What is Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
Women’s health physiotherapy is the therapeutic treatment of all disorders affecting the pelvis and pelvic floor. From incontinence to prolapse, pelvic pain or constipation, there is growing evidence that physiotherapy can alleviate, and in many cases cure these symptoms. Our women’s health physiotherapy partners are experienced in treating women through pregnancy, post-natally, through menopause and beyond!
What can I expect at my women’s health appointment?
Your assessment and treatment will be tailored specifically to you and your presenting complaints. We will start with a detailed history which will be taken in privacy – we are very sensitive to the fact that these conditions may be difficult to discuss.
Your physical assessment will most likely begin with examination of your abdominal muscles, pelvis and lumbar spine – these structures house your all important pelvic floor muscles; a dysfunction in one of these areas can result in dysfunction elsewhere. If appropriate, you may then be offered an internal examination. This is an important part of your assessment and necessary in identifying the tone, strength and control of your pelvic floor muscles. Using finger palpation the pelvic floor muscles and connective tissue will be assessed for injury or scarring, signs of pelvic organ prolapse, muscle tone, tenderness, sensation and neural sensitivity. Following which, the pelvic floor muscle will be tested for strength and endurance. It is important to determine if the left and right, superficial and deep pelvic floor muscles are working together, and if not, why not.
The physiotherapists can then develop you a specific and individualised treatment and exercise programme. The assessment findings will be discussed with you and treatment will depend upon findings and your symptoms.
Conditions we treat
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness vs Weakness
- Pelvic organ Prolapse
- Pelvic pain, including Pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain
- Incontinence
- Constipation
- Urinary frequency and urgency – Including overactive bladder syndrome
- Pudendal nerve injury
- Intersistitial Cystitis
- Vaginal pain including vaginismus and Vulvodynia
- Diastasis recti abdominis muscle – tummy muscle separation post-natally
- Perineal/episiotomy and caesarean section scarring
Treatments we offer
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises
- Biofeedback and muscle stimulation for pelvic floor muscle retraining
- Internal pelvic floor muscle release
- Perineal and scar massage
- Diagnostic ultrasound for pelvic floor retraining and abdominal muscle recovery
- C-Scar massage
- Pilates for pregnancy and post-natally
- Post natal rehabilitation
Megan Vickers
Megan graduated from Brunel University in 2006 and has experience within both the NHS and private practice as a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist. In 2010 Megan joined The Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates institute and completed her training in women’s health Physiotherapy.
Megan’s training and experience in musculoskeletal, pelvic floor and obstetric physiotherapy is a unique combination. Megan understands the relationship between our skeletal alignment and the muscles that they house, always treating the body as a whole. Megan specialises in manual therapy, pelvic floor release and pelvic floor retraining. Megan also uses acupuncture to improve muscle tone and function as well as relieving pain. Megan works regularly with ladies pre or post- gynaecological surgery to strengthen and rehabilitate the muscles of the pelvic floor to alleviate symptoms and enhance recovery.
Megan also enjoys working with ladies in pregnancy and post-natally; treating pelvic girdle pain, tummy muscle separation (diastasis recti abdominis (DRA)) and pelvic floor dysfunctions including stress urinary incontinence. Megan has a keen interest in the return to sport and fitness post-natally and rehabilitating women through pelvic floor injury or dysfunction to full fitness.
Anna Woolley
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, BSc (Hons) Animal Biology, M Level Acupuncture, MCSP, MHCPC
APPI Certified Pilates Instructor
Cassie Wiles
Cassie has worked within the NHS and private sectors as a Charted Physiotherapist since 2014. She began specialising in Women’s Health physiotherapy after the birth of her first child, when she worked as a specialist MSK physiotherapist with a Women’s caseload. She now specialises as a Women’s Health physiotherapist.
Cassie has experience in the treatment of diastasis recti, incontinence following child birth, pelvic pain conditions, pelvic organ prolapse, and pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain
Cassie has supplemented her physiotherapy skills by completing the APPI Pilates instructor training, initially specialising in Mat work and Ante and Post-natal classes.
