Before and after Surgery

Getting these muscles optimised to their full potential is what we are best at! This is our jam! No flimpsy pamphlet and generic instruction given… we assess you fully, and get your started on how to get these wonderful muscles, power house strong, and able to respond to what you will throw at it. Your program will be individualised to EXACTLY what you need. We don’t want your pelvic floor muscles to be your weakest link! Sometimes that might involve pelvic floor muscles relaxation (link through to this service from the pain section) first, before we can work on the strength, power, co-ordination and endurance of these muscles. They have to be fast enough to catch those coughs and sneezes, and have enough endurance to last a full day on your feet! They have to have enough tone to support your pelvic organs, and be able to fully relax to wee, poo and have sex! They need to be able to respond to impact during a lift or a jump…. And if you follow our recommendations… who knows…. Maybe you just might be able to shoot that ping pong ball across the room!

We will even help you with tips and trick on how to fit these exercises into your day, so that you can keep up the great work life long.

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 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.

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 maintain a healthy bowel. Eating both soluable and insoluable fibre is beneficial for bowel health. If you are 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.  We work closely with Doctors and Pharmacists if you do require the use of laxatives to help improve stool consistency, if fibre and fluid improvements are not enough.

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!

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.