Pelvic Health Osteopathy is a holistic patient-centred approach to assessment and management of pelvic floor conditions

This includes pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, prolapse, pregnancy-related conditions, endometriosis and more. It involves a thorough history taking and both external and internal examination, development of management/treatment plan and treatment including manual therapy, education and exercise. Please be aware, internal assessment and treatment is on a case-by-case basis.

The pelvic floor is an emotional muscle, and the holistic approach of osteopathy allows the opportunity for the whole person to be considered. We look not just at the physical side but the mental, emotional, and social aspects. This means we consider many aspects of your life and the impact this have on your pelvic floor and work with you to develop a management plan that suits you and is going to give you the best outcomes.

Your initial consultation asks many questions about you so we can consider all of you and how to progress in helping you in the best way we can. We also have an in-depth discussion of what to expect over the coming sessions including the potential of an internal assessment.

The assessment involves assessing many areas of the body, including your rib cage and breathing mechanics, spinal curvatures and function, abdominal strength and hypertonicity, your pelvic mobility, function and strength, lower limb function, jaw function and if needed, an internal examination of your pelvic floor to assess for prolapse, pelvic floor muscle strength, pre-contraction, and its ability to relax, as well as testing for muscle hypertonicity.

Osteopathic management of pelvic health conditions includes:

• Education – there’s nothing more important than you having knowledge about your pelvic floor and what you can do to improve its function and your overall health.
• Whole body treatment – aiming to decrease load on the pelvic floor. This can include external and internal release techniques of various areas of the body.
• Exercises – can include breathing, pelvic floor muscle training, spinal mobility, and mindful movement.

Please note, our pelvic floor trained osteopath, Dr Michelle Derrick, is currently only able to treat women’s health conditions.

If you are interested in learning more about how pelvic health osteopathy can help you, speak to your practitioner at your next appointment and find out more!