PELVIC/ WOMENS HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPY

Pelvic Floor Retraining, Treatment for Incontinence, Pelvic Pain, and Management Before and After Having a Baby.

AT AUCKLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY YOU WILL BE SUPPORTED BY FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED PELVIC HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPISTS!

PELVIC/ WOMENS HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPY

Auckland Physiotherapy has a team of Pelvic Health Physio's ready to help you get back to doing the things you love! With experienced and professional advice, stunning boutique clinics, and a team of friendly supportive staff - our team is here for you.

Our team have experience treating women of all ages: from teenage to post menopausal. We can offer assistance for pelvic floor retraining, incontinence and prolapse, pelvic pains, surgery, and everything through-out your pregnancy and post-birth journey. Feel free to browse the below pages for some of the treatments and services we offer, or contact our receptionist team today! If you have more specific questions or are unsure how physiotherapy can help you feel free to book a complimentary call!

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A PELVIC/ WOMENS HEALTH PHYSIO APPOINTMENT?

Pelvic Health Physiotherapists have undergone additional post-graduate training to enable them to effectively assess and treat the unique issues women encounter with respect to pain, function, and the pelvic floor. This treatment includes education, pelvic floor muscle training, core, and diastasis recti rehabilitation, manual therapy, pessary fittings, and individually tailored exercise programs. Pelvic Health physiotherapists understand the physical differences (and unique needs) of the female population and are uniquely qualified to assist women in improving pelvic health, returning to full function, returning to sport and living a pain-free and healthy life.

The sessions are completely confidential and involve initial questioning to ensure a thorough understanding of the patient's story, history, and goals. We then perform an assessment of movement and function depending on what the patient's main issues are. This may also involve an assessment of the patient's tummy and an internal assessment of pelvic floor muscles (if required). The patient is in control of the assessment at all times and has the right to refuse any aspect of their care if they so wish. We believe in educating the patient through every step of the rehabilitation process, thereby ensuring they are at ease and are an active participant in their road to achieving their personal goals. We are also available at any time via email/phone if there are any questions or clarifications that they need.

Your treatment will be completely tailored by your assessment and presentation, as well as your comfort with certain approaches. We have a wide range of treatments available to us! Sometimes all we need is to identify the disorder, educate, and come up with a plan or schedule. Our physiotherapists are also familiar with the use of adjuncts to treatment such as fitting a pessary, vaginal weights such as beads and cones, pelvic wands, vaginal dilators, e-stim units programs, bladder retraining or bladder drills, femeze, pelvic educators, real-time ultrasound and more.

DO YOU HAVE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE?

Southern Cross Members are able to claim for Physiotherapy that is related to pregnancy and/or childbirth (including pelvic floor rehabilitation) as part of their day to day benefit. Auckland Physiotherapy is a Southern Cross Easy-Claim partner making claiming easy.

PELVIC/ WOMENS HEALTH PACKAGES

We offer a range of Package options for our Pelvic Health Physio.

CLICK HERE to see the available packages

These packages can be tailor made to suit you. Please ask your Pelvic Health Physio or the admin team for more details.

Meet The Pelvic Health Team

ANNA GERAETS - Women's Health Physio

I graduated from AUT in 2007. When I graduated I knew that I wanted to a) travel, and b) work in a musculoskeletal private practice. I had no idea where I wanted to go in my career, but I wanted to gain experience and absorb as much as I could off other senior physios.

While in Australia I worked at a clinic in Maroubra, Sydney, where one of the women there offered Womens Health Physiotherapy services. She was such a joy to work with; her presence brought with her infectious energy and enthusiasm every day, and I knew behind that closed clinic door she was doing some wonderful things with her clients. I wanted a little of whatever she was having in life, so I decided to do a weekend course in Womens Health in 2012, and left feeling completely unequipped in treating Womens Health or pelvic floors, and feeling acutely aware that there was so much I didn’t know yet.

In 2016 one of my physio employees convinced me to reopen Womens Health Services at my clinic. She requested I go with her to attend a course with her in 2017. So, at 12 weeks post partum after my first child, I re-entered the Womens Health domain. I left this course knowing that this was the next step in my career that I had been searching for.

I continued training with the WHTA and have completed the POP/SUI, OAB, Persistent Pelvic Pain, Anorectal dysfunction, and levator avulsion courses. I attend her annual research updates, and I am at a stage now where I’d like to explore other courses by expert clinicians in the field.

