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03 443 7271 | 65 Minaret Ridge, Peninsula Bay,
Wanaka
| 15/5 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton Queenstown Free consult

All Services

Here is a summary of all of the unique and specific services that we offer at Pelvic Solutions.

We often combine multiple services to give you simply the best care, and help you get back to the things you love.

Women’s health services

Pelvic floor muscles strengthening

Getting these muscles optimised to their full potential is what we are best at! This is our jam! No flimpsy pamphlet and generic instruction given… we assess you fully, and get your started on how to get these wonderful muscles, power house strong, and able to respond to what you will throw at it. Your program will be individualised to EXACTLY what you need. We don’t want your pelvic floor muscles to be your weakest link! Sometimes that might involve pelvic floor muscles relaxation (link through to this service from the pain section) first, before we can work on the strength, power, co-ordination and endurance of these muscles. They have to be fast enough to catch those coughs and sneezes, and have enough endurance to last a full day on your feet! They have to have enough tone to support your pelvic organs, and be able to fully relax to wee, poo and have sex! They need to be able to respond to impact during a lift or a jump…. And if you follow our recommendations… who knows…. Maybe you just might be able to shoot that ping pong ball across the room!

We will even help you with tips and trick on how to fit these exercises into your day, so that you can keep up the great work life long.

Bladder retraining

Bladder retraining is for people who suffer from an urgent need to pass small amounts of urine more frequently than normal and may experience leakage with urgency.   Some people with no urgency pass urine frequently and they too may benefit from bladder retraining. 

The aim is to improve bladder control and increase the amount of urine the bladder can comfortably hold without urgency / frequency or leakage of urine.  We help to retrain the way you respond to the urgent desire to pass urine, and teach you how to suppress the urge until it is convenient to pass.  

We may request a bladder diary to record the type of fluid you drank, the volume and the time, as well as the volume and timings of the urine you pass.  We will request you to document the bladder sensation you feel when you need to go to the bathroom, and any episodes of urinary leakage.  

Birth preparation

We will assess that the muscles can relax well in order to ease delivery, and guide you through and assess the ‘nudge’ to get baby out and into this world.  Strong pelvic floor muscles leading into the birth will not only help with the delivery, but it is protective against pelvic pain and urinary incontinence after birth.  We will ensure you know how to optimise the strength and function of the pelvic floor to support you through pregnancy and improve your recovery.  We help with tips and trick on birth positions, specifically if you have pain or prolapse already, as well as preparing the perineum with perineal massage.  We want to ensure urinary incontinence and constipation is resolved before birth.

Sex and Intimacy during pregnancy

Many ladies tell us the fear having sex during pregnancy.  Some women have pain with sex, which can be on sign that the pelvic floor muscles might be a bit too tight.  We can help teach you how to relax the pelvic floor muscles, for pain free sex, as well as an easier birth.

Some ladies with their raging hormones can also have a huge appetite for gourmet sex  when they are pregnant!  Whatever you are feeling, it is ok, and we can help to reassure you.

Postural assessment

One of the first things we do in our assessments is look at how your posture is faring. Why? Our bodies and posture go through huge transformation throughout pregnancy and childbirth. All of your muscles and ligaments, which have softened and stretched to accommodate your bub, usually take some months post delivery to recover. Tummy muscles can also separate and the connective tissue through the midline can become stretched, causing something called diastasis rectus abdominus (DRA).

When the pelvis is tilted forward or back (think ‘butt tucking’ or ‘butt sticking out’ J-Lo style!) then the alignment with our spine, pelvis and rib-cage is compromised. This can throw everything out of whack, causing pain and constricting the breath.

All of this lengthening and weakening of our abdominal muscles can affect the control of our pelvic floor, spine and pelvis and depending on the level of trauma during birth, there can be varying degrees of perineal (pelvic floor) pain. This weakening or pain can happen whether you had a vaginal or C-section, and can depend on how long you pushed for or if you had any birthing injuries. Sounds fun!

