BLADDER health

• URINARY INCONTINENCE

• stress urinary incontinence

• urge with or without incontinence

• OVERACTIVE BLADDER

The pelvic floor muscles are involved in evacuating or retaining fluids when appropriate. For example, if the pelvic floor muscles are not able to adequately meet the demands of the downward pressure from activities such as: coughing/sneezing, carrying/lifting, bend/squat, push/pull, walk/running/jumping, for example. This can result in leaking, which is stress urinary incontinence.

Another concern may be an overactive bladder, urge, or frequency, which may or may not involve incontinence. This can look like: having to hurry to the bathroom, needing to use the bathroom frequently throughout the day, leaking before getting to the toilet, having to go to the bathroom several times through the night, you may think you have a “small bladder.”

Pelvic Organ PROLAPSE

This often occurs postpartum, and it is a bulge of one or more of the pelvic floor organs (the bladder, uterus, or rectum) into or out of the vaginal canal, to vary degrees. You may feel a heaviness or pressure “down there” and symptoms can improve or worsen with certain positions or the time of day.

Vulvar PAIN

• DYSPAREUNIA

• VULVodynia

• VAGINISMUS

• vestibulodynia

• Pain with Sex

• vaginal pain

This pain could be provoked with intercourse or with the insertion of a tampon for example. It could also be unprovoked, meaning nothing in particular brings on the pain.

The pain could be described as: burning, stinging, raw, sharp, scratchy, and knife-like.

This is very common, but often women suffer in silence, possibly because we think it is normal or we don’t know where to seek help. Unfortunately, advise such as “just relax” or “drink of a glass of wine” is given, however, this may not be helpful and there are other options.

Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA)

This is a thinning and spreading of the connective tissue (linea alba) that connects the two sides of the abdominal wall together, which can occur during pregnancy or post-partum. If this shifts far enough apart it can create a “dip” or “gap” down the middle of the abdominal wall. This is important to address as it can hinder your core’s ability to work properly, which can have a negative impact on the quality of your movement.

PreNATAL HEALTH

• PREVENTATIVE PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES

• PREPARATION OF THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES FOR DELIVERY 

• pregnancy health

It is a common myth that you have to wait until the post-partum period to seek care from a pelvic health physiotherapist. It can be beneficial to book an appointment while in the perinatal period. During this period, women may experience issues such as, bladder/bowel control, or low back/pelvic pain, for example.

It can be helpful to prepare the pelvic floor muscles for delivery. Learning how to relax the pelvic floor muscles can allow for a delivery with less strain.

Read more about how we can work together to prepare for delivery and reduce tearing during labour.

If you are wanting to begin or continue to engage in physical activity, but have some concerns or pain, we can address this and tailor a program that will work for you.

POST partum HEALTH

• "RE-EDUCATION" OF THE PELVIC FLOOR and ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

• PAINFUL INTERCOURSE POSTpartum

My aim is to work with you to help you to move comfortably through this new phase of life. During this time you may have concerns with bladder/bowel control, dropping of the bladder, uterus, or rectum (pelvic organ prolapse), stretching of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti abdominis), painful intercourse, or low back/pelvic pain.

POST CESAREAN SECTION

Care post C-section can be overlooked, some think because they did not have a vaginal delivery they do not require the same care. However, regardless of the method of delivery, the body had the same stresses over the past 9 months. This can impact your pelvic floor, core, and lumbopelvic region.

Additionally, it is important to properly care of the C-section scar post-partum to avoid issues such as adhesions later on.

LOW BACK AND/OR PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN

This can include pain experienced around in the low back, pelvic region, or sacroiliac joint. It can be felt across the back, buttock region, or into the thigh. It can be very debilitating and frustrating, and although it may be common to experience one or both of these, but there are options to help alleviate it.

Bowel Health

• Constipation

• Fecal incontinence

Constipation:

• Several factors can contribute to constipation and any underlying medical issues should be ruled out. Evacuation is one role of the pelvic floor muscles, however, in some cases the pelvic floor muscles are not able to adequately relax and allow for movement. Functioning of the pelvic floor muscles, scanning for a pelvic organ prolapse, as well as, assessing activity level, fibre and fluid intake, are assessed during a pelvic health physiotherapy visit.

Fecal incontinence:

• As mentioned above, the pelvic floor muscles are involved in evacuation, they are also involved in retaining stool. If the pelvic floor muscles are not able to adequately meet the demands of the downward pressure from activities such as coughing or laughing for example, this can result in fecal incontinence.