You do not need a referral to see a Musculoskeletal or Pelvic Health Physiotherapist.

Your appointment may involve taking a closer look at your body and how it moves. This will give us a better understanding of your symptoms and what might be the problem. Please bring shorts and a vest top if you would prefer not to be examined in your underwear.

What happens during a pelvic floor assessment?

We’ll start by having a chat about your symptoms, medical history and any concerns you may have. We may also talk about your bladder and bowel habits, pelvic health, exercise and any activities that are important to you.

We’ll then look at how your body is moving and how your breathing, core and pelvic floor are working together.

An internal pelvic floor examination may be offered as part of your assessment. This can help us understand the strength, coordination and function of your pelvic floor muscles and tailor your treatment to you.

An internal examination is always your choice. We’ll explain everything beforehand and you can ask questions or choose not to have one at any time.

A postnatal check is usually recommended from around 6 weeks after birth, particularly if you would like a pelvic floor assessment, as this gives your body some time to heal and recover.

That doesn’t mean you have to wait until 6 weeks. If you have any concerns about pain, movement, abdominal separation or how your body is recovering after birth, we can see you sooner.

Everyone’s recovery is different, so if you’re not sure when is the right time for you, just get in touch and we can help.

Absolutely, we know the difficulties of organising childcare. We have baby changing facilities and a seated area to allow you time to feed your baby.

Yes, you can still come along to your pelvic health assessment if you’re on your period.

If you’re happy to, we can still carry out an internal pelvic floor assessment. However, if you would feel more comfortable waiting until you have finished menstruating, you’re very welcome to reschedule your appointment.

It’s completely your choice, so please get in touch if you’re unsure and we can chat through the options with you.

Yes. Bladder leakage is common, but it isn’t something you just have to put up with.

There are two main types of urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is leaking that happens when there is an increase in pressure through your abdomen, such as when coughing, sneezing, exercising or during everyday activities.

Urgency incontinence is when you have a sudden, strong urge to empty your bladder and may leak before you reach the toilet. This can be related to how your bladder stores urine and the signals between your bladder, pelvic floor and brain.

Your pelvic floor muscles play an important role in maintaining bladder control. They help to keep the bladder closed during movement and activity, as well as helping to calm urgency and delay emptying when needed.

During your assessment, we’ll look at how your pelvic floor is working alongside your bladder habits, lifestyle and movement. From there, we can give you personalised advice and treatment to help improve your bladder control and get you back to doing the things you enjoy with confidence.

Yes. Pelvic health physiotherapy can help with symptoms of constipation, particularly when there are difficulties with emptying your bowels or increased tension in the pelvic floor muscles.

During your assessment, we’ll look at how your pelvic floor is working and whether this may be contributing to your symptoms. We’ll also talk about your bowel habits and lifestyle and look at simple ways to help optimise your bowel function.

This may include advice around hydration, diet and toilet positioning, as well as helping your pelvic floor muscles to relax and work more effectively when you empty your bowels.

It’s not always as simple as doing more pelvic floor exercises (Kegels). If your pelvic floor feels weak, it’s important to understand how your muscles are actually working first.

You may need some guidance with your technique to make sure you’re doing your exercises effectively and using the right muscles.

Sometimes you may need a little more support to help you connect with and activate your pelvic floor muscles. This may include techniques such as biofeedback or neuromuscular electrical stimulation, depending on what we find during your assessment.

Your pelvic floor exercises can then be tailored to you, rather than simply doing more of them.

Yes. During perimenopause and menopause, changes in our hormone levels, particularly a reduction in oestrogen, can affect the tissues around the vagina, bladder and pelvic floor.

These changes can affect the hydration, strength and support of the tissues and may contribute to symptoms such as bladder or bowel changes, pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse.

Your pelvic floor muscles are like any other muscles in your body – they need to be working well to support you. This doesn’t always mean simply making them stronger; sometimes we need to look at how well they relax, coordinate and work during everyday activities and exercise.

Pelvic health physiotherapy can help you understand these changes, assess how your pelvic floor is working and give you the right advice and exercises to support you through perimenopause, menopause and beyond.

Yes. Your pelvic floor muscles play an important role in supporting your pelvic organs, including your bladder, bowel and uterus.

Pelvic health physiotherapy can help with the conservative management of prolapse and reduce symptoms such as heaviness or dragging. We’ll look at how your pelvic floor is working, as well as pressure management and ways to reduce unnecessary load through the pelvic floor.

This may include pelvic floor exercises and looking at your bladder and bowel habits, including ways to optimise your bowel function and reduce straining.

If your prolapse symptoms are significantly affecting your bladder, bowel or sexual health, we may also recommend that you speak to your GP or have a review with a gynaecology specialist to discuss other treatment options.

Yes. Pelvic health physiotherapy can help with pain or discomfort during sex. There can be many reasons for these symptoms, including pelvic floor muscle tension, hip and pelvic mobility, scar tissue following birth or surgery, and hormonal changes after having a baby or during menopause. Emotional wellbeing, previous experiences and trauma can also play a part.

Pain can be complex, so during your assessment we’ll take the time to understand your symptoms and look at how your pelvic floor muscles may be contributing.

Treatment will be tailored to you and may include helping the pelvic floor muscles to relax, working on mobility and addressing scar tissue where appropriate.

Sometimes additional support from other healthcare professionals may be helpful, and we can discuss this with you if needed. Our aim is to help you feel more comfortable and confident and support you in returning to a healthy and enjoyable sex life.