repetitions you can manage. It does not matter if your Pelvic Floor muscles are weak at this point. This assessment will help the therapist to set individualised treatment recommendations for you. This may involve the recommendation of stimulation, biofeedback, weight training, (cones), bladder desentisitation, (sacral electrotherapy) bladder retraining and further lifestyle changes.

How often will I come for appointments?

This will depend on your symptoms and what you would like to achieve. Some ladies may like a one off appointment just for advice on what they should be doing, other ladies may need intensive treatment with short term and long term goals. Once you have had an assessment and treatment has been recommended you can decide with the therapist on what treatment will suit you and the timescale you would like to work with. (The therapist will be realistic with you in what she feels you will be able to achieve and in what timescale).

What if I find it difficult to attend appointments?

At Innercore we can be flexible to suit your needs. Depending on the treatment you need you may be able to have this treatment at home and attend appointments at a lesser frequency to suit you, (please note some treatments require regular attendance such as acupuncture).

Can I bring someone with me to the appointment?

Making the step to seek help for your problem can be a daunting task and you should feel proud of yourself for taking this step. Sometimes this can feel easier if you involve your partner or a close friend. At Innercore we are happy for you to attend the consultations with a companion if this makes you feel more at ease. Alternatively some ladies feel they would like to attend on their own, and this is fine too.

What if you offer me treatment and I don’t like the idea of it?

When the therapist discusses treatment with you she will base it on your individual assessment and therefore the treatment will be what she feels is most suitable for you. However it is of utter importance to us that you to feel at ease when attending treatment sessions and this is why treatment plans will be agreed between you and the therapist with all of the explanations taken into consideration.

I have a pre-existing medical condition, will this limit the treatment options available to me?

As part of your initial consultation the therapist will ask you about your medical background. This is to make sure that any of the treatment offered does not affect any other health condition you may have. The therapist is highly trained and is able to advise you on if your condition prevents you from having the treatment of choice. IF you require further information with regards to your specific medical condition you can email Jodie directly.

What will the stimulation feel like?

Many women do not like the sound of “Vaginal stimulation” and fear this will be painful or uncomfortable. This is NOT the case. The treatment will alternate between a contraction and relaxation phase mimicking the pelvic floor contracting and relaxing. It will feel like pins and needles or a tingling sensation. You are in control of the intensity of the pins and needles and will only turn this up to a level you are comfortable with.



Our physiotherapist specialising in the area of Women’s Health is Jodie Edwards.  Jodie is a state registered physiotherapist with post-graduate experience in Women’s Health.

Jodie studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and qualified with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiotherapy in 2003. Jodie is both Chartered and State Registered. To work within the NHS any Physiotherapist must be State Registered, which is your guarantee that your Physiotherapist is considered fit to hold the title of Physiotherapist.

Jodie has attended many post graduate courses and is currently studying towards a Masters degree qualification in Women’s Health at Bradford University.

For more information or to arrange an appointment contact Jodie
 

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