Pregnancy
We are extremely passionate about treating pregnant women. The changes that occur to the body during pregnancy are incredible and are all triggered by a hormonal response. Your abdominal muscles lengthen, your pelvis becomes more mobile, your pelvic floor lengthens, your uterus grows, your bladder gets more elastic and compressed, your ribcage changes, and there are increases in your circulating blood volume by up to double. These changes are all designed to help you carry your body through your pregnancy and aid your baby in its safe birth.
Sometimes though, it is not all smooth sailing. Know that if any issues arise then we are here to help. We will guide you through pregnancy and arm you with the knowledge to understand how to support your changing body with exercise, lifestyle changes and manual therapy. We strongly believe that there is a lot that can be done to prevent some issues occurring in the first place and that every pregnant woman would benefit from an assessment by a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.
What do we do
Assessment and treatment of common musculoskeletal issues including:
Pelvic girdle pain, sacroiliac joint pain and/or pubic symphysis pain
Low back pain
Thoracic and rib pain
Neck pain
Wrist pain and Carpel Tunnel syndrome
Assessment and management of abdominal wall function using Realtime Ultrasound with advice on preventing and managing abdominal wall separation
Assessment and management of pelvic floor concerns including:
Labour preparation: perineal massage, pelvic floor release and how to push in labour
Incontinence
Symptoms of increased pelvic floor tone or tightness including: painful intercourse (dyspareunia), coccyx/ tailbonepain, constipation, bladder pain
Birth skills including:
Active birthing skills
Birth positions
Optimising baby position with body balancing techniques
Pregnancy exercise classes
