What Is Gynecological Physiotherapy? Everything Women Need to Know

Women’s health takes a roller coaster ride at a specific age, or you can say, after 30. In certain cases, women will experience symptoms that indicate something is not good with their health.

The fact that women’s health is more sensitive than men’s, that it needs utmost care and attention, be it for bladder urgency, pelvic discomfort, pain with intimacy, or postnatal changes.

Such issues are considered a sign that your pelvic floor or musculoskeletal system will require help. This is where a Gynecological physiotherapist comes into the picture. This guide focuses on explaining details about Gynecological physiotherapists and issues they deal with.

What is Gynecological Physiotherapy?

Gynecological physiotherapy is a specialized branch of physiotherapy that focuses on the female pelvic region, female genital area, and reproductive health. This field helps women to manage and recover from women-related issues.

Various muscles and joints are cared for. Plus, this approach helps women recover after childbirth, live with endometriosis, or experience bladder leaks during exercise.

What You Should Expect During My Appointment?

Searching for a Physiotherapist near me? In the week leading up to your appointment, you might juggle with questions like “What exactly does a gynecological physiotherapist do? How invasive will the session be? Can I say no? Will the therapist judge me or make me feel embarrassed?

As the saying goes, never be shy in front of your doctor.

We understand that a woman might feel uncomfortable answering specific topics and questions. But one shouldn’t hesitate and be open or specific about their condition.

After that, a doctor will continue discussing what’s bothering you the most. The conversation should go about the symptoms, what makes them better/worse, patterns you’ve observed so far, how long you’ve been experiencing those symptoms, and finally end with a custom treatment plan.

Common Conditions Treated by Gynecological Physiotherapy

Gynecological physiotherapists work with women to treat a variety of issues, some of which are as follows:

➔ Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: This is the most common condition in women, where you cannot actually calm down and manipulate the muscles in the pelvic floor to excrete (urinate or pee) or have bowel motions (poop). A therapist will assess your muscle tone and create a customized plan to restore proper function.

➔ Incontinence (Urinary or Fecal): The next frequent dysfunctions are urinary incontinence, which can occur from multiple causes. Loss of bladder or bowel control isn’t something you have to “just live with.”

On the other hand, a therapist can help with poor postpartum recovery, very long or short delivery during childbirth, daily bad habits, and excessive weight gain in pregnancy.

➔ Pelvic Pain: A long-term pain in the pelvic area is often a result of poor menstrual cycles or posture. Well, this is not something serious and can be treated with manual therapy, easy-to-do relaxation techniques, and muscle retraining. A Gynecological physiotherapist will suggest exercises or techniques that work best for you.

➔ Pre- and Postnatal Care: Pregnancy and delivery take a toll on women’s pelvic floor. An expert provides support throughout the pregnancy and guides the recovery after birth with safe exercises, pregnancy massage, abdominal separation, cesarean scar management, return to safe activities, etc.

➔ Recovery After Gynecological Surgery: Be it a minimally invasive surgery like laparoscopy or robotic surgery, or extensive surgeries like hysterectomy or pelvic organ prolapse repairs, it can impact the patient’s overall health.

Even though it affects a woman both internally and externally, a therapist can help speed up recovery, restore mobility, reduce scar tissue tightness, and improve overall function.

➔ Painful Intercourse (Dyspareunia): Dyspareunia is a kind of genital pain during or after sexual intercourse. Vaginal or pelvic pain during intimacy is more common than you think.

Under this condition, there is pain externally in the vulva or at the opening of the vagina. In contrast, a few women reported feeling pain internally in the Uterus, lower abdomen, skin of the vaginal canal, and ligaments supporting the Uterus.

➔ Endometriosis-Related Pain: This condition involves tissue (like uterine lining) growth outside the Uterus. In addition, endometriotic nodules may affect the intestinal tract and the urinary system, such as the bladder, the ureter, and the urethra.

A therapist solves the various aspects of this condition, including nerve sensitization, inflammation, and musculoskeletal issues. How? Through gentle and targeted techniques that result in reduced pelvic tension and controlled chronic pain.

➔ Prolapse and Menopause-Related Concerns: As you all know, hormones are the main culprit behind every change in a woman. They play a huge role in controlling the female reproductive system, shaping menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause.

The moment hormone levels vary, a woman starts to experience pelvic organ prolapse or discomfort. An expert will assist in improving this natural transition with dedicated exercises and correct guidance.

➔ Mastitis or Blocked Milk Ducts: Breastfeeding is the most beautiful experience for a mother, but sometimes it comes with unexpected challenges. Therefore, the main issues are Mastitis and Blocked Milk Ducts.

You might be surprised to know that a Gynecological physiotherapist treats both of these conditions with therapeutic ultrasound (sound waves to loosen clogged milk ducts and improve milk flow), gentle manual techniques, education, and breastfeeding support.

➔ Osteoporosis and Osteopenia: Millions of people, especially women over 50, live with weakened bones, without even knowing they have this issue. Due to this, conditions like Osteopenia and Osteoporosis arise.

Under Osteopenia, bone mineral density (BMD) is lower than normal, but not so low as to be referred to as Osteoporosis. In contrast, Osteoporosis is a more serious condition. The bones become fragile, porous, and more prone to fractures.

Final Words: When to See a Gynecological Physiotherapist?

Women’s health physiotherapy or a Gynecological physiotherapist has been helping women around the globe. There are many women out there who endure symptoms like bladder leaks, pelvic pain, or post-birth discomfort in silence, thinking it’s something they have to deal with no matter what.

Reality is, you shouldn’t live with it and should visit a Gynecological physiotherapist as early as possible.

At My Ability Spine Chi, women’s health physiotherapists offer respectful, one-on-one care to help you feel better, stronger, and more in control of your body.