We get it: vaginas, incontinence and painful sex aren’t, well…the sexiest topics. But here’s why you should pay sustentation to your pelvic floor, mama, and what you can expect at your first physio appointment
We’re big fans of mamas taking superintendency of themselves postpartum, and a physio visit to assess your pelvic floor should definitely be a key part of your recovery plan! You can read increasingly from a doctor and fitness professionals well-nigh the importance of stuff assessed by a pelvic floor/women’s health physiotherapist, especially during/after pregnancy and delivery, and moreover trammels out this list of our favorite practitioners in Singapore who perform these assessments.
So… have you tabbed to make an visit for yourself yet?
Hmmm… I see… I thought that might be the case. I know that vaginas, incontinence, and painful sex aren’t the most well-appointed topics to discuss. And maybe you’re feeling yellow-eyed considering you don’t know what an exam involves. Well, information combats fear. So let’s go superiority and demystify the process:
What happens at an visit with a pelvic floor physiotherapist?
First, let me reassure you that these women (there are male practitioners in this field, but all certified pelvic floor experts in Singapore are female) see persons and symptoms like yours every day. Whether your symptoms are a minor nuisance or are having a major impact on your life, you deserve a consult with a physio. I’ve worked with several both as a patient and in a professional capacity, and I can reassure you, these practitioners tideway their patients with the utmost empathy and sensitivity. Most are in this field precisely considering they’re passionate well-nigh helping women just like you.
Your first visit will involve the usual intake paperwork and questions: why you came in and what symptoms you’re experiencing. Questions may moreover include other health considerations/challenges, unstipulated lifestyle questions (work, diet, etc.), and information well-nigh any pregnancies and deliveries. To get the most from your appointment, consider preparing a list of symptoms (lower when pain, pelvic pain, incontinence, sensations of pressure/sagging in your vagina, constipation, discomfort during intercourse) and when/how you finger them — doing unrepealable movements, at unrepealable times of the day, during specific points in your menstrual cycle. If you’ve delivered a baby, any information/chart you have from wordage may moreover be useful.
Then, the physio will do an external examination. Tideway may vary slightly among providers, but often this will include a postural towage in various positions (standing, sitting, walking) and a trammels of your stomach while you’re lying on your back. She may use an ultrasound to watch your rectal muscles while you outbreathe and move. All of this information will provide a picture of the strength and coordination of all your rectal and pelvic floor muscles.
Read More: Five Things to Know Well-nigh Returning to Movement Without Pregnancy
In many cases, physios will ask if you are willing to have an internal exam. For such an exam, you’ll be asked to remove pants/undergarments and lie on your when under a towel or blanket. The therapist will trammels external genital structures, then insert a finger(s) in your vagina. You may be asked to contract/relax your pelvic floor (cues will be provided) to help the therapist assess the strength and flexibility of the muscles and connective tissue.
On a personal note, I find this towage less invasive than my yearly PAP smear, and completely painless. However, if you wits pain, communicate that to the provider — this is not be a “grin and withstand it” kind of appointment. And let me emphasize: You should still see a physiotherapist plane if you prefer not to have an internal exam. A good provider won’t pressure you into an internal exam if you are uncomfortable, and can still prescribe rehab on the understructure of an external exam!
During and/or without the assessment, you can expect the physio to describe her observations and how they relate to your symptoms; education is a huge part of pelvic floor rehab! Then, she will propose a treatment plan that may include: zoetic exercises, pelvic floor exercises (like Kegels), increasingly traditional strength/stretch movements, and internal pelvic floor release techniques.
Ideally, you leave with some “homework” to practice, and a follow-up visit for re-assessment. Frequency and number of treatments will vary by person, but you should unchangingly leave feeling supported, with firsthand whoopee to take now and a plan for a big-picture goal to alimony you pain-free, leak-free, and doing activities that you enjoy. In short, of all your health superintendency visits, this is one that promises the greatest return in quality-of-life improvement.
OK ladies, pep talk over. What are you waiting for? It’s time to pick up the phone and make your appointment.
Click here to see our list of top pelvic floor experts/women’s physios in Singapore!
The post Pelvic Floor Expert: What to Expect at Your First Women’s Physio Visit (and Why It’s SO Worth It!) appeared first on Sassy Mama.