Breathing assessment

It’s ALL about the breath. Restoring the breathing mechanics after pregnancy is always the first step. Without the right sort of breathing, other rehab on diastasis rectus abdominus or the pelvic floor muscles is null and void. Breathe, baby breathe!

Breathing right is the first step towards restoring our posture and our pelvic floor, getting the diaphragm and pelvic floor to work in synergy. Often, gentle hands on massage and myofascial release from our physiotherapists is the first step to get rid of any restrictions so our new mums are ready for breathing well, functional movement and getting their strength back.

Breathing chills us out, gives us energy and is our life force. When we breathe shallowly from stress, because of being squished from growing a baby, or breathe only in our bellies, we aren’t using the healing properties of breath to its full potential. If you’re popping up or flaring through the ribs, or if you’ve got a hypertonic (overly tight) rib cage, then everything else is affected. The body is a wonderful set of dominos, and the ripple effect is a biggie!

Return to running post natal assessment

Oh it feels good to run again post birth however over the 9 months that it takes to grow a baby you will have changes in your rib position, pelvis position, foot arch structure, pelvic floor and abdominal muscles just to name a few which can change your running technique and place increased stress on some structures.

During running the ground reaction forces travel through the body placing increased load on the pelvic floor and its associated structures causing stretching of the structure over time. This is increased if these structures are already in a weakened state…but never fear…there are many changes or supports we can offer such as pessaries to help support the pelvic organs and improve continence control.

Our running analysis is performed by an exercise scientist and pelvic health physio; Ingrid Vollweiler. These assessments provide a comprehensive evaluation of your structural changes post birth, pelvic floor status, breathing and running technique via real time feedback using smartphone and tablet apps.

Ingrid will identify possible reasons for leakage, heaviness, pelvic pain, other structural pain, risk of injury and areas for potential improvement in speed and efficiency. You will be given a specific exercise program and plan for your individual needs.

Strength, conditioning, pilates and functional movement

Ladies, we know that you want to return to exercise and movement ASAP following the delivery of your baby. We want that for you, too. The most important thing you can do however, for your own health and wellness, is to give yourself some time to heal and come in for a proper assessment to understand your pelvic health, before hitting the gym or pounding the pavement. With Pelvic Solutions on your side, you can take the right strategies moving forward to get you back to exercise safely and with support, to ensure no lasting damage and that all pelvic organs are where they should be. We want you empowered and confident – and that sometimes takes a little time. Whether you had your baby eight weeks or eight years ago, we can give you the tools and techniques to really understand your body and set up for success.

Many women put up with leaking during running or high impact sports and think it’s normal.  Although it is common, it’s never normal. There is plenty that we can do to ensure a safe return to exercise.

Prolapse management
Prolapse management

A prolapse often feels like a vaginal bulge or presents as pelvic/ perineal pressure or as lower back ache. There are loads of measures we give on how to help with your symptoms and we urge you to know that surgery does not have to be the first port of call.

Basically, we need to increase support from below the pelvic organs and reduce downward pressure from above the pelvic organs.  We have to make sure the bowels are working well and the bladder and bowel is emptying properly.

We can also provide support devices such as pessaries if indicated, which help support the bladder, uterus and bowel if they’ve dropped a bit. We can give you advice on appropriate exercise, when to rest with feet elevated in the middle of the day, management of constipation and respiratory conditions, weight loss and advice on avoiding / safe lifting.

Lifestyle advice

Reducing the downward pressure onto the pelvic organs and the pelvic floor can help improve prolapse symptoms. Common strategies that we see are ladies who are very grippy with their abs, creating pressure from above which can worsen prolapse symptoms. The way you breath also has a big impact on the ability of the pelvic floor to be able to support you. Improving things like chronic constipation (link through to this services tab) and chronic coughing can help take the load off too. Posture matters. Subtle postural changes can make the world of difference to prolapse symptoms.

