All Services

Bladder retraining is for people who suffer from an urgent need to pass small amounts of urine more frequently than normal and may experience leakage with urgency.   Some people with no urgency pass urine frequently and they too may benefit from bladder retraining. 

The aim is to improve bladder control and increase the amount of urine the bladder can comfortably hold without urgency / frequency or leakage of urine.  We help to retrain the way you respond to the urgent desire to pass urine, and teach you how to suppress the urge until it is convenient to pass.  

We may request a bladder diary to record the type of fluid you drank, the volume and the time, as well as the volume and timings of the urine you pass.  We will request you to document the bladder sensation you feel when you need to go to the bathroom, and any episodes of urinary leakage.  

We will assess that the muscles can relax well in order to ease delivery, and guide you through and assess the ‘nudge’ to get baby out and into this world.  Strong pelvic floor muscles leading into the birth will not only help with the delivery, but it is protective against pelvic pain and urinary incontinence after birth.  We will ensure you know how to optimise the strength and function of the pelvic floor to support you through pregnancy and improve your recovery.  We help with tips and trick on birth positions, specifically if you have pain or prolapse already, as well as preparing the perineum with perineal massage.  We want to ensure urinary incontinence and constipation is resolved before birth.

Many ladies tell us the fear having sex during pregnancy.  Some women have pain with sex, which can be on sign that the pelvic floor muscles might be a bit too tight.  We can help teach you how to relax the pelvic floor muscles, for pain free sex, as well as an easier birth.

Some ladies with their raging hormones can also have a huge appetite for gourmet sex  when they are pregnant!  Whatever you are feeling, it is ok, and we can help to reassure you.

Reducing the downward pressure onto the pelvic organs and the pelvic floor can help improve prolapse symptoms. Common strategies that we see are ladies who are very grippy with their abs, creating pressure from above which can worsen prolapse symptoms. The way you breath also has a big impact on the ability of the pelvic floor to be able to support you. Improving things like chronic constipation (link through to this services tab) and chronic coughing can help take the load off too. Posture matters. Subtle postural changes can make the world of difference to prolapse symptoms.

Being a healthy weight matters when it comes to prolapse. We can help you with this and also work closely with other member of our trusted team to give you the best advice on how to become a healthy weight.

The experience of pain is not necessarily mean there is injury or disease.  It is a brain output that causes pain and this is influenced by many things including stress, movement patterns, how you think and feel, and past experiences.  We aim to restore the ability of the nervous system to move and stretch as you move, with functional movement and rehabilitation. Movement combined with knowledge of other contributors to pain, can help liberate you from being in pain.

We use a biopsychosocial approach, with strong clinical reasoning strategies, to help address not only the physical aspects of the nervous system, but also educate about acute and chronic musculoskeletal, central and peripheral and neuropathic pain states.

Dry needling technique involves the insertion of acupuncture needles into taut muscle bands with the aim being to gain muscle relaxation, stimulate healing, and restore the normal nerve function.  Tension through muscles can contribute to postural problems,  faulty movement patterns and pain and by restoring muscle function  we can improve these issues.  We use dry needling in combination with other treatment techniques like manual therapy, functional movement retraining, and exercise prescription for lasting treatment effect.  It is reasonably common to experience a temporary ache in the area that has been treated for a few hours after treatment along with a welcome improvement in mobility.

We use acupuncture in combination with other therapeutic methods to encourage healing, reduce or resolve pain and restore balance and function to many areas of the body, including the internal systems (such as the bladder and gut). Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin and tissues at specific points on the body. Acupuncture can be a hugely affective treatment modality for a wide range of pelvic health and other health conditions.

The stools can come out easier if you are in the right position to allow the muscles to relax properly. Our friends over at Squatty Potty, have done a swell job at explaining how this works! We have toilet stools available for purchase at the clinic to help you poop like a unicorn. Whack your feet up on one so your knees are higher than your hips, to really feel the motion of the ocean when releasing the hamsters. Never strain but take your time, leaning forward and with your lower tummy completely relaxed and happy to ‘nudge’ the nugget.

We may need to work more intensively to teach you how to relax the muscles at the right time, as well as retrain what it feels like to have a normal sized poo in the rectum ready to pass, and responding to that sensation.  We advise on the best techniques for you to empty your bowel fully and regularly and combined with manipulation of the stools to be more soft, formed and easy to pass… this is a gateway towards the best poo of your life!

Adequate fluid intake, spaced evenly across the day helps to normalise harder bowels. Drinking enough so that the urine is a pale yellow colour. Water is the best fluid. Limit caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol as these can dehydrate and cause bladder irritation.
Servings of vegetables and fruit throughout the day is important to maintaina healthy bowel. Eating both soluable and insoluable fibre is beneficial for bowel health. If increasing the fibre in your diet, it is recommended that you do it slowly to give your body time to adjust and reduce any side effects such as bloating or wind.
There are many kinds of fibre supplements that you can try. They are not laxatives, they are simply a type of fibre that you can take to top up your intake. You do need to take care as some can cause tummy upsets or can aggravate or cause constipation. The ratios of fibre supplements to water matters, so does the timing of when you take it depending in if you are trying to soften your stools, or if you are trying to bulk them up and make them firmer. Your therapist can help advise you on this.

