WELCOME
Welcome to the website that was created with women in mind.
These webpages provide a vast amount of information that is relevant for women of all ages and walks of life, covering common problems that may arise from the childbearing years through the menopause and beyond.
The saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ goes a long way as far as the female body and wellness is concerned. Knowledge is power. Understanding your body and the challenges it faces during pregnancy, childbirth and the menopause will empower you to take action for optimum wellbeing and make informed decisions about your care.
All too often intimate problems related to women’s health are overlooked, covered up or dismissed as ‘part of getting older’ and ‘normal after childbirth’. Women suffering with these intimate problems are left feeling hopeless, misunderstood and isolated. Many suffer in silence, too embarrassed to discuss it with their doctor or partner, and self-manage their problem through coping strategies that is often counterproductive.
We say: ‘No more taboo’s! Help is available.’ Take charge of your health and life!
Who Would Benefit?
Who could benefit from Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
Who could benefit from Women’s Health Physiotherapy?
- Women who suffer with bladder or bowel dysfunction, including incontinence (stress incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, post void dribble, etc.), urgency, frequency, constipation and evacuation difficulties.
- Women with symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse
- Women who are experiencing pelvic pain, dyspareunia or vaginismus
- Women who underwent gynaecological surgery (i.e. pelvic floor repair, perineal revision, hysterectomy, or other abdominal surgery including a caesarean section)
- Women who sustained perineal trauma, i.e. during childbirth
- Women with diastasis rectus abdominis in pregnancy or postpartum
- Pregnant women for instruction on pelvic floor exercises or relaxation (as per the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines 2006)
- Women who suffer with pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain
- All postpartum women
- Women suffering with low back, hip or pelvic girdle pain.
As a Women’s Health Physiotherapist I am trained to have specialist knowledge and skills to
- Assess pelvic floor function by internal examination, and teach or guide women in how to do pelvic floor muscle exercises correctly. This may be done with or without adjunctive modalities such as biofeedback and/or electrical stimulation which are selected on individual patient assessment basis.
- Treat pelvic pain disorders, including vaginismus, through pelvic floor relaxation techniques, biofeedback, desensitisation and perineal massage
- Offer advice on bladder retraining, urge suppression techniques and fluid management, particularly for those with overactive bladder syndrome
- Offer guidance on desensitising and massaging painful scar tissue following childbirth or gynaecological surgery
- Teach correct defecation techniques for healthy bowel habits
- Offer advice on daily activities and keep-fit exercises that may negatively impact on the pelvic floor, and help women reduce the risk of pelvic floor strain or injury
- Help women prepare for and recover after gynaecological surgery through lifestyle advice, pelvic floor training, bladder training and return to normal activity with consideration of safe the pelvic floor
- Assess and treat pregnancy related pelvic girdle dysfunction, including advice on maternity belts and/or symphysis pubis and SIJ support belts
- Support women postpartum to ensure optimum recovery, including pelvic floor and core training, posture correction and correct biomechanics
BEAT THE FACTS… / THE REALITY OF FACTS
- Urine leakage affects 10 – 55% of women between the ages of 15 to 64 years.
- Research supports and encourage exercise in pregnancy to gain the associated health benefits.
- Up to 62% women have some degree of abdominal separation in their third trimester of pregnancy, and for 35% of these the gap remains abnormally wide 8 weeks after birth.
- Lumbo-pelvic-hip pain, also known as pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain, affects up to 50%-70% of pregnant women.
- Perineal massage prior to the delivery can reduce the risk of tearing, and specialist attention and treatment postpartum can aid optimum recovery for those whom sustained a tear.
- Around 52% of women who have had at least one child have some degree of prolapse (downward slipping of one or more internal organs) on examination.
- About half (50%) of all women over the age of 50 years complain of symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse.
- Around 1 in 10 women will require surgery for prolapse by the age of 80 years.
- Kegel exercises are easier said than done. Studies have shown that 30%-50% of women are unable to contract their pelvic floor muscles on verbal instruction alone, and 1 in 4 of these women will do a straining manoeuvre instead that can potentially weaken their pelvic floor.
- Bowel control problems affect over 53 million people in Europe!
- Constipation is a common problem affecting one in six people, but often conservative measures and simple advice can be effective to resolve the problem.
- Urinary leakage is most common in high impact sport activities such as trampolining (80%), gymnastics (76%), basket ball (66%), tennis (50%) and field hockey (42%).
