August 22, 2022

It is very common to opt for physiotherapy sessions when you have sudden pain in your back, knees, or shoulders. But how many of you would actually think about going to the therapist after witnessing issues with your pelvic floor muscles? There are many individuals who have been diagnosed with floor muscle problems and have been referred to the physios but had absolutely no clue about how they could help them. But the right therapists can help you overcome a number of pelvic floor dysfunctional problems. 

Bladder weakness

It is a common symptom arising out of the pelvic floor muscle’s inability to perform in the best manner. One will witness a series of episodes where their urine leaks after they laugh, cough, or sit. Also, one can feel the need to urinate multiple times for they feel they have leaky bladders. This situation is known as urinary incontinence and is a completely involuntary reaction of the body. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a first-line treatment option for this. There is 85% chance that the situation will improve. 

Vaginal prolapse

This is the situation where the pelvic organs of the individual like the bladder, bowel, and womb descend and bulge into the areas of the vagina. The symptoms that are commonly felt are heaviness in the pelvic regions or the vagina or difficulties in having clear bowel movements. Most cases of mild prolapse can be treated with the physiotherapy techniques. With this, the strength and coordination of other important muscles will improve, and the pressure on the floor muscles will be lowered. 

Painful intercourse 

It is common for many women to witness pain during or after the intercourse in their vagina or in the pelvic regions. There may be many reasons contributing to the pain, but floor muscle dysfunction is the main issue. The internal and external physiotherapy techniques will help you alleviate this pain and resolve the issue completely. 

Pelvic girdle pain

Pelvic girdle pain is a common occurrence during pregnancy. This problem may also exist even after you had your baby a few months back. Every one out of five women is known to suffer from this issue during their pregnancy phase, and pelvic floor physiotherapy is going to be the right solution for this. The therapists will assess your pain and devise appropriate exercises to give you relief. 

If you are facing any of the above problems, contact the Integral Performance Physiotherapy clinic right away.

The meniscus is a c-shaped pad of cartilage situated within the knee that serves as a shock absorber for the knee joint. Each knee has two menisci that lie between the femur and tibia, and meniscus tears are common knee injuries, especially among sports players.

The menisci also help stabilise the knee joint and keep knee movement smooth. Although meniscus tears are most common in sports players, it is also possible to get them through wear and tear as you  age. 

Meniscus tears are given different grades depending on how severe an injury is. For example, a sprained knee can involve the meniscus and other parts of the knee, such as the anterior cruciate ligament.

Younger people can sustain meniscus tears after twisting their knee while playing sports such as football or tennis etc. Older people can experience meniscus tears after the menisci become worn down and can be damaged by simply standing up. These are known as degenerative tears. 

Occasionally the menisci can develop as a block or disk shape in children, which is called a discoid meniscus. A discoid meniscus is more likely to tear.

Symptoms of meniscus tears

Patients can report feeling a pop in their knee joint that indicates a problem. Some patients may still be able to walk on their injured knee but may find their knee stiffens over the next 48 hours. They may delay seeking help from their doctor until their knee causes pain.

Other symptoms of a meniscus tear can include:

• A feeling that the knee is locking, catching or clicking, usually when bending the knee
• An inability to flex and extend the knee fully
• Limping while walking
• Mild, severe or intermittent pain in the knee that comes and goes
• Swelling and inflammation of the knee, usually experienced a few hours after the meniscus injury
• The knee feels loose or unstable and about to give way 
• The knee feels tender along the line of the joint

Are you a medical professional involved in patient assessment and treatment?

PDUK offers a Minor injury essentials Face to Face course, Accredited by the RCN Centre for Professional Accreditation. This fully interactive course focuses on the needs of community practitioners who are now expected to include basic injury review and care.

The course has been designed to help junior doctors, nurse practitioners, practice nurses, school nurses and allied health professionals to assess and manage minor injuries with greater skill and confidence. 

Participants will get practical hands-on experience in a wide range of tasks, including: 

• Apply history-taking essentials, thereby promoting safe practice.
• Link and apply anatomy of upper and lower body musculoskeletal (MSK) structures to various physical assessment techniques.
• Discuss appropriate management of common traumatic MSK presentations, including analgesia and supportive therapy principles.
• Examining and managing various types of wounds, including closure techniques and patient education.
• Develop competency in some standard basic minor clinical procedures.

Junior doctors, nurse practitioners, practice nurses, school nurses and allied health professionals may also be interested in participating in our Minor injury essentials Online workshop, which is Accredited by the RCN Centre for Professional Accreditation.

This three-day workshop in a virtual classroom covers many of the same skills as our face-to-face workshop. Participants get to focus on practical assessment and management of basic injuries. The workshop aims to enable participants to feel more confident in dealing with patients presenting with minor injuries. 

By the end of the 3-day workshop, you will have gained knowledge in how to:

• Apply history-taking essentials, thereby promoting safe practice.
• Link and apply anatomy of upper and lower body musculoskeletal (MSK) structures to various physical assessment techniques.
• Discuss appropriate management of common traumatic MSK presentations, including analgesia and supportive therapy principles.
• Be able to examine and manage various types of wounds.