Aim to do at least 30 minutes of exercise most days. Not only can this help prevent constipation, but it will help keep the pelvic floor toned and help you maintain a healthy body weight.  We can give you more specific advice about appropriate exercise.

We may ask you to keep a record of the types and frequency of your bowel motions, so we can see the habits you are in. We can then help advise about any change that you could make to improve your bowel routine and habits.

Creating new pathways to pleasure is possible.  Sex is one of the most asked questions we hear in the clinic. Everybody wants to know, but no one is talking about it! We get asked about everything; from pre and post-natal sex, to painful sex, to how to have the very best sex for YOU. Sex with yourself, sex with a partner of 1 week or 50 years.  Connected, toe-curling, intimate, joyful and roof lifting sex is not a distant spectre on the horizon. It should be yours to have and to hold, and we will exploring HOW.

We talk about sex a lot. Painful sex, lack of libido, problems with pleasure and intimacy, are all enormous issues. People are very relieved to talk about it and have often never been asked about it before, but it’s such a big part of their life. It can affect their relationships and their identities. Whatever the stage of a woman’s life, we want to support them having pain free and pleasurable sex. For a lot of women, it’s another area of tolerance; of putting up with it and getting it over and done with as quickly as possible. Do you know the anatomy of your clitoris? We teach all about this special treasure of pleasure in our clinic. We believe it’s healthy, normal and should be encouraged to learn about your body through self play. Seize the day by the short and curlies, and come and see us.

Lymphatic massage works by stimulating the lymph nodes that may be remaining, then massaging the lymph fluid out proximally then distally and back to proximally. “Think of it like Auckland traffic; if the cars are so jammed up at the front, no one can get through. You have to move the cars strategically at the front and slowly work your way to the cars at the back to get them all working efficiently. If there’s something blocking the flow such as road works, like scar tissue from a C-section, you also need to work on this or it will continually block the flow. To work into the scar we use different massage techniques, dry needling and stretching exercises.  It is common to pass urine a lot after the lymphatic massage.

Even after a surgical scar is completely healed and looks normal, many people experience discomfort from their scar.  Sometimes this can be felt as a sensitivity or discomfort when something brushes by the scar or when wearing certain clothing. Many women may also feel as if their abdominals or other muscles do not work how they used to. All of these problems may be caused by scar adhesions or restricted mobility of the scar.

Scar massage can help to break down adhesions by stretching the scar and restoring normal mobility to the tissues surrounding the scar.  Our therapists often combine massage with other manual therapy techniques to restore tissue mobility and functional movement.  We teach self massage so that rehab can be progressed at home too.

We encourage natural ways to relieve pain after surgery.  We find many manual therapy techniques can help to relieve pain after surgery, and combined with other techniques like acupuncture and mobility work.  Our therapists can guide you back to safe, functional movement which is pain free, and guide you back to the exercise you want to be able to do, in a safe way.

Each class during the 8 week program will be individually thought out with medically proven exercises focusing on alignment, core strength, mobility and relaxation. Classes will benefit clients with abdominal muscle separation, prolapse, pain and other pelvic health problems.

Each week’s class will have a unique focus on important concepts, strategies and knowledge to remain healthy and strong throughout pregnancy.  The weekly outline includes alignment, diastasis (tummy muscle separation), breathing, preparing the pelvic floor, good bladder and bowel habits, fluid and nutrition, relaxation and preparing for birth and labour.  We will share our best tips and tricks that we know help our pregnant clients hugely.  You won’t be saying ‘I wish someone had told me this earlier!’

We also offer 1:1 or 2:1 individualised exercise instruction fro pregnant clients.

Our post natal exercise and education classes are a unique blend of carefully selected exercises to safely build strength, stability and flexibility and the information you need to know about post natal life such as incontinence, nutrition and hydration to heal, bowel care, diastasis recovery, restorative breathing, how to get a power house pelvic floor, and guide back to intimacy as well as higher intensity sport. Our physio-led classes are tailored to the individual.

The post natal classes will benefit Mums who delivered vaginally or via c-section. This class is most beneficial for those who have already had our full post natal assessment so that we can individualise the exercises you need specific to your treatment plan.  For details on the full post natal assessment please click here.

These holistic classes have been designed by expert pelvic health physiotherapists and an exercise scientist to assist and empower women to gain confidence in their bodies and return to full strength and fitness safely. We understand the impact pregnancy and birth have on the body and how to best support you in healing.

We also offer 1:1 or 2:1 individualised exercise instruction for post natal clients.

Identifying the pelvic floor muscles and knowing how to feel a definite squeeze and lift action is the first part of being able to strengthen these muscles. Even men who feel just a small movement because of muscle weakness can improve! At first you will likely perform these exercises in lying or sitting. As these muscles strengthen you will progress to more functional positions such as standing. Your therapist will design a program specific to you.