Being a healthy weight matters when it comes to prolapse. We can help you with this and also work closely with other member of our trusted team to give you the best advice on how to become a healthy weight.

Pessary fitting

A pessary is a flexible silicone device that goes inside the vagina and can help improve the anatomical position of the pelvic organs, and relieve prolapse symptoms such as vaginal bulge, heaviness or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel. They can be worn all the time, or you can choose to wear them just when you need them, like in impact sport. Pessaries can also be used to improve urinary incontinence, as a rehabilitation tool for feedback of downward pressure into the pelvis during exercise and to facilitate pelvic floor strengthening.

No two vaginas are shaped the same, so there are a number of different pessary design options that may be of benefit, depending on your anatomy and type of prolapse.

All of our clients are taught how to insert, remove and self manage their pessary during a fitting. We work in collaboration with doctors to make sure that a pessary is safe and able to be used for each client.

Appropriate Exercise assessment and advice

Impact sport can cause downward pressure to the pelvic organs and the wrong kind of exercise, or exercise performed with poor strategies has the potential to make prolapse worse. We will assess to make sure your strategies and system is functioning well, and advise you on the most appropriate form of exercise after a full functional assessment. We want you to be able to do the exercise you choose, but in the right way, with the right strategies and support.

Running assessments can be completed to make sure you are using your dynamic stability system correctly, and minimal pressure is put on the pelvic organs.

Pelvic floor muscle down training / relaxation

Getting these muscles optimised to their full potential is what we are best at! This is our jam! No flimpsy pamphlet and generic instruction given… we assess you fully, and get your started on how to get these wonderful muscles, power house strong, and able to respond to what you will throw at it. Your program will be individualised to EXACTLY what you need. We don’t want your pelvic floor muscles to be your weakest link! Sometimes that might involve pelvic floor muscles relaxation (link through to this service from the pain section) first, before we can work on the strength, power, co-ordination and endurance of these muscles. They have to be fast enough to catch those coughs and sneezes, and have enough endurance to last a full day on your feet! They have to have enough tone to support your pelvic organs, and be able to fully relax to wee, poo and have sex! They need to be able to respond to impact during a lift or a jump…. And if you follow our recommendations… who knows…. Maybe you just might be able to shoot that ping pong ball across the room!

We will even help you with tips and trick on how to fit these exercises into your day, so that you can keep up the great work life long.

Pain education

The experience of pain is not necessarily mean there is injury or disease.  It is a brain output that causes pain and this is influenced by many things including stress, movement patterns, how you think and feel, and past experiences.  We aim to restore the ability of the nervous system to move and stretch as you move, with functional movement and rehabilitation. Movement combined with knowledge of other contributors to pain, can help liberate you from being in pain.

We use a biopsychosocial approach, with strong clinical reasoning strategies, to help address not only the physical aspects of the nervous system, but also educate about acute and chronic musculoskeletal, central and peripheral and neuropathic pain states.

Dry needling and acupuncture

Dry needling technique involves the insertion of acupuncture needles into taut muscle bands with the aim being to gain muscle relaxation, stimulate healing, and restore the normal nerve function.  Tension through muscles can contribute to postural problems,  faulty movement patterns and pain and by restoring muscle function  we can improve these issues.  We use dry needling in combination with other treatment techniques like manual therapy, functional movement retraining, and exercise prescription for lasting treatment effect.  It is reasonably common to experience a temporary ache in the area that has been treated for a few hours after treatment along with a welcome improvement in mobility.

We use acupuncture in combination with other therapeutic methods to encourage healing, reduce or resolve pain and restore balance and function to many areas of the body, including the internal systems (such as the bladder and gut). Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin and tissues at specific points on the body. Acupuncture can be a hugely affective treatment modality for a wide range of pelvic health and other health conditions.

Manual therapy

What is manual therapy? This is where the therapist uses their magical healing hands to manipulate or manually handle joints, muscles or nerves in order to restore mobility and relax or activate muscles. The physiotherapist team at Pelvic Solutions are post graduate trained in specialist manipulative therapy and consistently find amazing results with their clients.

