Women’s Health Physiotherapy
What is Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
When you work with a women’s health physiotherapist like Cindy, you can expect expertise on the unique complexities of the female anatomy to help you treat various issues related to women’s health, pregnancy, postpartum, symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction like painful sex, incontinence and more. We tailor an exercise and treatment plan to help you improve a variety of symptoms caused by women’s health concerns.
How Women’s Health Physiotherapy can help
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Your pregnant body goes through tremendous changes to nurture a new life. Changes to posture, breathing, your pelvic floor, abdominal, fitness needs are inevitable. Physiotherapy can support you during this time with the following: Postural and breathing assessment, pelvic floor assessment and training, perineal massage, exercise training program and advise, pain relief, lifting and transfer skills training, and more.
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After baby has arrived, you may experience the following symptoms: Feeling weak, not knowing how to “engage” the core, having aches and pains all over, swollen and painful breasts, constipation, urinary pain or incontinence. Physiotherapy can help support you with the following: Diastasis recti (abdominal separation) assessment and training, pelvic floor assessment and strengthening, perineal and Caesarean scar assessment and treatment, childcare lifting and transfer skills training, breastfeeding advice, massage and treatment for clogged milk ducts, fitness training and exercise advice, and so much more.
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Have you experience urinary leakage when coughing and sneezing, laughing, jumping or lifting? Do you have a strong urge to pee and leak before you can reach the toilet? Do you make frequent trips to the toilet (>10 times per day)? Have no strong urge but leak without warning? Depending on the type of leakage you experience, a physiotherapy treatment plan can help by strengthening and improving coordination of pelvic floor muscles, relieve excessive muscle tension so that you pelvic floor can work effectively, bladder retraining, learn proper voiding posture and techniques, learn techniques to suppress unusual strong urges, diet and lifestyle modifications, and more.
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Healthy sex shouldn’t hurt. Every woman deserves a pleasurable and pain-free sex life! Do you find yourself unable to relax during sex? Do you experience any of the following: Discomfort with penetration, severe pain at the entrance making penetration impossible, dryness and friction, pain with deep thrusting, pain with arousal or external stimulation, pain after sex? It is more common than we think and it doesn’t have to be that way. Physiotherapy can help by supporting you in learning to relax your pelvic floor muscles, relieve muscle tension in your pelvic floor, lower back, hips and inner thighs, support you in learning diaphragmatic breathing, using a vaginal dilator to retrain your muscles to allow smooth penetration, and so much much more.
Cindy Chau
WOMEN’S HEALTH & ORTHOPAEDIC PHYSIO
Cindy specialises in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health physiotherapy. Obtaining her postgraduate training at the APTA and Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, she has extensive knowledge in Pregnancy and Postnatal rehabilitation, and in treating Urinary Incontinence, Sexual Dysfunctions and other pelvic floor dysfunctions. She believes in keeping up to date with the latest evidence to provide the best services for her patients. Therefore, apart from clinical practice, she continues to receive professional training and mentorship from experts from overseas.
Cindy also specialises in treating Chronic Pain. As a Certified Clinical Pilates Instructor, she promotes an active approach in managing long term pain and dysfunction. She also combines manual therapy and dry needling to provide the best care for her patients.
As the founder of Women’s Health Hong Kong, Cindy is passionate in public education to raise awareness on women’s health issues. She frequently collaborates with professionals such as midwives, ObGyn and sex educators to hold workshops and to produce videos and social media posts to help members of the public to understand the women’s body. Learn more about Cindy here.
When you see a women’s physiotherapist, you can expect to first be asked about your symptoms, experiences, and goals. If you’re seeing a physio for pelvic floor issues, you can also expect to receive a pelvic examination. It’s understandable that you may be nervous about the pelvic exam portion of your physio appointment. Always let your physio know how you’re feeling, and they will help reassure you to make you feel comfortable throughout the process.