We use technology such as EMG biofeedback to show how strong the muscles are and help teach you how to get the best activation for the perfect program for you. Optimisation of pelvic floor muscle strength will take 3-4 months of regular training of the muscles.

Remember to use your muscles when ever you exert yourself during daily activities. Pelvic floor muscle exercises can not only increase the ability to hold urine, but it can also help control an unruly overactive bladder.

You can use a penis pump after a prostatectomy to help promote blood supply to the tissues of the penis, improve tissue flexibility, maintain penis length and size and encouraging nerves stimulation.  The use of assistive medications like viagra and cialis is recommended to help progress sexual function after surgery, and you can speak to your doctor about this.

Pumping may start 6 weeks after surgery, but you need to speak to your specialist before starting, as it may be required that you start later than this if there has been any surgical complications or you have scarring that is causing discomfort.

The pumps can also be used to assist sexual intercourse to obtain an erection and then place a constriction or C ring over the base of the penis to maintain the erection.

The volume of urine passed each time by a normal adult will vary from around 250 – 400mls or about 2 cups. Most people with normal bladder habits can hold on for 3-4 hours between toilet trips. Most younger adults can go through the night without voiding (passing urine / peeing)

Bladder retraining is for people who suffer from an urgent need to pass small amounts of urine more frequently than normal and may experience leakage with urgency. Some people with no urgency pass urine frequently and they too may benefit from bladder retraining.
The aim is to improve blader control and increase the amount of urinary the bladder can comfortably hold without urgency / frequency or leakage of urine. We help to retrain the way you respond to the urgent desire to pass urine, and teach you how to suppress the urge until it is convinient to pass.

We may request a bladder diary to record the type of fluid you drank, the volume and the time, as well as the volume and timings of the urine you pass. We will request you to document the bladder sensation you feel when you need to go to the bathroom, and any episodes of urinary leakage.

Learning how to empty the pipe (urethra) properly can help prevent the few drops that sneak out after you have finished emptying the bladder.

Learning how to use the muscles when you need them, and having them work properly with the rest of the urinary system can help significantly to reduce leaking.

There are many simple self help measures that can be started to address constipation for a child.  We will help educate your child about how to improve fluid and fibre intake, how to sit on the toilet properly, for how long and when.  It is also important the child does not put off going to the toilet  when they need to poo.

Things like fear of sitting on a toilet, or sensory aversions around toileting can also be discussed and addressed.

Sometimes medication or fibre supplements are required to help with constipation and breaking down the poo stuck in the bottom.  We work closely with our trusted team of doctors and pharmacists to ensure your child is on the best treatment .

Trying to get kids to drink water and eat vegetables can feel like an uphill battle!  Drinking adequate fluid helps to keep poo soft and easy to pass, as well as stretch the bladder so it holds the right amount so that child can hold urine through the day and the night. Drinking too much or too little of certain drinks can also irritate a bladder, which may increase wetting.

Eating vegetables helps to keep the poo the right consistency for passing easily, as well as a host of other health benefits for kids.

Learning how the bladder and bowel works helps kids to understand what a good pattern is.  Teaching children to pee and poo properly is of vital importance to a healthy, happy life, and can avoid many problems we see in adults.  We are on your child’s team to help develop normal and sustainable bladder and bowel habits that will last a lifetime.  No more using the toilet just because you are leaving the house!

Sometimes we see kids dance around instead of going to the toilet, with that fear of missing out on play time!

We can help your child learn how to get their bladder to stop from mis-behaving, and how to get it to be able to hold more urine.  We also work with our local GP’s if medication may be required to help relax the bladder.

We may request your child to do a drinking and voiding chart that measures every wee and drink over 2 days.  This helps us identify certain drinks and drinking patterns that may be making things worse, and also the capacity of the bladder.  We are then in a great position to be able to guide drinking and peeing, and develop good habits.  Guiding kids on how to sit properly (girls), and not to rush a pee can be very important steps to getting dry.

A bed alarm may be introduced after the child is  doing well with the simple self help measures to get dry such as drinking, good toilet habits, no constipation with regular bowel motions, and day time wetting has been addressed.

The alarm helps the brain to recognise when the signals coming from the bladder say it is full, and the need to wake to empty the bladder.  As soon as the child starts to wet, the alarm sounds.  The child wakes, turns the alarm on, the finishes the wee on the toilet. The child will need to change the PJ’s, and any wet bedding, reset the alarm again and go back to sleep.  Parents / caregivers may need to help facilitate the process to begin with.  It can take several months to get dry.  Once a child has been dry for 14 days, they can try without the alarm.

Our running Guru Ingrid Vollweiler does head to toe running assessments to figure out the actual cause of the dysfunction, pain or leaking during the run.  Ingrid is a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and also an exercise scientist and functional movement geek. Changing strategies, and a few tweeks, will see you lift performance and run stronger, faster, longer… with a more life long sustainable technique.

After a comprehensive assessment to figure out the points that need attention to improve performance, our therapists will compose an individualised program for your needs.  This will usually involve a combination of strength, conditioning, pilates type exercise, and always functional movement.