Knowledge Is Powerful: How Understanding Your Pelvic Health Can Ease Fear and Pain

From Diagnosis to Management: Your Endometriosis Treatment Options

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialised area of care that can help women and people experiencing bladder, bowel, prolapse, pelvic pain and sexual-health concerns. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, nerves and connective tissues that supports the bladder, bowel and uterus, and plays an important role in continence, movement, sexual function and comfort. When the pelvic floor is not functioning as well as it could, symptoms may include leaking urine when coughing, la

Bowel habits are an important part of our overall health, but constipation, straining, and difficulty emptying the bowels are common concerns. Understanding how your digestive system works and establishing a consistent bowel routine may help support more comfortable bowel movements. What Is Peristalsis? Peristalsis refers to the coordinated, wave-like contractions of muscles within the digestive tract that help move its contents along. In the large intestine, muscular contrac

Vaginismus can affect sexual activity, tampon use, cervical screening and other aspects of everyday life. Yet, many people experience symptoms for years before seeking help, often feeling embarrassed, anxious or believing that the problem is something they simply have to live with. While pelvic floor muscle tension is central to vaginismus, fear, anxiety and previous experiences of pain can also contribute to symptoms and reinforce the body's protective response. Understandin

In their lifetime, up to 50% of women will experience some form of pelvic health issue such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, painful sex, and bowel symptoms. These issues can have a big impact on a woman’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Effective treatments exist – in particular, seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist is often recommended as a first-line treatment for many of these conditions. Yet women consistently wait, sometimes years, b

Period pain is one of the most common reasons girls and women miss school or work. Yet it is often dismissed, labelled as "normal" and left untreated. While there are clinical reasons for period pain, stress, anxiety and sleep also contribute to pain severity, and if left unaddressed, persistent menstrual pain can develop into a chronic pain syndrome with lasting effects on wellbeing. Understanding the pain system is key to understanding and addressing painful periods, or pri

A hypertonic pelvic floor is one where the pelvic floor muscles hold too much tension and are unable to fully relax. It may be associated with pelvic pain, pain during sex, urinary urgency and constipation, and the treatment is not more squeezing or strengthening, but down-training. When most people think about pelvic floor exercises, they think about Kegels – squeeze, relax and repeat. Many people with pelvic floor issues assume they have a weak pelvic floor that needs stren

If you have ever been told your pelvic pain involves "central sensitisation," you may have wondered if this means you’re too sensitive or overreacting to pain. But this is not what it means. Central sensitisation describes a change in how the nervous system processes signals and is not an indication of someone's pain tolerance or how "real" their pain is. What actually is central sensitisation? Central sensitisation is defined as an amplification of neural signalling within t

When most people hear 'Botox' they think of cosmetic injections, but Botox is increasingly being used to help manage two conditions that can significantly affect quality of life: chronic pelvic pain, which is persistent pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis lasting six months or more, and overactive bladder, which is a condition causing a sudden, urgent and often frequent need to urinate that can be difficult to control and sometimes result in leaking urine before reaching the

What is NAC? In Australia, around 1 in 7 women and people assigned female at birth are diagnosed with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus (called lesions), often in the pelvic area, including on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, or bladder. This can lead to inflammation, scarring, and a wide range of symptoms. Some people have no symptoms, but many experience pelvic or lower back pain

Bladder urgency and frequent wee can disrupt daily life, sending you rushing to the toilet. Overactive bladder is common, but manageable with the right support.