Let’s talk Pelvic Health.
This may be applicable to you at the moment, or possibly in the future, or you may even know someone who is experiencing pelvic health concerns. A common misconception is that pelvic health complaints only affect women, and yes women make up the majority, but males have pelvic floors too.
Here at Total Balance Healthcare we have a team of osteopaths who have gone on to do further training in pelvic health. Myself (Simmone), along with Sarah, Loz and Bec have completed further study in this field and we love being able to offer pelvic health appointments to our patients at Total Balance Healthcare.
The pelvis is a bowl-like structure that sits at the end of our spine and at the base of all our pelvic organs. At the base of the pelvis we have our pelvic floor, which is a group of muscles and ligaments which support our pelvic organs (bowel, bladder and the uterus in females). When the pelvic floor muscles are working correctly it helps with bowel and bladder control. As osteopaths we also look at more than just the pelvis when it comes to pelvic health. We are looking at your breathing, abdominal region, hips and all the associated musculoskeletal structures.
Some of the reasons someone may present to the clinic for a pelvic health assessment include;
- Bladder urgency, leakage and incontinence
- Bowel urgency, leaking and incontinence
- Postnatal pelvic health checks
- Birth preparation
- Pelvic and coccyx pain
- Constipation
- Day and night wetting
- Painful penetration
- Pelvic organ prolapse
During a pelvic health assessment a very detailed and thorough history will be performed. Us osteopaths will ask you many questions about your pelvic symptoms, urinary and bowel habits, past medical history and your goals. An initial pelvic health appointment is 60 minutes in duration with a follow up appointment taking 30-45 minutes.
After a detailed history is performed, our osteopaths will discuss the best course of assessment and treatment. A pelvic health appointment may be very similar to a standard osteopathic appointment, however in some instances, when indicated and with extensive amounts of consent, an internal vaginal assessment may be discussed as being beneficial. An internal assessment however is not always indicated and definitely is not always required to get results. We will be assessing pelvic floor strength, muscle tone, and look for any weaknesses in the structures of the pelvis. Here we are able to assess your pelvic floor (and whether it is strong, weak, or overactive), the integrity of your bladder and bowel walls to check for signs of prolapse and to check for any structures which may be causing your familiar pelvic pain.
Like with all our osteopathic appointments at Total Balance Healthcare, we strongly believe in education and we aim to provide plenty of advice that our patients can take home and work on in order to achieve optimal long term health. In a pelvic health appointment we may discuss proper breathing techniques, pelvic floor exercises (activations or relaxation depending on what you’re coming in for), toileting advice, possibly triggers and rehabilitation exercises that are applicable to what we are treating.
We love being able to help our patients with their pelvic health concerns and seeing the progress and goals that are reached is incredibly rewarding. So please do no hesitate to contact the clinic on 97738085 or book online to see one of our pelvic health osteopaths if you have any questions at all.
Have an amazing week.
Bec @ Total Balance Healthcare
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This blog post is an educational tool only. It is not a replacement for medical advice from a registered and qualified doctor or health professional.
Phone: (03) 9773 8085
