Physio for pelvic floor
IT is not a ‘‘trendy topic’’, but a new Central Otago pelvic floor physiotherapy service can transform people’s lives, those involved with the initiative say.
The service began at Dunstan Hospital last year and was providing muchneeded support in the district, having treated about 100 people so far, Dunstan senior physiotherapist Lisa Carnie said.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy services were offered at Dunedin and Southland Hospitals. Miss Carnie had identified a need for them in Central Otago and Dunstan had received funding from the Friends of Dunstan Hospital for her to do the specialist training required to provide the service.
The donation had come from a bequest which had formed the Rabbitt Fund, which Friends of Dunstan Hospital managed, Central Otago Health Services Ltd manager Karyn Penno said.
She said Dunstan was ‘‘incredibly grateful’’ for the support, and the services would make ‘‘an enormous difference, particularly to women, but also to men’’.
‘‘It’s [pelvic floor issues] one of those things that people don’t normally speak about, but almost everyone has an issue with.’’
Miss Carnie said pelvic floor dysfunction, ‘‘while not being a trendy topic’’, affected many women at various stages of their lives, including after childbirth and around menopause. Men could also be affected ‘‘in often embarrassing ways’’, such as bladder leakage.
Areas for which treatment can now be provided at Dunstan include incontinence (of bladder and bowel), pelvic pain, prolapse, problems arising from pregnancy and childbirth, and sexual dysfunction.
Miss Carnie said early intervention was vital, but it was ‘‘never too late’’ to have pelvic floor treatment and it could transform people’s lives, sometimes allowing those who had become housebound because of issues such as incontinence to get out and about again.
In many cases, pelvic floor treatment could mean surgical intervention was not needed or, if surgery was still required, pelvic floor physiotherapy could help before and after it and make the results more successful.
Miss Carnie said she was passionate about making a difference, empowering people and raising awareness of pelvic floor issues.
‘‘It’s been normalised in society for women to have problems with their pelvic floor, but actually it’s not a normal part of ageing or having kids. There is a significant amount of help that we can provide. The whole aim is to manage it conservatively, avoiding further intervention.’’
Assessments and advice included discussion about things that could make a difference, such as the strength of other muscle groups, body alignment and diet, as pelvic floor muscles did not work in isolation, Miss Carnie said.
She understood patients could find it difficult to talk about the topic, but stressed they would be treated ‘‘with dignity and privacy, maintaining discretion’’.
Miss Carnie works closely with other services and specialists, such as midwives and continence services.
She encouraged people to talk to their GP, midwife or other health professional about a referral to the pelvic floor physiotherapy service.