Women’s Health

Women’s health physiotherapy covers several areas and a very wide range of ages from
late teens (or even earlier if necessary) to after menopause and into late life.

Women’s health physiotherapy covers areas such as pregnancy, ante natal issues, post-natal issues, peri and post menopausal and later life issues related to continence,
pelvic floor muscle control, pelvic pain, reduced pelvic and lumbar spine strength and
stability. All these problems can often be helped through physiotherapy intervention.

Did you know that 1 in 3 women who have had babies have problems with continence during
and/or after pregnancy in Australia. Studies conducted in the last 8 years have shown
that correctly performed pelvic floor muscle exercise programs completed during the ante-natal period can help prevent urinary incontinence during the post natal period.

Specifically designed post natal exercises (from individual assessment) help to speed
recovery of pelvic floor muscle strength and reduce urinary incontinence after having a
baby. The same studies also showed that doing pelvic floor exercises does not increase
labour time what so ever! In fact it may help to shorten the second stage of labour.

Some women also can have difficulty with their bowels whether this is after having a
baby or just in their life time. Women’s health physiotherapy can also assist with
regaining bowel control and therefore control over your life. Don’t just think you have
to put up with having problems with your bladder and bowel!

Your pelvic floor muscles form a very important part of the support network for your
pelvis and lower back as well as working to help maintain good control of your bladder
and bowel function. Having strong supportive pelvic floor muscles is often something
that you have to learn and then practise to achieve and to do this, you may need help to
make sure you are doing the exercises correctly!

Unfortunately up to 25 % of women actually strain and push their pelvic floor muscles instead of contracting them, and 30 % of women have difficulty or can’t contract their pelvic floor muscles effectively.

Learning how to use your pelvic floor sometimes needs assistance; don’t feel embarrassed
to ask for help.

Some women experience pain or discomfort or difficulty (such as reduced control of
pelvic floor muscles) during and after menopause. Often there is something you can do
about to help yourself. If you want to know more, just ask to speak with our specialist
physiotherapist.

Having good strong lower back, pelvic floor and abdominal muscles is an integral part of
helping with low back, pelvic and abdominal problems. The muscles in these areas work
together to help provide support for the whole lower back and pelvis, and provide help
to make sure that we have good posture throughout our lives. If you are not sure about
how to go about exercising these areas, speak to our physiotherapists.

Reiki

Reiki isn’t a religion, or related to any sect or cult and it doesn’t contradict
the Universal laws of love and light. Reiki embraces all philosophies and systems
of thought.

Reiki is the alternative name for the Usui Method of Natural Healing.
To treat a person with Reiki, we lay our hands on various parts of the ‘clothed’
body.

Reiki accelerates the body’s ability to heal physical, emotional and mental
ailments and assists one to correct imbalances of mind and spirit, which may lead
to disease.

What happens in a Reiki session?
During a Reiki session you can either lay on a Massage table or are seated in a
chair. Your comfort is important. You will also remain fully clothed at all
times.

Throughout the entire session there is quiet relaxing music playing in the
background.
Your Reiki Therapist will place their hands on or just above various areas of
your body to help align the bodies chakra’s (the bodies own energy).

Some Points about Reiki Healing

• Reiki supports the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
• Reiki vitalizes both body and soul.
• Reiki may re-establish spiritual equilibrium and mental balance.
• Reiki functions on all levels, mental, spiritual, physical or emotional.
• Reiki balances the body’s energies.
• Reiki may loosen up blocked energy and promotes a state of total relaxation.
• Reiki may cleanse the body of toxins.
• Reiki adjusts itself according to the needs of the recipient.
• Reiki works with animals and plants too.
• Reiki is a non-invasive holistic method of healing.

TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint or commonly known as our jaw. This can
be a cause of significant pain in the side of the face, neck and head. Headaches, clicking, locking and pain chewing are common symptoms.

TMJ problems are also common after whiplash injuries eg car accidents or with upper cervical spine
(neck) problems. Physiotherapy for the TMJ and massage to the related muscles can
help resolve pain, headaches and poor jaw movement.

TMJ Dysfunction can also be treated with Neurostructural Integration Technique.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is a very effective technique for treating a range of musculoskeletal
conditions, including neck and back pain, ‘tennis elbow’, iliotibial pain
syndrome, Achilles tendonopathies and many more conditions.

Dry Needling is similar to Acupuncture but based more on muscle points rather than
acupuncture points or acupoints.

Treatment involves the insertion of solid, filament needle, usually in and around
Myofascial Trigger Points. Myofascial Trigger Points have been described as
‘hyper-irritable spots within a skeletal muscle’. Myofascial Trigger points are
points in muscles which are painful when pushed and can also refer pain and create
dysfunction else where in the body.

How does a dry needling treatment feel?

You will find that not every area needled with elicit the same sensation. In some
areas you might feel a slight pricking sensation when the needle first touches the
skin. As the needle is inserted deeper into the muscle, as a general guide, it is
expected that relaxed tissue in a normal functioning state will be painless. This
is because the needle construction is very fine and the tip, is designed to do
very little damage.