- Up to 51.9% of elite female athletes and dancers experience urine loss participating in their sport or during daily life. It is not only the old or frail that are at risk.
DON’T BECOME ANOTHER STATISTIC. BE PROACTIVE AND SEEK HELP.
.
Services
What to expect during your consultation
Your first consultation will take approximately one hour to allow full assessment as well as treatment. Follow-up visits may vary from 30 minutes to one hour depending on the nature of the consultation and findings from your initial evaluation.
Treatment intervals vary depending on your condition and progress, but most commonly are scheduled 1x weekly for 2-4 appointments. You may be asked to return in one month to review and monitor your progress after which ongoing treatment is determined based on your progress. Patients presenting with back or pelvic pain may be seen more regularly depending on the severity of their symptoms and response to treatment.
Some women may only need a couple of appointments, others may need more. This will be discussed and mutually agreed. We strongly believe that patients should have input in their treatment plan and goals, and therapy is very much guided by patient feedback together with evidence based practice.
NOTE: Some women may need to have an internal assessment as part of their care. This is an important part of your assessment will help us formulate a personalised treatment and exercise plan that is right for you. If an internal assessment is necessary, the reasons for internal examination will be discussed and verbal consent will be obtained before examination. You have the right to decline internal examination or stop the examination at any time.
Confidentiality statement: With more than 15years experience in this field, I recognise that women’s health issues are extremely sensitive. During consultations I aim to provide a private, discreet and relaxed environment in which women can seek advice and treatment. All information shared is strictly confidential and I strive to maintain the highest professional standards at all times.
RESOURCES
If you have questions about any of the information below or do not see something you are interested in feel free to contact us.
GET IN TOUCH
To book an appointment please call (345) 923-7643. Appointments available Wednesdays: 2pm – 4pm | Saturdays: 9am – 2pm
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE
I am registered with most Private Health Insurance Companies as a provider. A payment receipt specifying the treatment codes utilised during your consultation and indicating payment will be provided which you can submit to your Private Health Insurance Company for reimbursement.
Upfront Costs
Due to the current environment of declining and delayed reimbursements from third party payers, the physiotherapy service operates on an upfront cash-pay basis which requires payment at the time of service. The benefit of a cash-based system allows for upfront pricing without hidden costs or surprises*.
Fully Confidential
With more than 15years experience in this field, I recognise that women’s health issues are extremely sensitive. During consultations I aim to provide a private, discreet and relaxed environment in which women can seek advice and treatment. All information shared is strictly confidential and I strive to maintain the highest professional standards at all times.
ABOUT RIETTE
Riette Vosloo B Sc Physio MCSP HPC is Physiotherapist with a special interest in the health and wellbeing of women. She is currently based in Georgetown, Cayman Islands.
Riette was born and raised in South Africa where she graduated with a BSc in Physiotherapy from the University of the Free State in 1998. She has more than 18 years’ experience practicing Physiotherapy and caring for patients. She discovered her passion for Women’s Health early on in her career and pursued further studies in this area. In 2003 she moved to England where she worked in the National Health System (NHS) as well as private practice predominantly in the area of Obstetrics and Urogynaecology. She continued further studies and successfully completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Continence for Physiotherapists from Bradford University, United Kingdom in 2006. She moved to the Cayman Islands in 2014 to develop and establish a Women’s Health Physiotherapy service and to serve the beautiful women on this Island.
As a Women’s Health Physiotherapist Riette has been fortunate to work within dynamic multidisciplinary teams and alongside world leading Consultants in Urogynaecology, Urodynamics and Obstetrics throughout her career. She has gained extensive knowledge and skills in assessment and treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including bowel and bladder continence, pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapse, painful intercourse, pregnancy related aches and pains, preparation for and recovery after gynaecological surgery.
Her ongoing commitment to Continuing Education is important to ensure that the most recent research is being accessed in order to provide the best evidence-based treatment strategies for her patients. Conferences, workshops and journal articles are regularly used to update knowledge and up-skill.
Riette is also a mother of two and therefore have first-hand experience and understanding of the challenges of pregnancy, child birth and motherhood, not to mention juggling a healthy balance between work, life and parenthood. She is a true advocate for women’s health and a voice for women, tackling those ‘taboo’ topics often dismissed by many as ‘normal’, empowering women to seek treatment and take responsibility of their own health and wellbeing with confidence.