Many women experience bladder problems and other symptoms of pelvic floor weakness related to urological or gynaecological conditions or operations.

© Sherborne Gibbs Ltd 2013. First published in Primary Care Women's Health Journal. For more information visit www.womenshealthj.com.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy has been shown to be beneficial for a range of conditions such as:

• stress or urgency urinary incontinence (urine loss)
• pelvic organ prolapse (a feeling of heaviness, pressure or bulging in the vagina)
• anal incontinence (loss of stool or wind)
• symptoms of lax pelvic floor muscles (e.g. sexual dysfunction)
• vulvodynia (sensation of vulval burning and soreness, in the absence of any obvious skin condition or infection)

Women can be particularly vulnerable to urinary incontinence and other symptoms related to their pelvic floor muscles at different times in their life e.g.:

• pregnancy
• post-natally
• menopause
• older age

Physiofit physiotherapist, Jacqui Millington, specialises in the treatment of pelvic floor problems. Assessment involves questions about medical history, background to the problem, current symptoms, and normally a physical examination (with your consent). Goals and appropriate treatment would be discussed and agreed, and might include specific and holistic advice, appropriate exercise, and additional therapies such as biofeedback and nerve stimulation.