When the needle contacts a trigger point some people feel the muscle “twitch” this
is the “local twitch response”. Others may feel a deep aching or burning sensation
or it may feel like the muscle has tightened or “cramped”. Referred pain is
another common phenomena, as every trigger point has a common referral zone, often
quite a distance to the actual trigger points.

If a strong referral sensation occurs don’t panic, this is a good sign that the needle is doing its job. If the sensation you get reproduces part or all of your symptoms, this can mean that an active trigger point is very likely the cause of your symptoms.

Common Conditions treated with Dry Needling

If you suffer from these common conditions, dry needling can help:

• Wry neck
• Jaw pain
• Headache and migraines
• Muscular tightness
• Stress
• Chronic pain syndrome
• Sporting injuries
• Compartment tightness and shin splints
• Hamstring and lower back pain

Plus many other problems relating to:

• Muscles
• Sports injuries
• Diseases
• Conditions
• Children pains

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

The lymphatic system is the bodies’ front line defence in fighting bodily
infections, detoxifying the body and transporting metabolic waste, excess fluid,
toxins and bacteria out of the body.

Manual lymphatic drainage is a very specific massage technique which helps to
ensure our bodies’ ability to rejuvenate and establish resistance to all types of
stress placed on it.

Encouraging the natural circulation of lymph fluid throughout the body.
It is not a muscular massage but a harmonious manual treatment using mild
mechanical stretching of the connective tissue to allow decongestion of lymph
ducts.

This allows regenerative fluid to flow and improves circulation and toxin removal
as well as carrying vital substances to areas where it is needed, thus hastening
healing times.

What can we use Manual Lymphatic Drainage for?

Listed below are a few applications for MLD, there are many others:
• fluid retention
• lymphoedema
• sinusitis/hay fever
• dentistry
• liposculpture
• breast surgery (segmental, simple and total mastectomy)
• neurology - migraines
• pain relief and anti inflammatory
• gastro enterology -constipation and digestive disorders
• carpel tunnel
• pre and post surgery
• post sporting
• CFS (myelgic encephelomyelitis)/fibromyalgia
• bruising
• oedema during pregnancy

Contraindications to Manual Lymphatic Drainage

There are some contraindications to MLD. If in doubt, get a referral first.

• malignant tumors
• acute inflammation
• acute bronchitis
• asthma due to heart problems
• chronic bronchitis (if infection is present)
• DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
• arteriosclerosis
• undiagnosed tension
• hyperthyroidisms (over function of the thyroid)

NST - Bowen Therapy

The NeurostructuraI Integration Technique (NST) is the world’s leading technique
in structural and spinal therapy for lasting pain removal and rejuvenation.

NST is a remarkably effective professional bodywork technique, that when applied,
initiates a process of natural auto-regulation to occur in the spinal column and
consequently throughout the whole body.

The resultant effect of this is a rapid elimination or reduction of symptoms,
followed by an increase in energy and an unmistakable sense of well being.
Typically the response to NST is most often profoundly effective, and more than
seldom, miraculous.

As NST simply creates a context for the natural process of auto-regulation to
occur, it can be therefore safely applied to any condition, from new-borns to the
elderly.

An NST session may last anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on the
individual and their presenting symptoms.

Characteristically, skilful soft tissue manipulation is applied to the lower and
upper back, abdomen, neck, arms and legs.

Conditions which respond well to NST

• Spinal conditions
• Cranial conditions
• Headaches including migraines
• Neck conditions including whiplash
• Back conditions including pelvic, lumbar and thoracic
• Shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand conditions
• Leg, knee, ankle and foot conditions
• Digestive and intestinal conditions
• Asthma and other respiratory conditions
• Arthritis and joint conditions
• Menstrual, fertility and menopausal conditions
• Accident injuries
• Sporting injuries
• Acute and chronic fatigue
• Stress conditions and emotional depression

Myotherapy

Myotherapy is one of the multi-skilled physical therapies in the health system.

Myotherapists are professionally trained therapists who assess and physically
treat pain, injuries and dysfunction that affect general movement.
Myotherapy utilises many therapeutic modalities such as soft tissue therapy,
trigger point therapy, dry needling, stretching, electric therapeutic modalities,
cupping and corrective exercises, all of which are applied to prevent, correct and
rehabilitate in order to restore and maintain normal functioning of soft tissues
structures of the body.

Why Myotherapy works

Myotherapy is effective whenever the pain is muscle. Most chronic pain is caused by muscle spasm.
By working through these troubled areas of the muscle it will help decrease pain, increase range of movement and allow full functional activities to take place.

Does my health fund cover Myotherapy?
There are a number of health funds that rebate Myotherapy treatment in Australia.

Common Conditions
Do you suffer from these common conditions? We can help.

Arthritis
Asthma
Back Pain
Headaches
Joint strains and sprains
Myofascial pain (connective tissue)
Pregnancy associated problems
Repetitive strain injuries

Plus many other problems relating to muscles, sports injuries, diseases,
conditions and children pains.