Women’s & pelvic health
Explore pelvic floor symptoms, pregnancy and postnatal recovery, and how to seek appropriately trained care.
Seek urgent medical advice for severe pelvic or abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, fever or feeling acutely unwell. New loss of bladder or bowel control with back pain or leg weakness is an emergency.
Symptoms deserve a careful assessment
Leaking urine, urgency, bowel-control problems, pelvic heaviness, pain and difficulties returning to activity after birth are reasons to seek help. These problems should not simply be accepted as inevitable after pregnancy or with age. A GP can assess medical causes and help coordinate appropriate care.
What the pelvic floor does
The pelvic floor supports pelvic organs and contributes to bladder and bowel control. Pregnancy, birth, surgery and other life changes can affect its function. Assessment considers strength, coordination and the ability to relax; a generic instruction to squeeze harder may not address the individual problem.
Physiotherapy, consent and a shared plan
A physiotherapist with pelvic-health training may offer education and an individual exercise programme. An internal examination may be discussed when appropriate, with an explanation and consent. You can decline, pause or ask about alternatives. The plan may also involve a GP, continence nurse, midwife or relevant specialist.
Pregnancy, postnatal activity and evidence
Return to exercise should reflect recovery, symptoms and advice from your maternity or healthcare team. Discuss leakage, heaviness or pain before increasing impact. Manual therapy may be used for some musculoskeletal symptoms, but it should not be presented as a way to balance hormones or improve fertility. Confirm current pelvic-health services and practitioner training with MJB rather than assuming every therapist offers this care.
Make your appointment useful
Bring a brief history of the symptoms, relevant reports and your medicines list. Explain which activities matter most to you and what you have already tried. Ask what diagnosis best explains the findings, what would change that diagnosis and how you will measure progress.
Agree on what to do between appointments, how to adjust activity if symptoms change and when to review the plan. Tell your practitioner if treatment causes a new problem or progress stalls.
Finding care in Melbourne’s north
People in Epping, Mill Park, Lalor, Reservoir and surrounding northern suburbs can contact Muscle Joint Bone about an appropriate appointment. The clinic is at 26 Childs Road, Epping. Confirm the relevant practitioner’s scope and current availability when booking.
Sources and further reading
General education, updated November 2026. This information does not replace an individual assessment.
