Women's Health Physiotherapy

If you are clinician working with post natal women this is the talk for you.

For the most up to date evidence about returning to exercise after childbirth and how best to support your clients on their journeys to where they want to be.

We have limited spaces available so don’t hesitate to book via Grandstand.

All proceeds are going to charities and to help women in difficult situations have a bit more support.

When is the right time to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist?

This is a question I get asked a lot and here is just a short guide to help.

The key areas are in pregnancy, post partum and any changes that happen with peri-menopause and menopause.

During these times women go through enormous changes in their bodies both physically, psychologically and hormonally that can offer up many challenges.

Women’s health physiotherapists are uniquely placed to help women during these difficult periods.

We undergo specialist post graduate training to become specialists in this field and are to help you navigate this period alongside your GP and Obs/gyny.

There are different ways to treat and manage a prolapse. But without intervention the symptoms of prolapse usually worsen over time.

Treatment depends on the severity of the prolapse and how it affects your normal routine.

The most common pelvic organ prolapses are stage 1 and 2 prolapses. Regular sessions with a pelvic floor physiotherapist can help in most cases. You can also trial a pessary.

Pessaries are devices that health professionals insert in the va**na to support the pelvic organs. They are a non-surgical way of managing prolapse. Pessaries are available in different shapes and sizes. The most common type is a pessary ring.

You can be taught to insert and remove some types of pessaries yourself, which may reduce the number of visits to your health professional.

Vaginal oestrogen cream can also be a useful adjunct to help support the va**nal tissues if needed.

If you are experiencing symptoms of prolapse discuss your options with your GP and seek help from a Women’s Health Physio.

Everyone’s birth experience is unique and different.

For some women this can be a very difficult time that can be very distressing and traumatic.

Finding the words for what you may have experienced can be difficult.
Sometimes it’s easier to write it down to help organise your thoughts if talking about it feels too much. This can be the first step to processing what has happened.

Friends, family or your mother group can be a good place to start.

If you feel you need health professional support you can contact your GP, Psychologist, Women’s Health Physio, Observatory/Gyny or a Counsellor.

Birth trauma is still a relatively new area of focus and finding the right person to help is an extremely important part of your recovery process.

So the decision to put this talk together has come about over the past 6 months following my rabbit hole search into all things postpartum and sport related for potential further study next year.

There is still so much we don’t know about this area but there is also so much great work that has been done.

Women’s sports has seen such a exponential growth rate in the last 10 years at all levels with the Paris Olympics, for the first time ever, having 50:50 participation for both male and female athletes.

So with this growth as clinicians there are many considerations to incorporate into a postpartum assessment and how best we support an athlete returning back to their sport after birth.

So if work with women in this area - physios, exercise physiologists, personal trainers, coaches this talk is for you.

First things first:
Stop suffering in silence. If you wake up two or three times a night to go to the bathroom, you aren’t alone. If you have discomfort during s*x, you aren’t alone. If you wet your pants after jumping on a trampoline with your kids, you aren’t alone. In fact, according to research one in three women will experience a pelvic floor disorder during her lifetime.

Even with current societal norms, it’s a taboo conversation topic. We talk about high blood pressure and diabetes at the dinner table, but hardly bring up prolapse [sagging of the organs], incontinence, or pelvic pain. Some still have a view that these topics should carry a level of shame, which leads to patients being hesitant to talk to their friends, families, and doctors.

Seeking advice from a qualified medical professional like a pelvic floor physical therapist or a doctor specialising in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery is essential for proper treatment of pelvic health disorders.

These changes have been made to the clinical protocol for Mastitis by the ABM as there have been several key changes that significantly shift what we thought we knew about Mastitis.

Mastitis is now described as a spectrum - not one sole thing. Oversupply (hyperlactation) is the first marker, this can then lead to painful inflammation which causes narrowing of the milk ducts (previously called a ‘plugged duct’), which could then progress to inflammatory mastitis.

So what we previously called ‘plugged ducts’ are now more accurately described as “ductal narrowing,” which means that using cold compress and other anti-inflammatory treatments should be used to manage mastitis instead of what was previously advised in guidance - heat (the opposite!).

Also that we previously were advised that extra pumping was the way to go that would help to drain/unblock the breast - we know know that may actually exacerbate the problem. Similarly vigorous massaging is now thought to actually just be more uncomfortable and painful - and not actually help solve the problem!

You can take a look at the new mastitis protocol here yourself for more details:
https://www.bfmed.org/assets/ABM%20Protocol%20%2336.pdf

Hey Mammas just wanted to give an enormous shout out to all the amazing Mums on maternity leave.
It ain’t no walk in the park!!
This is not leave, not a holiday, not endless coffee and cake dates!!!
This is bloody hard work and some days are really fun and enjoyable, some are complete custard and you feel you are drowning!!
Sometimes it’s all of these things within the space of 1 hour!!
What a trip it is !!!

Just remember you are bloody amazing !!!