We combine manual therapy techniques with dry needling and self-release exercises, which can include using balls or foam rollers, to release tight areas of the body and help our clients find lightness and freedom in their movements.

Defecation dynamics

The stools can come out easier if you are in the right position to allow the muscles to relax properly. Our friends over at Squatty Potty, have done a swell job at explaining how this works! We have toilet stools available for purchase at the clinic to help you poop like a unicorn. Whack your feet up on one so your knees are higher than your hips, to really feel the motion of the ocean when releasing the hamsters. Never strain but take your time, leaning forward and with your lower tummy completely relaxed and happy to ‘nudge’ the nugget.

We may need to work more intensively to teach you how to relax the muscles at the right time, as well as retrain what it feels like to have a normal sized poo in the rectum ready to pass, and responding to that sensation.  We advise on the best techniques for you to empty your bowel fully and regularly and combined with manipulation of the stools to be more soft, formed and easy to pass… this is a gateway towards the best poo of your life!

Fluid and fibre advice

Adequate fluid intake, spaced evenly across the day helps to normalise harder bowels. Drinking enough so that the urine is a pale yellow colour. Water is the best fluid. Limit caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol as these can dehydrate and cause bladder irritation.
Servings of vegetables and fruit throughout the day is important to maintaina healthy bowel. Eating both soluable and insoluable fibre is beneficial for bowel health. If increasing the fibre in your diet, it is recommended that you do it slowly to give your body time to adjust and reduce any side effects such as bloating or wind.
There are many kinds of fibre supplements that you can try. They are not laxatives, they are simply a type of fibre that you can take to top up your intake. You do need to take care as some can cause tummy upsets or can aggravate or cause constipation. The ratios of fibre supplements to water matters, so does the timing of when you take it depending in if you are trying to soften your stools, or if you are trying to bulk them up and make them firmer. Your therapist can help advise you on this.

LIfes changes
Lifestyle changes

Aim to do at least 30 minutes of exercise most days. Not only can this help prevent constipation, but it will help keep the pelvic floor toned and help you maintain a healthy body weight.  We can give you more specific advice about appropriate exercise.

We may ask you to keep a record of the types and frequency of your bowel motions, so we can see the habits you are in. We can then help advise about any change that you could make to improve your bowel routine and habits.

Menopausal assessment

Some of the common symptoms associated with menopause include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, bone loss, fatigue, heavy or irregular bleeding, incontinence (bladder and/or bowel), urinary urgency (the need to rush to the toilet to urinate) and urinary frequency

During menopause there are changes in the collagen and elastin within the body’s tissue, in particular it affects the pelvic floor. This can result is stretching and weakening of the fascia and muscles that support the pelvic organs as well as the sphincters that help with bladder and bowel control. This can potentially increase risk of pelvic organ prolapse and bladder and urinary incontinence. It is common for some women to experience low libido, sexual pain or discomfort during intercourse after menopause.

We can help to improve sexual desire and intimacy, reduce the effect of bone changes after menopause, how to keep the pelvic floor strong and healthy beyond menopause, and know pelvic floor safe exercises in menopause

Ingredients to create new pathways to pleasure

Creating new pathways to pleasure is possible.  Sex is one of the most asked questions we hear in the clinic. Everybody wants to know, but no one is talking about it! We get asked about everything; from pre and post-natal sex, to painful sex, to how to have the very best sex for YOU. Sex with yourself, sex with a partner of 1 week or 50 years.  Connected, toe-curling, intimate, joyful and roof lifting sex is not a distant spectre on the horizon. It should be yours to have and to hold, and we will exploring HOW.

