What Makes Women’s Health Physio A Unique Field
An emerging field of physiotherapy that is building considerable momentum in recent years is women’s health physio. It has become increasingly popular due to acknowledgement and appreciation that there are female specific health issues that generally lie outside the scope of a traditionally trained physio. Pregnancy and childbirth set women’s health apart from men’s health with conditions including pelvic area pain, abdominal separation, and a need for postnatal functional retraining making it a specialist field. Many female specific complaints will thrive with the individualized and distinctive care that can only come from someone who is both knowledgeable and understands exactly what makes them special.
A Team Approach Generally Achieves The Best Results
Through being located next door Eternal Doctors a well respected Eastern Suburbs medical practice with specialty in women’s health means that at The Movement Centre we have the capacity to work closely with an excellent medical team to help guide our patients through any necessary recovery and restoration of function. Through experience we have found it frequently vital with female specific care that a team approach works best and as such at The Movement Centre our physio team works closely with treating doctors to ensure we achieve the best outcomes for our patients.
Common Conditions A Women’s Health Physio Treat
There are a number of conditions that are specific to females, pregnancy and child birth. Conditions that a women’s health physio can assist with include:
- Pelvic floor muscle weakness
- Pelvic girdle pain including SIJ and/or pelvic instability
- Back, rib and thoracic pain
- Pubic symphysis diastasis
- Abdominal Separation (Diastasis Recti)
- Return to exercise post pregnancy
- Pregnancy safe exercise options
- Osteoporosis, osteopenia activity guide lines and exercise for improving bone strength
- Pre-and post operation physiotherapy
- Sacroiliac and coccyx pain seen as being associated with the changes the body goes through when carrying a baby in pregnancy and postnatal.
Physio For Women Of All Ages
At The Movement Centre we have experience in treating women of all ages and are dedicated to providing expert level physiotherapy care to help women of all ages through all stages of life. Ranging from children and young women in their teenage years, through to post-menopausal women and beyond. Whether you are seeking help for pregnancy-related back pain or are simply wanting to be guided with respect to safely returning to exercise postnatally our Randwick physio team are here to help. We begin the process by performing a thorough history and examination to identify any contributing and causative factors, enabling the prescription of a personalised treatment program. Achieving optimum results by involving you throughout the process in order to achieve optimum results.
Musculoskeletal Dysfunctions And Pregnancy
At the Movement Centre we aim to provide expert level management of common musculoskeletal dysfunctions that have the capacity to produce pain and limit quality of life throughout pregnancy, post-natally and beyond. Including addressing pelvic girdle pain, pubic symphysis dysfunction and pain, sacroliliac and coccyx pain all associated with your body’s changes in carrying a baby, preparing for and giving birth.
as well as lumbo-pelvic, hip dysfunction, low back pain, and thoracic, rib and further afield cervical pain.
Not Just Spine And Pelvic Related Pain
Overuse complaints in the hand and wrist are relatively common during pregnancy and postnatally, frequently being the result of the repetitive duties required in caring for a new born. Common conditions we see at The Movement Centre include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Dequervain’s tenosynovitis
- tennis elbow
Whilst our bodies are essentially designed for giving birth, at The Movement Centre we recognize that things don’t always go to plan and these changes can come at a cost. Regardless if they are changes associated with your body working to accommodate the carrying of and caring for a baby, or as you adjust in and around menopause, we are here to help guide you.
Exercise As Therapy
At The Movement Centre it is not surprising we consider movement medicine and emphasize this in the way we practice. So if your body is going through changes and you need guidance regarding what exercise is right, suitable and safe for you then we can assist. Areas a women’s health physio team can guide our patients with regard to exercise include:
- Advice and guidance around ways to safely continue or starting exercise during and after pregnancy as well as menopause.
- Physio guided Pilates for increasing strength and control to prevent and treat many musculoskeletal aches and pains
- Maintaining a fit and healthy body during pregnancy
Pregnancy, Post Natal And Exercise
Having a baby is one of the most significant changes a women’s body ever experiences. Sadly the joy of carrying or having new baby is sometimes overshadowed by pains and functional loss. We are here to help guide you through this exciting stage of life. At our Randwick physio practice the management of conditions of a number of conditions associated with having a baby can be addressed through physiotherapy and exercise. Exercise as a women’s health physio approach we offer includes:
- Specific post-natal exercise
- Post-natal Pilates guided by a physio
- Strengthening after pregnancy
Menopause, Osteoporosis And Exercise
There is a significant drop in oestrogen levels at menopause, this along with other hormonal changes and any potential physical inactivity can mean a loss in bone density. A loss that can sometimes occur at an alarmingly rapid rate. Maintaining muscle strength and size and the associated mobility, function and independence that comes with it, more and more becomes a priority as we get older. A Randwick women’s health physio team can offer advice for:
- Managing your osteoporosis
- Offering falls prevention advice and training to reduce falls risk through strengthening and safe and appropriate and balance exercises
- Resistance exercise guidance using weights to improve overall bone health
- Physio guided Pilates for strength, mobility and osteoporosis management
If you have any questions about the aches and pains, functional limitations or the changes your body is going through in and around pregnancy or menopause then a women’s health physio is a fantastic starting point to get some solutions.