Urinary incontinence is weeing or leaking urine without meaning to.

Incontinence affects women, men and children of all ages, physical ability and background. There are however some health conditions and life events that can put you at an increased risk of developing either urinary or faecal incontinence.

* Over 5 million Australians – 1 in 4 people aged 15 years or over – experience bladder or bowel control problems. This number is predicted to grow to 6.5 million by 2030.

*80% of people with urinary incontinence are women.

* 1 in 3 women who ever had a baby wet themselves.

* Strong pelvic floor muscles are necessary for bladder and bowel control and good s*xual function.

* Pelvic floor muscle exercises have been shown to prevent and treat incontinence at any age.

*Less than 2 out of 10 women (17.6%) do their pelvic floor exercises daily.

* 70% of people experience incontinence do not seek help.

INCONTINENCE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT A PERSON’S QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT HELP IS AVAILABLE.

With the Olympics in full swing I think we all have a little bit of that running fever on board !!!
This year there are record numbers of Mums competing and for the first time ever there is a nursery in the Olympic village.

But returning to running after childbirth can be a difficult task with many elements to consider.

A recent paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Deering et al gathered over 100 experts in the field to reach a consensus on how best to help Mums return to running.

The process is multi factorial and requires the support of health professionals and should be slowly progressed and monitored so as to avoid the increased risk of pelvic floor symptoms or musculoskeletal pain.

There is still a wide range of elements that we still do not know about in the research regarding post partum training but this recent paper does form a solid template for Mums and clinicians to work with.

Participation and inclusion of women in sport has grown exponentially in the last 50 years. This year at the Paris 2024 Olympics, for the first time, there is equal representation of men and women across all sports. As sport becomes more inclusive women are able to increase longevity in their sporting careers with more common interruptions for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery being a part of that process.
With more women continuing to play sport after having had children there is a need to support them through their post partum care.
Women’s Physiotherapists are uniquely placed to offer this support and allow women to return back to what they love doing safely and without risk of injury.
So if you have recently had a baby and want to begin to run again or play netball or tennis etc please reach out to a Women’s Health Physio to help you through this process.

Coming soon

What an utter joy and privilege to be a small part of the journey to the World Sprint Outrigging Championships for these totally amazing women. They are full of spirit, positivity, passion and fun and the ultimate definition of what it is to be a team. I couldn’t be prouder to support them, you girls are the bomb 🙌🙌🙌
Have the best best best time in Hawaii you are complete superstars 🤩🤩🤩

*tdone

What a fabulous weekend spent in the company of amazing women who are honing their skills in the world of Pelvic Health Physiotherapy.
I have to say this is one of my all time favourite things to do for work and I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to be able to do it.
Thank you to all the attendees, the future of our professional is in great hands.

Pelvic floor muscles are pretty awesome and pretty important when it comes to pregnancy, birth and recovery.

1. Having good functioning pelvic floor muscles in pregnancy will protect you from symptoms such as urinary leakage, perineal heaviness and va**nal prolapse.

2. Knowing your pelvic floor muscle function will assist you in labour. Pelvic floor muscles must release and elongate to allow your baby’s head to descend during birth. Learning good pelvic floor relaxation and lengthening can be practiced and taught and mastered before labour begins. This can be done with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.

3. It is important to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles after birth.
Prioritise rest in the first few weeks to allow for optimal healing.
The pelvic floor muscles stretch more than 200% in labour so they might need a bit of help to recover.

4. At around 6 weeks post natal, it is highly recommended to review with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist for an assessment to gain advice for optimal recovery.

5. Studies indicate that 1 in 5 women complete pelvic floor muscle contractions incorrectly by bearing down instead of drawing up. It is important to have a check up to ensure the practice you are doing at home is useful and not hindering your pelvic floor function.

So if you are pregnant, just about to have a baby or are post partum. Check in with your local Women’s Health Physio, it will be a game changer.

Birth injuries and birth trauma affect women in so many ways:

Impact in mental health
Impact on relationships and work
Misdiagnosis/delayed diagnosis
Medical Gaslighting
Fear or isolation
Ability to be physically active
Effect on s*x life and intimacy
Affect of future births and growing family
Affect on being able to care and looking after toddler/kids

We need to do more to support women through ante-natal and post natal care.

If you are worried or concerned re the impact of a birth injury please contact your GP, Women’s Health Physio or Obs/Gyny Dr.

You do not need a referral to see a Women’s Health Physio.

Help is out there, please reach out.

This is such a strong graphic about the prevalence of incontinence in Australia!!

Research shows that 76% of people with incontinence have not sought help for the issue despite the evidence in many cases, incontinence can be prevented, better managed or even cured.

One of the biggest issues for seeking help can be shame and also thinking it’s normal to have leakage, especially following childbirth or when we head into menopause.

It’s common but it’s not normal and there are great treatment options out there that are inexpensive, effective and do not require surgery and can really make a difference to your quality of life.