We talk about sex a lot. Painful sex, lack of libido, problems with pleasure and intimacy, are all enormous issues. People are very relieved to talk about it and have often never been asked about it before, but it’s such a big part of their life. It can affect their relationships and their identities. Whatever the stage of a woman’s life, we want to support them having pain free and pleasurable sex. For a lot of women, it’s another area of tolerance; of putting up with it and getting it over and done with as quickly as possible. Do you know the anatomy of your clitoris? We teach all about this special treasure of pleasure in our clinic. We believe it’s healthy, normal and should be encouraged to learn about your body through self play. Seize the day by the short and curlies, and come and see us.

Lymphatic massage

Lymphatic massage works by stimulating the lymph nodes that may be remaining, then massaging the lymph fluid out proximally then distally and back to proximally. “Think of it like Auckland traffic; if the cars are so jammed up at the front, no one can get through. You have to move the cars strategically at the front and slowly work your way to the cars at the back to get them all working efficiently. If there’s something blocking the flow such as road works, like scar tissue from a C-section, you also need to work on this or it will continually block the flow. To work into the scar we use different massage techniques, dry needling and stretching exercises.  It is common to pass urine a lot after the lymphatic massage.

Scar management

Even after a surgical scar is completely healed and looks normal, many people experience discomfort from their scar.  Sometimes this can be felt as a sensitivity or discomfort when something brushes by the scar or when wearing certain clothing. Many women may also feel as if their abdominals or other muscles do not work how they used to. All of these problems may be caused by scar adhesions or restricted mobility of the scar.

Scar massage can help to break down adhesions by stretching the scar and restoring normal mobility to the tissues surrounding the scar.  Our therapists often combine massage with other manual therapy techniques to restore tissue mobility and functional movement.  We teach self massage so that rehab can be progressed at home too.

Pain management

We encourage natural ways to relieve pain after surgery.  We find many manual therapy techniques can help to relieve pain after surgery, and combined with other techniques like acupuncture and mobility work.  Our therapists can guide you back to safe, functional movement which is pain free, and guide you back to the exercise you want to be able to do, in a safe way.

Pregnancy exercise and education class
Pregnancy exercise and education class

Each class during the 8 week program will be individually thought out with medically proven exercises focusing on alignment, core strength, mobility and relaxation. Classes will benefit clients with abdominal muscle separation, prolapse, pain and other pelvic health problems.

Each week’s class will have a unique focus on important concepts, strategies and knowledge to remain healthy and strong throughout pregnancy.  The weekly outline includes alignment, diastasis (tummy muscle separation), breathing, preparing the pelvic floor, good bladder and bowel habits, fluid and nutrition, relaxation and preparing for birth and labour.  We will share our best tips and tricks that we know help our pregnant clients hugely.  You won’t be saying ‘I wish someone had told me this earlier!’

We also offer 1:1 or 2:1 individualised exercise instruction fro pregnant clients.

Post-natal exercise and education class

Our post natal exercise and education classes are a unique blend of carefully selected exercises to safely build strength, stability and flexibility and the information you need to know about post natal life such as incontinence, nutrition and hydration to heal, bowel care, diastasis recovery, restorative breathing, how to get a power house pelvic floor, and guide back to intimacy as well as higher intensity sport. Our physio-led classes are tailored to the individual.

The post natal classes will benefit Mums who delivered vaginally or via c-section. This class is most beneficial for those who have already had our full post natal assessment so that we can individualise the exercises you need specific to your treatment plan.  For details on the full post natal assessment please click here.

These holistic classes have been designed by expert pelvic health physiotherapists and an exercise scientist to assist and empower women to gain confidence in their bodies and return to full strength and fitness safely. We understand the impact pregnancy and birth have on the body and how to best support you in healing.

We also offer 1:1 or 2:1 individualised exercise instruction for post natal clients.

Men’s health services

Pelvic floor muscle training for men

Identifying the pelvic floor muscles and knowing how to feel a definite squeeze and lift action is the first part of being able to strengthen these muscles. Even men who feel just a small movement because of muscle weakness can improve! At first you will likely perform these exercises in lying or sitting. As these muscles strengthen you will progress to more functional positions such as standing. Your therapist will design a program specific to you.

