Pregnancy Exercise

Antenatal and Postnatal Physiotherapy

Experienced physiotherapists with a special interest in women's health assist with various musculoskeletal changes that occur in the child-bearing year. Basic antenatal or postnatal exercise programs are designed for each patient. In addition, further strategies are used to effectively treat:

Antenatally

• Low and mid back pain
• Sacro-Iliac Joint pain (+/- sciatica), Pubic Symphysis pain
• Piriformis muscle spasm
• Difficulty/pain with movement
• Rectus diastasis (abdominal bulging)
• Bladder control problems or constipation/straining
• Carpal tunnel symptoms
• Prenatal conditioning of pelvic floor muscles
• Improved postural awareness
• Improved spinal and pelvic stability
• Maintenance of cardiovascular fitness, muscle length, strength and flexibility
• Reduced pain
• Maintenance of a healthy weight
• Improved circulation thus can help decrease swelling in extremities
• Relaxation

Postnatally

These conditions are often greatly relieved with various strategies including pain relieving modalities, deep massage and other manual therapies, core-stability muscle strengthening, postural stretches, specific muscle balancing and co-ordination techniques (including retraining, positioning and patterning) and sometimes external supports and splints.

• Back, shoulder and neck pain
• SIJ, pubic symphysis or piriformis pai
• Rectus Diastasis
• Abdominal bulging during movement
• Post caesarean pain (after healing)
• Perineal pain and discomfort
• Bladder/bowel control difficulties and constipation/straining
• Rehabilitate abdominal muscles correctly
• Rehabilitate pelvic floor muscles
• Improve posture
• Assist with weight loss
• Increase fitness
• Improve psychological well being
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Social interaction
• Hasten recovery