Antenatal physiotherapy

We are extremely passionate about treating pregnant women. The changes that occur to the body during pregnancy are incredible and are all triggered by a hormonal response. Your abdominal muscles lengthen, your pelvis becomes more mobile, your pelvic floor lengthens, your uterus grows, your bladder gets more elastic and compressed, your ribcage changes, and there are increases in your circulating blood volume by up to double. These changes are all designed to help you carry your body through your pregnancy and aid your baby in its safe birth. Sometimes though, it is not all smooth sailing. Know that if any issues arise then we are here to help. We will guide you through pregnancy and arm you with the knowledge to understand how to support your changing body with exercise, lifestyle changes and manual therapy. We strongly believe that there is a lot that can be done to prevent some issues occurring in the first place and that every pregnant woman would benefit from an assessment by a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.  

 

 

What do we do?

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Assessment and treatment of common musculoskeletal issues including:

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• Pelvic girdle pain, sacroiliac joint pain and/or pubic symphysis pain

• Low back pain

• Thoracic and rib pain

• Neck pain

• Wrist pain and Carpel Tunnel syndrome

• Assessment and management of abdominal wall function (and abdominal separation) using Realtime Ultrasound 

 

 

Assessment and management of pelvic floor concerns including:

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• Labour preparation: perineal massage, pelvic floor release and how to push in labour

• Incontinence

• Symptoms of increased pelvic floor tone or tightness including: painful intercourse (dyspareunia), coccyx/ tailbonepain, constipation, bladder pain

• Birth skills including birth positions, pain managements kills and pushing for second stage technique