Say yes to you! That's the theme for this year's Jean Hailes Women's Health Week, which runs from 1 to 5 September and is Australia's largest annual event dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing for women and girls. 

To help raise awareness and join the conversation, we asked our Wesley women’s health physiotherapists to answer some common questions about this vitally important topic. 

We encourage you to take a moment for yourself this Women’s Health Week, enjoy this conversation and ‘say yes to you’. 

Q & A with Briony, Senior Women’s Health Physiotherapist at The Wesley

At what stages of life should women be thinking about their pelvic health?

As early as late primary school, young women deserve correct, shame free information about their periods. This helps to equip them with the confidence and knowledge to know what’s normal and to be able to have conversations with their care giver or healthcare professional should any issues arise. Throughout life, women’s bodies undergo a great deal of change as they journey through pregnancy, childbearing, peri-menopause and menopause (to name just a few).

What’s involved and how can women’s health physiotherapy help?

Women’s health physiotherapy can help at all stages of life. The first step is always to take a thorough history so that we can start to put all of the pieces together. We love to work closely with referring doctors to ensure women are getting the best possible care. Women’s health physiotherapy can help with a broad range of presentations including bladder and bowel concerns, pelvic pain (often associated with endometriosis), sexual function, management of pelvic organ prolapse, pregnancy/post-natal care and general strength and reconditioning. So not just pelvic floor exercises! But, while you’re here, try to “squeeze and lift” for 10 seconds, for good measure.

What about pregnancy – when is the best time to start thinking about your pelvic floor and post birth recovery?

We can see women at any stage of their pregnancy, and for most, pelvic floor exercises are safe to do throughout. A great time to see a physiotherapist is in the second trimester, usually when women start to regain some energy. We can assist with pelvic girdle pain, urinary incontinence, safe exercise, and assess and prescribe pelvic floor exercises. Towards the end of the third trimester, we can help with birth preparation and for certain women, teach perineal massage (Google it!). We are lucky to see all women post their baby’s birth at Wesley Maternity, and pelvic floor exercises are important for any mode of delivery. We recommend women come back and see us around 6 weeks (babies very welcome) for a post-natal review.

Does physiotherapy have a role to play in urinary incontinence and urinary frequency? 

Most definitely. When people think of urinary incontinence, often they think of leaking with cough or sneeze. This is called stress urinary incontinence and can be improved by doing pelvic floor exercises. Urge urinary incontinence is a sudden urge to pass urine which may or may not result in urinary leakage. For this we have many tools and may use a combination of bladder re-training to optimise bladder habits and pelvic floor exercises. Urinary frequency is often associated with this. No matter which type you have (many have both) – we can help!

Do pelvic floor exercises really work? 

They do, BUT it’s not a quick fix unfortunately. The keys to success are doing the exercises consistently and ensuring you’re doing them correctly! An individualised approach for each woman is important. This is where we can help.

Can physiotherapy help with recovery after breast cancer surgery?

Absolutely. With the support of the breast and plastic surgeons and breast care nurses we are now fortunate to see many women before their breast surgery to begin their physiotherapy journey and optimise their outcomes. We help to monitor for any signs of lymphoedema, restore upper limb range of motion and, importantly, get them back to their previous level of exercise and function. Here at The Wesley, we have a wonderful multidisciplinary oncology day rehabilitation program which can assist with this.

What are some things we can all do prioritise our health as women?

Use this Q&A as a reminder to book that appointment with your GP or physiotherapist that you’ve been putting off! I firmly believe knowledge is power; it allows you to feel confident to ask questions and seek treatment. In generations gone by, many women lived with symptoms such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse or painful sexual intercourse, but we are here to help and you don’t need to just put up with it. There is no age limit, I have seen many women in their later years who have had a new lease on life!

What’s the one thing you wish all women knew about physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a wonderful profession. It has many highly skilled, dedicated clinicians working across many specialty areas. For some, seeing a women’s health physio can feel daunting. I personally want women to know it’s a supported and confidential space. I say to any women who may be put off by the need for an examination, don’t be! We have many tools in our kit to make our consultations as comfortable as possible and we will always discuss with you exactly what your options are before undertaking any treatment. We want women to feel empowered to make positive changes in their lives.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit our women’s health physiotherapy page or email Wesley-dayrehab@uchealth.com.au. Our team of women’s health physiotherapists are ready to help.