We use technology such as EMG biofeedback to show how strong the muscles are and help teach you how to get the best activation for the perfect program for you. Optimisation of pelvic floor muscle strength will take 3-4 months of regular training of the muscles.

Remember to use your muscles when ever you exert yourself during daily activities. Pelvic floor muscle exercises can not only increase the ability to hold urine, but it can also help control an unruly overactive bladder.

Vacuum assisted devices

You can use a penis pump after a prostatectomy to help promote blood supply to the tissues of the penis, improve tissue flexibility, maintain penis length and size and encouraging nerves stimulation.  The use of assistive medications like viagra and cialis is recommended to help progress sexual function after surgery, and you can speak to your doctor about this.

Pumping may start 6 weeks after surgery, but you need to speak to your specialist before starting, as it may be required that you start later than this if there has been any surgical complications or you have scarring that is causing discomfort.

The pumps can also be used to assist sexual intercourse to obtain an erection and then place a constriction or C ring over the base of the penis to maintain the erection.

Behavioural and bladder retraining

The volume of urine passed each time by a normal adult will vary from around 250 – 400mls or about 2 cups. Most people with normal bladder habits can hold on for 3-4 hours between toilet trips. Most younger adults can go through the night without voiding (passing urine / peeing)

Bladder retraining is for people who suffer from an urgent need to pass small amounts of urine more frequently than normal and may experience leakage with urgency. Some people with no urgency pass urine frequently and they too may benefit from bladder retraining.
The aim is to improve blader control and increase the amount of urinary the bladder can comfortably hold without urgency / frequency or leakage of urine. We help to retrain the way you respond to the urgent desire to pass urine, and teach you how to suppress the urge until it is convinient to pass.

We may request a bladder diary to record the type of fluid you drank, the volume and the time, as well as the volume and timings of the urine you pass. We will request you to document the bladder sensation you feel when you need to go to the bathroom, and any episodes of urinary leakage.

Functional techniques to empty bladder better and prevent leakage

Learning how to empty the pipe (urethra) properly can help prevent the few drops that sneak out after you have finished emptying the bladder.

Learning how to use the muscles when you need them, and having them work properly with the rest of the urinary system can help significantly to reduce leaking.

Kid’s continence services

Addressing constipation

There are many simple self help measures that can be started to address constipation for a child.  We will help educate your child about how to improve fluid and fibre intake, how to sit on the toilet properly, for how long and when.  It is also important the child does not put off going to the toilet  when they need to poo.

Things like fear of sitting on a toilet, or sensory aversions around toileting can also be discussed and addressed.

Sometimes medication or fibre supplements are required to help with constipation and breaking down the poo stuck in the bottom.  We work closely with our trusted team of doctors and pharmacists to ensure your child is on the best treatment .

Education about fluid and fibre intake, good bladder and bowel habits

Trying to get kids to drink water and eat vegetables can feel like an uphill battle!  Drinking adequate fluid helps to keep poo soft and easy to pass, as well as stretch the bladder so it holds the right amount so that child can hold urine through the day and the night. Drinking too much or too little of certain drinks can also irritate a bladder, which may increase wetting.

Eating vegetables helps to keep the poo the right consistency for passing easily, as well as a host of other health benefits for kids.

Learning how the bladder and bowel works helps kids to understand what a good pattern is.  Teaching children to pee and poo properly is of vital importance to a healthy, happy life, and can avoid many problems we see in adults.  We are on your child’s team to help develop normal and sustainable bladder and bowel habits that will last a lifetime.  No more using the toilet just because you are leaving the house!

Bladder retraining for kids
Day time bladder retraining

Sometimes we see kids dance around instead of going to the toilet, with that fear of missing out on play time!

We can help your child learn how to get their bladder to stop from mis-behaving, and how to get it to be able to hold more urine.  We also work with our local GP’s if medication may be required to help relax the bladder.

