During our time together, the focus remains on your story and the goals that you set. I take a holistic approach with healthcare which means I want to consider not only your current lifestyle, but also your previous experiences and knowledge. These all interact together to varying degrees to create the symptoms you experience.
My goal is always to optimize your health and for you to leave more confident! It’s not just pelvic floor physiotherapy - it’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapy :)
As a physiotherapist, my focus is on helping you achieve optimal functioning - which can be done with prehabilition beforehand or rehabilitation afterwards. Some areas of focus include:
Unsure if I’ll be able to help you?
Contact me, let’s chat!
In addition to exploring bladder and bowel health, I also want to look into:
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy takes a step beyond your muscles and ligaments (aka traditional pelvic floor physiotherapy) which was typically considered very biomechanical. Together, we can work on preparing for labour and birth, returning to various activities postpartum, reducing pain in your lower back, hips, or sacral areas, and even improving your menopausal experience to name a few!. Beyond this, pelvic health physiotherapy explores how internal exams, sexual experiences, or even tampon/menstrual cup use can be made more comfortable for you.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy with me takes a full body approach to understanding what symptoms you may have and aims to connect the physical body (including our nervous system), our mental health, and our social wellbeing as they are continuously communicating with one another. This approach is known as the biopsychosocial model and will be the centre of your care at Wholly Pelvis.
Although pelvic floor physiotherapy traditionally looked at treating symptoms and/or dysfunction in the pelvic floor muscles, Pelvic Health Physiotherapy considers a whole person perspective to understand why you may be experiencing the symptoms you have.
You are more than just your body alone.
Our sexuality and sexual health is made up of many different components that all interact with one another - physical, mental, and social. It is what makes each of us unique and helps us interact with others and the world around us. Along with your healthcare team, physiotherapy has the potential to support and help treat symptoms that may limit our sexual functioning, including:
- Pain (pelvic or general)
- Penetrative discomfort (with exams, tampons, penetration,
positioning)
We do this by using a trauma and sexual health informed lens to create a personalized treatment program that considers your lifestyle, previous experiences, and the culture that surrounds you. Sexual Health is way too complex to paint every person with the same brush!
Depending on the specific goals you have and the symptoms you may have, a physiotherapy session with me can include many different components. A general layout can include:
A Thorough History
Learning about your health journey so far and your experiences from the person who knows it best - You :)
A Physical Assessment
Looking at how your body is currently moving and presenting. A physical assessment may include an internal vaginal and rectal exam based on your comfort and the symptoms you are presenting with (although not always necessary). Visit our FAQ section to learn more.
Individualized Treatment Plan
An individualized treatment plan will be created based on the assessment findings and what you would like to work on - we work as a team here to continue progressing or modifying your program as needed.
All Pelvic Health Physiotherapists are required to complete a physiotherapy degree, and at least the first level of their pelvic health physiotherapy training to qualify for treating internally (vaginally or rectally). However, I quickly learned that this was not enough for me to help support my patients beyond anything but urinary incontinence at most.
This is why I felt it was important (and necessary) to take additional post graduate courses, training, and mentorship. Pelvic health in general is not a topic taught well in Physiotherapy programs, and so the education and training happens largely after the physiotherapy degree. It is also why I only work with patients with pelvic health concerns - this is lifelong learning in action!
If you are curious about my qualifications and if I am the right fit for you, you can always book a discovery call and we can chat further :)
I am available to see patients at any of the locations below. The wonderful part of physiotherapy is that it can be effective when you are in-person or virtually! I have had patients who have done well with their pelvic health journeys from the comfort of their home - making this a wonderful option for providing care. This means you get to choose what works best for you, based off of your comfort and circumstances :)
Not sure if I am a good fit for you? Or maybe you have more questions for me?
Message me and we can chat about how I can help you optimize your pelvis and sexual health!
Join the Wholly Pelvis Chronicles! Get expert tips, uplifting insights, and all things pelvic health straight to your inbox—sign up now!
