Niki specialises in Women’s and Pelvic Health physiotherapy- an area of physiotherapy which requires extra training, and involves assessment and management of many conditions specific to women including pregnancy related issues, continence, and pelvic pain among others.

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Pelvic floor muscles can become dysfunctional in several ways and can cause incontinence, prolapse and/or pelvic pain. The role of the pelvic floor muscles are to support the uterus, bladder, and bowel, forming a ‘sling’ from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone. Pelvic floor muscles may become dysfunctional through childbirth, surgery, menopause, chronic constipation, obesity, or other causes. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause bladder or bowel leakage (incontinence), or prolapse. For other women, their pelvic floor muscles may be overactive, meaning they can activate involuntarily when they should be relaxed. This can cause pain and difficulty with having penetrative sex, using tampons, or emptying the bladder/bowels.

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Conditions and pelvic floor issues that a Pelvic Health physio can assist with include:

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• Female urinary incontinence

• Pelvic pain

• Return to sport/exercise guidance post partum

• Understanding and enhancing safe exercise during pregnancy

• Pregnancy related pelvic pain

• Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)

• Overactive Bladder Syndrome

• Vaginismus/ sexual pain

• Interstitial cystitis

• DRAM (separation of the abdominal muscles in pregnancy)

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What to expect in a consultation
When you see the physio, if relevant, a full history of your bladder and bowel function, sexual function and medical and surgical history will usually be taken. Sometimes an examination of your pelvic floor muscles is necessary as research shows most of us are not activating them correctly even when we think we are.