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Women's and men's health physiotherapy

Our specialist physiotherapists work with both inpatients and outpatients.

On this page

How can I see a women's and men's health physiotherapist?

You can access this service by:

Musculoskeletal problems during and after pregnancy

People often come to us with conditions that cause pain, stiffness, weakness, pins and needles or other symptoms. These types of problems can result in difficulty with daily tasks, sleep, work, leisure or sport.

What we can offer you

If you have back pain or pelvic girdle pain we will usually offer you an appointment in one of our special group session designed to give offer you a quick appointment. In the group session we will:

  • complete an assesment to understand your individual condition and how it is affecting you
  • explain why these symptoms are so common in pregnancy
  • teach you specific exercises to help ease your pains
  • demonstrate positions to help you get more comforable in bed and when sitting
  • offer an external support band if needed.

If your symptoms do not respond to the exercise and advice given in the group we can offer and one to one appointment or you have another musculoskeletal condition in pregnancy e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information

We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions

We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help you return to work, sport and leisure activities.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises (as an individual or in groups) to stretch and strengthen; to improve posture; to improve your core stability muscles (Pilates approach); to become physically more active; to improve general health and fitness and to help rehabilitate to work, sport and leisure activities.
  • Mobilisations and massage - movements we or you can apply to joints or muscles and tissues.
  • Relaxation strategies
  • Hydrotherapy (water based exercise therapy)
  • Splints to reduce pain or pins and needles in the hands

Fitness for work and activities

We can make sure treatment supports you planning your return to work or activities.

Further referral for investigations and opinion with medical colleagues:
We have expert physiotherapists, called Advanced Practitioners, who have had extra training with medical colleagues so they are able to request investigations (tests such as x-rays and some scans) and to refer you to consultants or surgeons if necessary.

Bladder conditions

What bladder conditions can physiotherapy help?

We provide care for men with urinary incontinence following treatment for prostate cancer

For more information please see:

In women, we treat;

  • Stress urinary incontinence i.e. leakage coughing, sneezing or exercising
  • Urge incontinence i.e leakage when desperate to go to the toilet

For more information, please visit: Urinary incontinence on NHS.UK

What can our women’s and men’s health physiotherapist offer you?

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information:
We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions:
We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help you return to work, sport and leisure activities.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises (as an individual or in groups) to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
  • Advice on fluid intake
  • Advice on how you can retrain your bladder

Fitness for work and activities

We can make sure treatment supports you planning your return to work or activities. As expert physiotherapists in bladder conditions, we are able to request investigations (tests such as urodynamics) and to refer you to consultants or surgeons if necessary.

Bowel conditions

What bowel conditions can physiotherapy help?

What can our women’s and men’s health physiotherapist offer you?

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information:
We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions:
We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help you return to work, sport and leisure activities.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises to strengthen your muscles around the back passage to become physically more active, to improve general health and fitness.
  • Advice on fluid intake
  • Advice on how you can retrain your bowel
  • Simple dietary advice
  • Further referral for investigations and opinion with medical colleagues.

Pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is bulging of one or more of the pelvic organs into the vagina. Read more on NHS.UK

What can our women’s and men’s health physiotherapist offer you?

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information:
We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions:
We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help this problem.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises (as an individual or in groups) to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles

Advice on:

  • maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you're overweight
  • eating a high-fibre diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain bread and cereal to avoid constipation and straining when going to the toilet
  • avoiding heavy lifting.

As expert physiotherapists in pelvic organ prolapse, we are able to refer you to a gynaecologist if necessary.

Chronic pelvic pain

Chronic pelvic pain needs to be thoroughly investigated. A specialist doctor e.g. gynaecologist, urologist or pain consultant may recommend physiotherapy as part of your care. It may be attributed to a problem with the nerves or muscles in the pelvic floor.

What can our women’s and men’s health physiotherapist offer you?

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information:
We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions:

We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help this problem.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises to stretch and relax your pelvic floor muscles and other muscles surrounding your pelvis.
  • Mobilisations, massage and manipulations – movements we or you can apply to joints or muscles and tissues.
  • Relaxation strategies.

Shoulder problems or cording following treatment for breast cancer

Occasionally women or men can experience pain and stiffness in their arms and shoulders may occur after surgery, and the skin in these areas may become tight. Cording is thought to be scar tissue which can develop in the arm pit and down the arm. Read more from Cancer Research UK

What can our women’s and men’s health physiotherapist offer you?

Assessment :
We give time to listen to you, in order to understand your individual condition and the problems it causes and how it is affecting your life.

Examination:
We examine you thoroughly to form an opinion on diagnosis. We discuss our findings with you and how the condition may best be treated.

Advice and information:
We will offer you advice and information about your condition, especially in regards to how you can help yourself manage your condition better.

Treatment choices and shared decisions:

We will discuss your treatment options and we will make decisions together forming an individual plan to suit your condition, your choices and your needs in order to help this problem.

The treatment may include:

  • Exercises to stretch and or strengthen your shoulder.
  • Mobilisations, massage and manipulations - movements we or you can apply to joints or muscles and tissues.

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