We may request your child to do a drinking and voiding chart that measures every wee and drink over 2 days.  This helps us identify certain drinks and drinking patterns that may be making things worse, and also the capacity of the bladder.  We are then in a great position to be able to guide drinking and peeing, and develop good habits.  Guiding kids on how to sit properly (girls), and not to rush a pee can be very important steps to getting dry.

Supported bed alarm program for kids bedwetting
Supported bed alarm program

A bed alarm may be introduced after the child is  doing well with the simple self help measures to get dry such as drinking, good toilet habits, no constipation with regular bowel motions, and day time wetting has been addressed.

The alarm helps the brain to recognise when the signals coming from the bladder say it is full, and the need to wake to empty the bladder.  As soon as the child starts to wet, the alarm sounds.  The child wakes, turns the alarm on, the finishes the wee on the toilet. The child will need to change the PJ’s, and any wet bedding, reset the alarm again and go back to sleep.  Parents / caregivers may need to help facilitate the process to begin with.  It can take several months to get dry.  Once a child has been dry for 14 days, they can try without the alarm.

High Performance sport services

Running assessment pelvic solutions
Running assessment

Our running Guru Ingrid Vollweiler does head to toe running assessments to figure out the actual cause of the dysfunction, pain or leaking during the run.  Ingrid is a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and also an exercise scientist and functional movement geek. Changing strategies, and a few tweeks, will see you lift performance and run stronger, faster, longer… with a more life long sustainable technique.

Strength, conditioning, pilates and functional movement

After a comprehensive assessment to figure out the points that need attention to improve performance, our therapists will compose an individualised program for your needs.  This will usually involve a combination of strength, conditioning, pilates type exercise, and always functional movement.

Pessary fitting

A pessary is a flexible silicone device that goes inside the vagina and can help improve the anatomical position of the pelvic organs, and relieve prolapse symptoms such as vaginal bulge or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel. They can be worn all the time, or you can choose to wear them just when you need them, like in impact sport. Pessaries can also be used to improve urinary incontinence.

No two vaginas are shaped the same, so there are a number of different pessary design options that may be of benefit, depending on your anatomy.

All of our clients are taught how to insert, remove and self manage their pessary during a fitting. We work in collaboration with doctors to make sure that a pessary is safe and able to be used for each client.

Prolapse management
Prolapse management

A prolapse often feels like a vaginal bulge or presents as pelvic/ perineal pressure or as lower back ache. There are loads of measures we give on how to help with your symptoms and we urge you to know that surgery does not have to be the first port of call.

Basically, we need to increase support from below the pelvic organs and reduce downward pressure from above the pelvic organs.  We have to make sure the bowels are working well and the bladder and bowel is emptying properly.

We can also provide support devices such as pessaries if indicated, which help support the bladder, uterus and bowel if they’ve dropped a bit. We can give you advice on appropriate exercise, when to rest with feet elevated in the middle of the day, management of constipation and respiratory conditions, weight loss and advice on avoiding / safe lifting.

Pelvic floor muscles strengthening

Getting these muscles optimised to their full potential is what we are best at! This is our jam! No flimpsy pamphlet and generic instruction given… we assess you fully, and get your started on how to get these wonderful muscles, power house strong, and able to respond to what you will throw at it. Your program will be individualised to EXACTLY what you need. We don’t want your pelvic floor muscles to be your weakest link! Sometimes that might involve pelvic floor muscles relaxation (link through to this service from the pain section) first, before we can work on the strength, power, co-ordination and endurance of these muscles. They have to be fast enough to catch those coughs and sneezes, and have enough endurance to last a full day on your feet! They have to have enough tone to support your pelvic organs, and be able to fully relax to wee, poo and have sex! They need to be able to respond to impact during a lift or a jump…. And if you follow our recommendations… who knows…. Maybe you just might be able to shoot that ping pong ball across the room!

We will even help you with tips and trick on how to fit these exercises into your day, so that you can keep up the great work life long.

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