For some conditions we have created an educational video that give you an opportunity to find out some basic information about the condition, as well as learn how to start self-managing symptoms. These sessions are recorded so you can watch them at a time convenient to you, you can also return to the video as many times as required. These educational videos are only to be used by patients referred into the Pelvic Health Physiotherapy service at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital.
- The Pregnancy Education Class
- The Women’s Health Class
- Pelvic Pain Class
- Staying fit during pregnancy and labour
- Bowel Resources
- Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRAM)
- Prostatectomy
If you have been provided an education video, this is the start of your physiotherapy treatment. It is a quick and convenient way for many patients to receive a lot of simple but useful advice to help improve their symptoms. Many patients find once starting this advice their symptoms improve quickly. Please see the details on each education video below for further information about one to one treatment after your education video.
The Pregnancy Education Class
For patients with pregnancy-related musculoskeletal problems
If you have been referred for a pregnancy-related musculoskeletal condition including pelvic, back, rib or hip pain you will be sent this educational video. We advise you watch this and start implementing the advice straight away. You will be contacted by the department to arrange a one-to-one appointment with one of our specialist physiotherapists to tailor your treatment.
Useful links:
The Women’s Health Class
For patients with pelvic floor related conditions including stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, urinary frequency or urgency and pelvic organ prolapse.
You may be sent this video if you have been referred to pelvic health physiotherapy for one of the following reasons:
- Stress urinary incontinence - leaking urine with an increase in abdominal pressure such as when coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, lifting or with certain movements
- Urge urinary incontinence - involuntary loss of urine associated with a strong desire to urinate
- Urinary frequency or urgency - going to the toilet to urinate more than 8 times per day or more than once per night (normal range varies dependent upon age) or finding the urge to urinate difficult to control
- Pelvic organ prolapse - changes to the supporting structure of the pelvic organs resulting in a sensation of something coming down within the vagina. This can also cause urinary or bowel symptoms such as difficulties emptying the bladder or bowel fully / easily.
We ask that you watch this educational video and complete your bladder diary. Start implementing the advice that is relevant to you straight away. This video is the start of your treatment and symptoms can often start to improve from following this advice. We will contact you to arrange a one-to-one appointment with one of our specialist physiotherapists to assess you and tailor your treatment.
Pelvic Pain Class
For patients with pelvic pain related conditions which might include:
- Dyspareunia / vestibulodynia - pain when inserting anything in the vagina or associated to pressure/touch.
- Vulvodynia - pain in the vulva
- Bladder pain - pain in the lower abdominal (stomach) area, usually associated to wanting to urinate
- Anal pain - pain around the anus or rectum
- Pain related to endometriosis/adenomyosis
We ask that you watch this educational video which will help you understand the complexities of persistent pain. You might also find the following videos contain useful and research proven ways to deal with pain:
- Stretches
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Pilates
- Mindfulness
- Tai Chi
- Breathing
- Persistent Pelvic Pain Presentation
Start implementing the advice that is relevant to you straight away. These videos are the start of your treatment and symptoms can often start to improve from following this advice. We will contact you to arrange a one-to-one appointment with one of our specialist physiotherapists to assess you and tailor your treatment.
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Staying fit during pregnancy and labour
For all pregnant patients
- Watch the Staying fit during pregnancy and labour video
- Download the leaflet
This video is designed to help you understand some of the physical changes that happen in your body during pregnancy and labour. The video explains how these changes affect your back and pelvis and to gives you some advice on what you can do to help yourself more comfortably through pregnancy and labour. If you have any problems, ask your GP or Midwife to refer you directly to our Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Team for further advice and management.
Bowel Resources
You may be sent these videos if you have been referred to pelvic health physiotherapy for one of the following reasons:
- Constipation - passing a bowel motion less than 3 times a week or passing hard sausage-shaped stools or small hard lumps.
- Difficulty opening the bowels - spending more than 15 minutes on the toilet to empty, needing to strain, having to put a finger into the rectum or vagina, or push on the pelvic area to get the bowels to move.
- Feeling of incomplete emptying - having a sensation that the rectum is not empty, opening the bowels several times a day but small amounts, feeling of not being satisfied.
- Faecal urgency - going to the toilet to defecate more than 3 times per day or finding the urge to defecate difficult to control.
- Faecal urge incontinence - involuntary loss of faeces associated with a strong desire to defecate.
- Post-defecation incontinence - involuntary loss of faeces immediately after or sometime after having a bowel motion.
Educational resources:
These videos are designed to help provide an overview of things that may impact your gut symptoms and discusses ways you can help to change these.
- Looking after your bowels video (20 min)
- Gut-brain connection (25 min)
Relaxation resources:
- Introduction to mindfulness (3 min)
- In depth relaxation session (15 min)
Strengthening exercises:
- Pelvic strength introduction (10 min)
- In depth mat class (35 min)
- In depth strength class (45 min)
Stretching exercises:
- Tai chi introduction (5 min)
- Stretching introduction (10 min)
- In depth mindful movement session (40 min)
Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRAM)
For patients referred with post-natal abdominal separation.
We advise you watch this video and start implementing the advice straight away. You will be contacted by the department to arrange a one-to-one appointment with one of our specialist physiotherapists to tailor your treatment.
Prostatectomy
For patients going through a prostatectomy.
This video contains information about what you can start doing before and after your prostatectomy (removal of parts or entirety of the prostate, frequently due to prostate cancer). This will include pelvic floor exercises, tips on how to manage your bladder, bowel and sexual function and how to get referred to our service in case you develop symptoms.
- Prostatectomy Education Video (13 min)
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