What Liz can help you out with
Whether you're newly pregnant and want to avoid aches and pains, you're heavily pregnant and your body is suffering, you've just had a baby and you feel you're in need of an MOT or your children are older but you're still coping with the physical effects of their births - Liz's Physiotherapy, Pilates or Mummy MOT sessions could be the perfect therapy solutions for you.
It's estimated that 45% of pregnant women experience low back pain/pelvic pain and many women suffer with pelvic dysfunction
Thankfully, for most this resolves but a number of women still struggle postnatally. Pregnancy related stress incontinence is common but for those whose still have it 3 months postnatally they are likely to have it at 5 years if no positive action is taken to improve matters.
Bladder urgency/ weakness, constipation, tummy muscle separation, sensations of prolapse and painful sex are all problems women often discuss with Liz
Studies have estimated 50% of women who’ve had children have a degree of symptomatic or asymptomic prolapse (hernias occurring in the vaginal area) so if you have symptoms of this or any of the conditions above - don't fear, you’re not alone. The vunerable times tend to be postnatally or around the time of menopause but can happen at any time, and you don’t have to had a baby!
Liz believes in optimising the way your body is working before you consider taking the bigger steps such as surgery
Sometimes small changes can make big differences, no matter your age or how many children you’ve had. Niggling ailments, debilitating pains or 'embarrassing' conditions really are suffered by so many and they're best tackled - both to avoid long term effects and to improve your day to day life. Such problems are common and it's easy to harbour expectation that 'it'll sort itself out' but seeking professional help is truly the best remedy. We’re living longer and have greater expectations of our bodies than ever before. Liz can help restore and rejuvenate your body, resolving those painful, uncomfortable and stressful conditions, so you can start to feel more like yourself again.
Conditions Treated through Physiotherapy
Pelvic girdle pain and low back pain
The holy grail of therapists, there's no doubt a fully holistic approach is needed to getting you back on track. Liz can help you through your pregnancy - or after if you’re in need of a little extra help. A combination of alignment, advice, massage/mobilisation and exercise tends to calm the system nicely.
diastasis (abdominal muscle separation)
Super common in the last few months of pregnancy, it can be quite distressing when your tummy just doesn’t look as you expect it to. Diastasis has been linked to a number of other conditions such as stress incontinence, back pain and prolapse. Lateral thinking and modification is the name of the game when trying to get good tension through your tummy again. Expect a combination of exercise, advice and some mobilisation and massage to optimise recovery.
Stress incontinence (leaking when you cough or sneeze)
This is probably more common than you think. Good 'old school' pelvic floor strengthening usually helps but if it hasn’t then ideally you should have your technique checked and ensure its working at its best. You may be able to get some idea of how your pelvic floor is working from the outside but we get more info from an internal examination. Yep, that's the gloved hand and a little lubricant. Nobody's ever keen on this but it gives us more information about how things are working for you - and it's your decision if you'd like this examination.
Urgency (the sense you’re desperate for the loo and may or may not make it)
A number of factors influence a sense of urgency: anxiety, constipation and what you drink included. Liz can teach you various strategies to help settle things down and make you feel more at ease.
Prolapse and heaviness
Many women just assume that there's nothing you can do to improve this and yet we can help you address a number of strategies to minimise your symptoms. Optimisation is the name of the game. As with stress incontinence, an internal examination is recommended to see how well your pelvic floor is working to support you.
Painful sex or dysparenia
There are a number of reasons this can happen. Like any muscle group the pelvic floor can become overactive and cause pain, but also scar tissue from birth interventions can become problematic. Pelvic physiotherapy can help to release this. Sometimes it's your hormones playing up and causing discomfort too. It can be awkward to talk about painful sex but remember, Liz will probably have heard it before!
Bowel urgency and incontinence
Bowel urgency and incontinence are probably the most difficult things to talk about - but not uncommon after challenging deliveries or tummy issues. Difficulty holding onto gas or faeces (theres no glamorous way of putting it) needs a good holistic brainstorm. Liz can help ease your symptoms.