If you are experiencing leakage and you are concerned contact your GP or Women’s Health Physiotherapists. It’s definitely worth the call.

What does pelvic organ prolapse mean?

The pelvic organs, which include the bladder, va**na, uterus and bowel, are held in place by the pelvic floor muscles and supporting tissues such as ‘fascia’ and ‘ligaments’. These help to join the pelvic organs to the bony side walls of the pelvis and keep them in place.

Your pelvic floor muscles also work to support the pelvic organs from underneath. If the supporting tissues are torn or stretched, and you’re the pelvic floor muscles are weak, then the pelvic organs may not be held in their right place.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), occurs when one of the pelvic organs drops and may bulge or protrude into the va**na.

Non-surgical options

Prolapse can often be treated without surgery, especially in the early stages and when the prolapse is mild. This approach can include:

Pelvic floor muscle training with the advice of a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.

Understanding what caused your prolapse, and making necessary lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet, fluid intake, exercising and losing weight.

Being aware of good bowel and bladder habits to avoid straining on the toilet.

Having a pessary (a silicone device that fits into your va**na) carefully measured and placed into the va**na to provide internal support for your pelvic organs.

Surgical approach

Surgery can repair torn or stretched support tissues such as ligaments and va**nal wall connective tissue, to help support the pelvic organs.

The surgery strengthens the va**nal wall and helps the va**nal wall connective tissues better support the pelvic organs. A surgeon can advise the best option.

For more information, talk to your doctor or gynaecologist/urogynaecologist.

Some very exciting news is presenting a 1 day course for Hunter New England Health Physiotherapists this Saturday at the John Hunter Hospital.

The course is fully booked and includes physiotherapists from far reaching areas of the Hunter, some travelling up to 6 hrs!!

This shows the incredible dedication the physiotherapists will go to continue their learning journeys so they are better able to help and support their patients.

We feel very privileged to able to offer this course to these amazing clinicians and can’t wait to introduce them to the area of Women’s Health Physiotherapy.

To every beautiful Mumma today on Mothers Day this is just a little something to say, some days are spectacular, some are complete custard and some are just days.

You in every one of these days are truly amazing doing what you are doing with pregnancy, babies, toddlers, teenagers or adult kids!!!

None of this is easy, none of us find it easy but we are all with you, the mama tribe just little potatoes together!!!

Hope you all enjoy a little special something today ❤️❤️

Very honoured to be asked to speak at the Shared Obstetric Care Update at HMRI with Dr Frida Carswell from Thank you to everyone who attended in person and online and to the organisers of the event. 👏👏👏

Super excited to be asked to present alongside Dr Frida Carswell for this fabulous obstetric care update.
The learning couldn’t be easier you can either come in person and or log on from home or your car or wherever you maybe be.
It’s cool to be a nerd !!!

Very exciting news!!! 👏👏👏 is now offering specialist Physiotherapy services across two locations in Newcastle.

At Newcastle Specialist Centre with the amazing Newcastle Obstetrics and Specialist Ultrasound and a brand new location with the impressive in Hunter Street.

We have 3 dedicated physiotherapists who are specially trained and passionate about helping women of the Hunter region.
We want you be to thrive through pregnancy, be supported through birth and recovery to enable you to return to all your favourite activities.
We want women with peri-menopause and menopause symptoms to be heard and know there are treatment options available.
We want women to know they don’t have to suffer in silence, we can help.

Bookings can be made by calling 02 49526555 or 02 40928000 or via 0412592296.
Or email [email protected]

Could not be prouder to award Charlie Buchanan a scholarship award for the 24/25 water polo season. Every week she has shown up for her team, supporting and encouraging them and playing her little socks off!! She has amazing potential, a brilliant attitude and is just the best team mate. Good luck for next season bravo indeed 🙌🙌🙌

This is a great short information film from about exercise in pregnancy and some considerations to be made as an athlete or regular exerciser. Definitely worth the 20mins watch.

https://youtu.be/RP5npv2xK3I?si=Qy346sLH252jDmgl

Women’s health physiotherapy is a non-surgical treatment used for a wide variety of women’s health problems

Women’s health physiotherapy can help with pregnancy, post natal, pain, prolapse, incontinence, constipation, effects of menopause, return to sport/exercise after birth and much much more.

Due to hormones, structural makeup, pregnancy and childbirth, women require specific advice and treatment.

Women’s Health Physiotherapists have a unique skill set that allows them to assess and treat a wide range of issues and problems that women may face at the various stages of life.

So if you are concerned or worried about your body or its function, or if you are in pain, you may benefit from seeing a Women’s Health Physiotherapist who could help.

Fantastic welcome to Penny who is joining the Women’s Health Physiotherapy Team on Monday 4th March.
Penny has extensive Women’s Health experience and is super passionate about looking after women through pregnancy and post partum.
For an appointment with Penny please call the clinic on 49526555 and the admin team will be able to assist you.

A very interesting insight to the latest research for returning to running post partum. Definitely worth a listen for all clinicians and mums on this journey.