“There is Physiotherapy for my lady parts???!”
Notes to all the women out there:
- Young women should know that painful menstruation cycles could be caused by tight pelvic floor muscles and seeing a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist can provide helpful tips how to manage and alleviate these symptoms.
- Women should know that intercourse should never be painful and Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy can provide education, exercises, stretches and strategies to eliminate this problem.
- Every pregnant woman should see a Pelvic Floor physiotherapist if she is experiencing:
-lower back pain affecting her sitting, standing or walking tolerance
-pelvic pain and uncomfortable pressure
- Every postpartum woman should see a Pelvic Floor physiotherapist to address the following:
-strength: exercises to properly strengthen the pelvic floor muscles but also to learn how to relax these muscles to prevent
incontinence and prolapse issues in the future
-Scars: either vaginal/ perineum tears or C- section scars to make sure scar tissue won’t cause any pain in future
-abdomen: to ensure your abdominal muscles are not suffering from separation (diastasis recti) possibly causing chronic lower back
pain. Physiotherapists can provide you with a gradual strengthening program that is safe
- Physically active women should see a Pelvic Floor physiotherapist if they ever experience:
-leaking during exercise
-strong urge to void as soon they start to run or walk (even though you peed minutes before exercising)
-feeling of pressure or bulge during or after exercise
- 53% of women age 65 and older reported symptoms of urinary incontinence on a regular basis ( www.statcan.gc.ca)
- 4 out of 10 women still report painful sex 18 months after childbirth ( www.webmd.com)
- 44% of women have some degree of uterine prolapse according to Tye Women’s Health Initiative in the US
by Lucia Mathieson- Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist