Should all women be doing Kegels or are there exceptions? How is the pelvic floor involved in perpetuating the pain of vulvodynia, UTIs and chronic thrush? Is there a correct way to pee and poo?

Sally talks to Lucia Berry about about the pelvic floor and some of the conditions that can be treated by pelvic floor physiotherapy, including urinary incontinence and vulval pain. Lucia is a pelvic health physiotherapist at Guys and St Thomas Hospital in London, senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Brunel University, and former trustee of the Pelvic, Obstretric and Gynaecological Physiotherapists (POGP).

Links

• Lucia Berry - https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/lucia-berry

• Find a physio -⁠ https://thepogp.co.uk/patients/physiotherapists/⁠

• Vulval Pain Society (VPS) physio resources - ⁠https://vulvalpainsociety.org/about-vulval-pain/treating-vulval-pain/physiotherapy/⁠ 'We would not encourage most physiotherapy self-help techniques without a consultation, diagnosis and treatment plan.'

• Pain and the Pelvic Floor VPS webinar - https://vulvalpainsociety.org/news-events/vps-webinars/past-vps-webinars/vulval-pain-society-2021-social-media-livestreams-2/pain-and-the-pelvic-floor-how-to-treat-it-physio-special-1-24-february-2021/

• POGP pelvic floor exercises - ⁠https://youtu.be/92KUPKi-ii4⁠

• Pelvic floor exercises - ⁠⁠⁠https://pelvicphysiotherapy.com/⁠⁠⁠ Lucia says: "I really like these from a pelvic health colleague of mine in Dublin. Here she explains strengthening and relaxation exercises – under exercises."

• Perinatal services - https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/06/nhs-pelvic-health-clinics-to-help-tens-of-thousands-women-across-the-country/