- Stress urinary incontinence accounts for 24% of this population
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse effects 40-50% of adult women
Urinary Incontinence affects 40% of women and 10% of men in the UK
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor muscles are a layered group of bowl-shaped muscles at the base of the pelvis. They act as a supportive sling to our internal organs. They are important in controlling continence, supporting the pelvis during pregnancy and delivery, our sexual health and general daily function.
What are the signs of a pelvic floor dysfunction or reasons who may need a pelvic health assessment?
- Urinary: Incontinence, urgency, increased frequency, urine leakage when you sneeze/laugh/cough
- Bowel: Incontinence, urgency, constipation and straining
- Sexual health: Pain during sex, vaginismus
- Prolapse: Symptoms of heaviness or a dragging sensation
- Feeling pressure in the vaginal area
- Vaginal or rectal pain
- Lower back and pelvic pain
- Pregnancy: lower back and pelvic pain, pelvic girdle pain, issues with controlling your urine
- Post-natal: abdominal wall weakness, pelvic floor weakness
Pelvic health physiotherapy – what to expect:
A pelvic health physiotherapy assessment involves a detailed discussion regarding your symptoms and past history. A thorough musculoskeletal examination and pelvic floor muscle examination may be required. Designing a detailed and patient centred rehabilitation programme based around your goals to treat your symptoms
What do we treat?
- Pregnancy – treating musculoskeletal pain and pelvic floor dysfunction
- Post-natal rehabilitation including assessment of pelvic floor muscles, abdominal muscle assessment and returning to exercise safely
- Bladder issues including stress incontinence, urgency, over active bladder and voiding dysfunctions, bladder pain syndrome,
- Bowel incontinence and constipation
- Prolapse of bladder, bowel and uterine
- Pelvic pain syndrome
- Diastasis Recti (reduced control in abdominal muscles)
- Postnatal return to sport and exercise
- Perineal tears
- C-section scar tissue management
- Sexual dysfunction, vaginismus and painful sex.
- Vulvodynia
Do the exercises work?
A study looked at 31 trials involving 1,817 women of the effects of a Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) programme on urinary incontinence. From the results, after a PFMT programme, women with stress UI alone were eight times more likely to report cure and PFMT women with UI of all types were five times more likely to report cure. Women with stress UI undertaking PFMT were six times more likely to report cure or improvement, and PFMT women with UI all types were twice as likely to report cure or improvement.
Based on the data available, we can be confident that PFMT can cure or improve symptoms of stress UI and all other types of UI. Women undertaking PFMT were also generally more satisfied with their treatment and sexual outcomes. Side-effects were rare and, in the two trials that did report them, they were minor.
About Kate
Kate qualified from St. George’s University Hospital in 2016 with an MSc Physiotherapy degree, following the completion of her undergraduate qualification in Sports and Exercise Science in the University of Limerick.
Since then, Kate has worked for the NHS in St. George’s University Hospital and privately for the local Battersea Ironsides Rugby Club and private clinics in London. Kate is qualified in APPI pilates and has worked with ante-natal and post-natal clients in assisting with a strengthening programme based on their specific needs and pregnancy related musculoskeletal pathologies. Kate worked in Pelvic Health in 2017 before advancing her skills and became specialised musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapist in 2019. Kate’s passion always lay in Pelvic Health and in she returned to the Pelvic health team and has now qualified as a Highly Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist.
An appointment with Kate will involve a discussion of symptoms followed by a thorough musculoskeletal and a pelvic floor assessment, if required. The treatment involves a combination of education and information, manual therapy, pelvic floor myofascial release, acupuncture, and evidence-based exercise prescription all aimed at achieving the goals that the patient has set out to accomplish.
Kate is a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy CSP, The Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP). As a marathon runner and keen cyclist, Kate is passionate about injury prevention and rehabilitation. She works closely alongside her clients to ensure they achieve their goals.
For more information on Kate or to book an appointment with Kate please contact 0207 870 0313 or contact us at info@physioonthegreen.com
References:
https://www.csp.org.uk/frontline/article/pelvic-floor-muscle-training