Women’s Health Clinic in Hoppers Crossing

Womens Health

Common problems include:

• Bladder and bowel
• Pelvic Pain & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Endometriosis
• PCOS

Pelvic Pain & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

1 in 5 women experience pelvic or sexual pain.
The pelvic floor is made up of muscles, fascia and other tissues. These form a sling from the pubic bone to the tailbone. Pelvic floor muscle assist in maintaining upright posture, supporting abdominal and pelvic organs, and help to control bladder, bowel and sexual activity. Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when these muscles become weak, overused, overactive causing pain, weakness in controlling bowel and bladder symptoms, reduced sexual function. There is often related impairments of the sacroiliac joint, low back, coccyx and/or hip joint, which accompany this condition, and can contribute to pain and loss of function.

Conditions:

Pelvic Pain/Dysfunction

• Pudendal neuralgia
• Dyspareunia
• Vulvodynia
• Vulvar vestibulitis
• Vaginismus
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
• Pelvic congestion
• Lichens Sclerosus, Lichens Planus (skin conditions in vulvar region that can
  result in pelvic pain)

Disorders of the bladder

• IC (Interstitial Cystitis)
• Prostatitis
• Prostatodynia

Disorders of the bowel

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• Feeling of fullness/abdominal pain, pressure, discomfort, and bloating
• Constipation/incomplete emptying

Sexual Dysfunctions (Related to Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction)

• Levator Ani Syndrome refers to pain, pressure, or ache in the sacrum, coccyx, rectum, and/or vagina caused by unusual tension in the levator ani muscles.
  • may increase with intercourse, sitting, defecation, and constipation
  • may refer pain to the thigh, coccyx/sacrum, abdomen, groin, orgluteal region
  • may cause severe, sharp, burning, or aching with urination
• Pain with intercourse (Dyspareunia)
• Difficulty reaching orgasm

Coccydynia

Post-Surgical: hysterectomy, hernia, laparoscopy, caesarean section, appendectomy, prostatectomy, and episiotomy

Physiotherapy Treatment may include:

• External and internal manual therapy including: myofascial release and trigger point release, visceral manipulation, connective tissue manipulation, and craniosacral therapy
• Biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Heat and cold therapy
• Stress management, nutritional counseling.

Sexual Dysfunction

1 in 5 experience pelvic or sexual pain
Women can experience pain and/or discomfort with sexual activity. There are several contributing factors including pelvic floor muscle weakness or shortening, pudendal neuralgia, skin lesions, decreased blood flow, joint (pelvic bones, coccyx, sacrum, lumbar spine) dysfunction, hormonal changes, and fear due to pain experienced during previous sexual activity.

Common conditions we treat:

• Pelvic Congestion
• Pudendal Neuralgia
• Pelvic Pain with Sex
• Dyspareunia
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
• Vaginismus
• Vulvar Vestibulitis
• Vulvodynia

Physiotherapy treatment helps to

• Restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities
• Rehabilitation of the pelvic floor, abdominal, gluteal, lumbosacral and hip rotator muscles
• Pudendal nerve mobilization, connective tissue mobilization and myofascial trigger point release of the surrounding muscles and tissues.

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is a disorder affecting the hormones of women of child bearing age. Ovaries are enlarged secondary to multiple cyst formations within the ovaries.The condition is marked by increased levels of androgens or male sex hormones in the body and irregular menstrual periods.
Although the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, contributing factors that could play roles are high insulin levels in the blood that increase androgen production and inhibit ovulation, low-grade inflammation, heredity, and abnormally high production of testosterone.

Symptoms of PCOS

Women who have PCOS may experience:

• irregular menstrual cycles – menstruation may be less or more frequent due to less frequent ovulation (release of an egg)
• amenorrhoea (no periods) – some women with PCOS do not menstruate, in some cases for many years
• excessive facial or body hair growth (or both)
• acne
• scalp hair loss
• reduced fertility (difficulty in becoming pregnant) – related to less frequent or absent ovulation
• mood changes – including anxiety and depression
• obesity
• sleep apnoea.

Physiotherapy Treatment may include:

• Exercise prescription to help with Weight loss – Cornerstone in controlling all derangements seen in PCOS
• Dietary Modifications