The ability to explain things to Women so they understand their condition and feel more empowered in their treatment choices is a rewarding experience and brings me great joy in this field. It is a wholly fulfilling role and as much as the work can take from you, it can also give. Besides, I love an afternoon nap.

I returned to NZ in 2019 with my 2 young children and my 2 cats. With my youngest at 4 months old, I started working casually then part time on the shore. By 2022 I was ready to return to a primarily pelvic/womens health role, and I started as one of the senior Womens Health Physiotherapists at Auckland Physiotherapy - and I love it here.

I plan to continue training and exploring more international and local courses to get varied views and approaches to womens health treatment. I am looking at completing the Auckland University’s certificate of Women's Health Sciences.

HELEN VAN PRAAGH - PELVIC HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPIST

Helen is a senior Physiotherapist that has recently completed the Melissa Davidson Integration, Pelvic Pain and Internals course. After having her own child, she has found the love of helping people with their pelvic issues, whether that is pregnancy pain, post-partum recovery, pelvic pain or incontinence.

Helen feels that her extensive training and experience in Pilates, breathing retraining and management of spinal/ hip pain has created the best foundation to move into Pelvic Health.

VANESSA WERNER - BIRTH DOULA & POST-NATAL CARE

Specialising in maternal wellbeing, Vanessa collaborates with her clients to provide personalised prenatal education, alongside mental and emotional support as they prepare for labour and birth. With a strong focus on perinatal mental health, Vanessa also works with women to support postpartum anxiety, depression, PTSD and birth story healing.

Vanessa completed her Maternal Health studies internationally, acquiring her INNATE Postpartum Care certification with American based, Rachelle Garcia Seliga. Working with clients out of an Integrative Wellness Clinic in Whistler, BC (Postpartum Consultant and Neurosomatic Therapist), Vanessa witnessed the impacts births were having on the postpartum recovery of mothers and how their experiences continued to manifest as health symptoms imminently and even years after they had given birth. To gain a deeper understanding of the environment of birth, Vanessa completed her Prenatal Education and Birth Doula certifications in Vancouver with midwife Gloria Lemay. Upon returning to New Zealand in 2021, Vanessa continues to integrate her knowledge of nervous system regulation alongside its connections to maternal and newborn wellbeing.

RENEE MAYLON - Women's Health Physio + Pilates Instructor

On Maternity Leave

Supporting women is an honour and a huge passion of mine. As a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, my aim is to help bridge the support women need throughout their lifetime - be it for education on menstruation, pelvic pain, pregnancy and the post natal period or assistance through the menopausal years and beyond. Every client deserves to feel seen, validated, and supported throughout their medical care.

My journey as a Women's Health Physiotherapist began in London where I spent nearly 6 years in physiology but also in my final year at UCLH and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals in the women’s health team. I continued to gain qualifications in rehabilitation, pilates, acupuncture/dry needling with the AACP and women's health (urogynaecological and obstetric management) with the POGP (Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy) association. In London, I began my specialty in pregnancy related issues, pelvic and sexual pain, post-partum recovery, rectus abdominis diastasis rehabilitation, pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence, prolapse, and overactive bladder.

Since moving home in 2020, I have loved contributing to raising awareness of Pelvic Health Physiotherapy in New Zealand - be it through my work in private practice, teaching workshops, having a growing presence online and in the media.

My goal is for every woman to feel supported, educated and empowered on their healing journey with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.

RACHEL TARCA - MASTERS PELVIC HEALTH PHYSIO

Rachel graduated from Curtin University, Perth, Australia in 2007 and immediately started working in a private hospital where she developed an interest in treating women’s health conditions. She then furthered her expertise by completing her Masters in Continence and Women’s Health physiotherapy through Curtin University which gave her a strong foundation in understanding pelvic health conditions in men, women and children. Rachel has gained vast clinical experience working in dedicated pelvic health specialist clinics as well as teaching Master’s students at Curtin University. Rachel considers it a privilege to work in this specialty and has a strong sense of curiosity in determining the ‘why’ for each patient. She loves the variety that comes with pelvic health physiotherapy and strongly believes in empowering her patients with a holistic approach to problems. She endeavours to arm patients with knowledge and confidence that enables symptom free engagement in meaningful activity. Rachel is also a qualified clinical Pilates instructor and is passionate about using movement as therapy to build strength, resilience and performance. Rachel regularly attends ongoing professional development courses and conferences to ensure she is up-to- date with the latest research. When she is not working, Rachel enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three young children.