What to Expect from a Pelvic Health Consult
Lots of Questions
We want to understand everything there is to know about your presenting condition, which involves a lot of questions to ensure we can get to the cause and not just treat the symptoms.
Some of the questions we ask can be quite sensitive in nature, and it’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable answering them. However, the more information you give us the more knowledge we will have to understand the full picture to be able to best help you.
Some topics we may ask you about include bladder and bowel habits, obstetric history, gynaecology history, sexual function and any history of pain, particularly pelvic pain.
We will also ask about your general health, physical activity, diet, sleep habits and overall wellbeing. Most importantly, we want to know your goals, what you want out of physiotherapy and your beliefs around what might help you to achieve your goals.
Physical Assessment
A physical assessment helps us understand what might be causing or contributing to your concerns.
The gold standard assessment tool for pelvic health concerns is an internal examination. This gives us the most amount of information about how your muscles are sitting at rest, how they contract/ relax and coordinate with activities. It also determines if there are any tender points or pain. An internal examination is only ever completed with explicit consent, you are always in control and are able to stop at any time.
Other ways in which a therapist can assess is through the use of a real-time ultrasound machine where a probe sits on your lower tummy. Whilst there are limitations this is still a good assessment tool, especially to see bladder function.
An examination also usually includes looking at the way you’re moving, how your muscles are activating and how you’re breathing.
Treatment and Management Plan
At the end of your consult you should overall feel heard and reassured. Our therapists pride themselves on listening and addressing your main concerns.
All consults conclude with a written exercise program and/ or management plan. Sometimes you might have a bit of extra homework such as a bladder diary, a bowel diary, a food diary or tracking symptoms over a period of time.
As everyone is individual and everyone’s bodies are unique it can be challenging to give specific timeframes to expect changes in symptoms. Having said this, our therapists will give a guide based on you as an individual and what the latest evidence tells us.
If there are any other health providers involved in your care, with your consent, we will share relevant information if required.
We want to empower you to take control of your rehab and care, and take the time to make sure that what we recommend is achievable and what you want.