Did you know that during pregnancy up to two thirds of women suffer from back pain? Or that roughly one fifth complain of pelvic pain. Pregnancy can have a profound and lasting effect on your body, with many women experiencing physical discomfort at differing stages of their pregnancy.
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to put up with back ache, pelvic girdle pain or other pregnancy-related problems or that there is nothing you can do about it.
Physiotherapy in pregnancy can really help women who are suffering from pregnancy-related problems to resolve or manage their symptoms and make their pregnancy easier.
Services include:
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Specialist antenatal/postnatal assessment and treatment
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Individually-tailored advice and home exercises
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Pregnancy Massage
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Footcare including toenail clipping
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Podiatry assessments and treatment
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Pelvic-floor rehabilitation
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Maternity support belts if appropriate
During pregnancy, your body starts to produce a hormone called relaxin, which increases the elasticity of your ligaments, in order to prepare you for the birth process. This is a normal process, but having that extra ‘give’ in your joints can leave them vulnerable to stresses and strain, and potential misalignment issues, particularly around the pelvis. Your spinal curves also change shape as your baby grows, resulting in different biomechanical stresses on your body that can lead to back pain, pelvic pain, or even carpel tunnel syndrome. Everyday activities such as housework, sleeping and looking after your children can become more difficult as your body struggles to adjust to working differently; we understand this and can help you manage better.
Physiotherapy and Osteopathy
Women’s health physiotherapy and osteopathy appointments focus on improving your posture, alignment and muscle strength to help you adapt to your new situation. By providing massage and gentle stretching to relieve tight muscles, while strengthening the muscles that support your back and bump, we aim to make you feel more comfortable and help you get your flat tummy back post-natally.
Advice on safe ways in which to carry out those everyday tasks you’re struggling with aims to avoid aggravating your symptoms; many women feel anxious about continuing to exercise during their pregnancy. We offer advice about how to best stay active and safely continuing to exercise.
Further information on how physiotherapy and osteopathy treatments can help you during your pregnancy can be found here.
Pregnancy Massage
Massage therapy during pregnancy can have many positive effects. Massage promotes the physiological response of relaxation, reducing anxiety levels due to reduced levels of the stress hormone noradrenaline. It also stimulates positive hormones such as serotonin.
During pregnancy massages therapists will adapt their techniques to address the changes your body goes through during pregnancy.
For further information on our massage services during pregnancy, visit our pregnancy massage page.
Podiatry and Footcare
Changes to your body weight and centre off gravity due to your growing bump can have an affect on your posture and the way you walk, which, in some cases can lead to pain in the lower limbs. Our podiatrists can provide advice and support and, in some cases, issue an orthotic prescription to support the foot and redistribute weight when walking.
Our podiatrists are also on hand to help you take care of your feet throughout your pregnancy. As your pregnancy progresses, simple tasks such as cutting your toenails can become a challenge, our experienced therapists can trim your nails, take care of any hard/callus skin, as well as treat other common foot complaints.
Our therapists not only provide support throughout your pregnancy, we have a range of services available for once your baby has arrived, including postnatal physiotherapy and dedicated parent and baby sessions with our osteopath.