Should I see a Women’s Health Physio?
We often get asked loads of questions about women's health /pelvic floor physios (WHO). In this blog we are going to answer the most common questions, let you know why we love WHP's so much and why we think you should book yourself in.
What is a Women’s Health Physio?
A WHP is different to a standard physio in that they specialise in all things pre and postpartum and help to treat issues such as;
Pregnancy related pain
Pelvic girdle pain and instability
Sacroiliac Joint pain
Sciatica,
Pelvic floor health during and after pregnancy
Urinary or fecal Incontinence
Pelvic floor dysfunction
Prolapse
Abdominal separation,
Pain related to intercourse
Overactive bladders
Constipation
Vaginal pain
General postpartum musculoskeletal pain.
Should I see a WHP Postpartum before I start exercise?
We advise all women to get checked over by a WHP to assess the health of your pelvic floor muscles, ensure you are doing your pelvic floor exercises correctly and get assessed for Diastasis recti.
Most women in NZ get medical clearance to start exercise at 6-12 weeks postpartum from a GP or Midwife but this does not cover an internal assessment of pelvic floor and very really are the abdominals checked over.
We believe having a pelvic floor and abdominal check postpartum is essential. To us it seems crazy that we can grow a human for 9 months, give birth to a baby and then often not be checked over physically to see where things are at!
Most women suffer some form of damage to their pelvic floor muscles so it’s super important you have a good understanding of where your pelvic health is at and what you need to do to improve it. Often a lot of pelvic health issues go undiagnosed simply because the majority of women in NZ do not get a physical examination after having a baby. When returning to exercise it’s even more important as some exercises can make things worse.
How soon can I see a WHP postpartum?
It's best to wait until around 8 weeks postpartum. If you haven't been to see one and you are months or even years down the track, it's never too late to late! Once postpartum always postpartum! It's also important to note that some women experience pelvic health trouble that have not had babies - a WHP will also be able to help if this is you.
Can I see a WHP during pregnancy?
Having a WHP on your team pre-birth is a fantastic idea! If you are suffering any sort of pregnancy pain, or pelvic issues or just want to see how your pelvic floor is functioning then you totally can see them during your pregnancy. They are fantastic for prevention rather than just treatments post birth.
Is it worth the money?
We know it can be expensive but it really is worth the investment to know that everything is okay, or if not what needs to be done to get things back on track. It's also worth having a conversation with your GP to see if you can get on a waitlist for a public funded appointment.
What if I have had my baby and everything feels sweet? Do I still need to see someone?
Even if you feel like everything is fine in our opinion it is essential just to be sure everything is okay. Many pelvic floor issues can be asymptomatic meaning you don't feel there is a problem but there is and later down the track you might start to notice things.
What happens at the first appointment?
Generally speaking the first appointment is getting to know you, your birth/s and postpartum recovery/s and discussing if you have any issues that are bothering you. It's all about getting to know each other!
Often they will explain the PF and core anatomy in basic terms so you understand as things progress. If you feel comfortable they may ask to do an external assessment of your tummy to check for a separation and see if you are able to engage your PF & Transverse. - If you can't they will teach you how and show you exercises.
They then may ask to do an internal assessment, this is completely up to you. May women do this on the second or 3rd appointment once they feel more comfortable. The internal assessment is generally not painful at all. Sometimes physios have the ability to do real time ultrasound so you'll be able to see your PF contract and relax on the screen!
After the assessment they will give you a great understanding of what is happening with your body and if necessary provide you with an individualised action plan.
Sometimes no follow up appointments are required, other times there may be some follow up sessions to see how things are progressing.
Why we love WHPS:
No matter how good us trainers cue PF activations during workouts, your pelvic floor is an internal muscle and we cannot see it. A WHP will give you details of how your core and PF are functioning and where things may need improvement.
A WHP is the only way for you to know if you are doing your PF exercises correctly, unfortunately a huge number of women do them incorrectly.
If you don't get an assessment from the inside out with a WHP then there is no real way of making sure you don't have something going on that may worsen down the track.
Individualised care! Everyone's birth and postpartum experience is different and everyone's pelvic floor will withstand pregnancy and birth differently, same with abdominals. We at She Moves can offer genetic PF support and activations but we are unable to prescribe exactly what YOU need. For example - you may have a hypertonic (too tight pelvic floor) therefore if we were to tell you to do 3 sets per day of long holds it may make it even tighter. An individualised plan will give you much more and get you results faster.
Where can I find a WHP?
Here at She Moves we offer physio referrals!
How does it work? we get on the phone/zoom and have a quick consultation with you, we complete a referral letter and then match you with a great physio! Not only this we’ll give you quick fire exercise advice and you’ll receive a check list to ensure you get the MOST out of your physio session! Find out more here
We hope this helps, if you have any questions please reach out to us! Key message is: You don't know what you don't know and knowledge is power! It's the most amazing piece of mind when you have been, when you know where you are at, what to do, have a plan in place to resolve any issues that you may or may not be having and when you don't have to second guess yourself as to whether you should or shouldn't be doing a specific exercise.
Ren & Jen X
