Pre and Post Natal Physiotherapy at Home

Having a child and going through pregnancy is a cherished experience in the life of a new mother. However, it comes with its own set of challenges and difficulties. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes drastic changes in the short span of 9 months. A woman experiences changes in the the level of her hormones, in her posture, balance, and even in her mental and emotional wellbeing. As the baby grows inside the womb and continues to get heavier, the pressure inside the abdomen and on the pelvic floor muscles keeps increasing. With this building pressure, it is important to ensure that the pelvic floor muscles remain strong to support the weight of the baby and to prevent the leakage of urine.  During pregnancy, the center of gravity changes, there is more pressure on the organs, plus now the woman’s body has to carry more weight. Along with this, other muscles, joints and ligaments may also experience changes and thus, one may experience musculoskeletal symptoms. A woman may also experience back pain, pelvic pain and urinary incontinence. And this is where prenatal and postnatal physiotherapy come into the picture. 

The goal of prenatal physiotherapy is to improve prenatal fitness of women to ensure that they have a healthier and easier pregnancy and delivery. A physiotherapist can evaluate, assess, treat and educate women on safe and effective exercises that can help with back pain, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence. The physiotherapist can also work with your team of doctors and gynecologists to create a plan that follows a holistic approach to healthcare wherein detailed assessments and findings are exchanged between the doctors and the physiotherapist. 

To help with issues during the prenatal phase, the physiotherapist will design a plan specifically for you that will take care of strengthening your pelvic floor and core muscles, and improving your flexibility, strength and joint mobilizations. Over and above this, the physiotherapist will also educate you and offer you advice on several aspects of the pregnancy phase and how to remain fit in the same. 

As a part of prenatal physiotherapy, your physiotherapist can help you in the following ways: 

• The physiotherapist will teach you exercises that will help you remain fit and healthy. All these exercises are safe and are easily doable for pregnant women. 
• The physiotherapist will show you the correct postures and strategies to ensure that the strain in your lower back and pelvic joints is as less as possible during pregnancy. 
• The physiotherapist will help relieve lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain and can also show you exercises to prevent the same. 
• The physiotherapist will tell you everything that you need to know about pelvic floor muscles and will show you how to do pelvic floor exercises.
• The physiotherapist will guide you through ways of how to rest comfortably and how to deal with other minor problems related to the pregnancy. 
• Prenatal physiotherapy will prepare your pelvic floor for labor, and you will also learn about perineal massage and other strategies.
• The physiotherapist will also give you advice on your posture along with suggesting some active strategies for pain management during labor.

Prenatal physiotherapy has numerous benefits that can help women have an easier pregnancy and delivery. These include the following: 

• Prenatal physiotherapy tightens the stomach muscles
• It reduces the risk of back pain
• It reduces the chances of incontinence problems
• It increases the strength of pelvic floor muscles
• Helps maintain a healthy body weight
• It helps one resume to normal activities easily and quickly

Based on the initial comprehensive assessment, the physiotherapist will devise a plan that works the best for you. The different exercises under prenatal physiotherapy are as follows: 

• Exercises for strengthening the Pelvic floor 
• Transverse abdominis strengthening exercises
• Gentle cardiovascular activity such as cycling
• Hydrotherapy
• Pilates
• Positions of ease for labor to decrease pain 
• Postural advice
• Relaxation techniques
• Back mobility exercises
• Preparatory advice and guidance for childbirth

Postnatal physiotherapy is meant to help you return to an active lifestyle post childbirth in an easy and effective manner. Postnatal physiotherapy also helps minimize post labor complications of back pain, pelvic pain and weakness. The physiotherapist will customize and tailor a physiotherapy plan just for you, that will take care of your specific needs, requirements and concerns post delivering the baby. 

Post pregnancy and delivery, the pelvic floor muscles tend to become weak. This leads to issues in continence, pelvic stability and sexual function. To avoid long term issues, pelvic floor exercises are essential. After delivering the baby, you will also need to lift and hold the baby a lot in sustained positions, and this can lead to aches and pains. All of this can be taken care of through postnatal physiotherapy. Following are the common problems that postnatal physiotherapy can help with: 

• Stress and urge incontinence
• Pain in the pelvic and lower back
• Pain in the neck and upper back 
• Diastasis Recti (Abdominal separation)

Post delivery, your physiotherapist will take the following assessments to evaluate your condition: 

• Internal pelvic floor assessment
• Pelvis, SIJ and Lumbar spine assessment
• Abdominal separation assessment
• Return to sport assessment
• Scar assessment

In postnatal physiotherapy, the physiotherapist will help you in the following ways: 

• The physiotherapist will offer guidance on how to recover after childbirth, whether you’ve had a vaginal delivery or a C-section. 
• The physiotherapist will assess and work on your posture, breathing, abdominal muscles gap and pelvic floor muscle function through exercises. 
• The physiotherapist will devise a specific exercise programme to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles. 
• The physiotherapist will take you through how to exercise safely in postpartum. 
• The physiotherapist will also assess and treat any symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction that you might be dealing with. 
• The physiotherapist will guide you through ways of how to improve your bladder, bowel, sexual and pelvic health.
• Through physiotherapy, the physiotherapist will ensure that you undergo abdominal and core strengthening, treatment of musculoskeletal issues and management of scar tissue. 
• The physiotherapist will also give you guidance and advice related to nutrition, sleep, posture and ergonomics.

Following are some of the benefits of postnatal physiotherapy: 

• It helps tighten the stomach muscles
• It increases strength of the pelvic floor muscles
• Physiotherapy helps you return to your normal body shape
• It improves your posture
• It reduces the chances of back pain
• It helps you return to daily activities or sports much faster 
• Physiotherapy reduced the risk of incontinence problems

Postnatal physiotherapy includes a wide variety of exercises and therapies. However, the physiotherapist will take you through exercises that fit best with your needs and goals. 

Your postnatal physiotherapy programme may include the following:

• Transverse abdominis strengthening exercises
• Pilates
• Exercises for core stability
• Pacing advice
• Sphincter strengthening exercises
• Hydrotherapy
• Advice for posture
• Strengthening exercises for the pelvic floor 
• Cardiovascular activities such as cycling or treadmill
• Back mobility exercises
• Functional exercises

Your physiotherapist will choose a combination of exercises and therapies to provide you with a safe and appropriate programme that will help you return to your pre-pregnancy state and will help reduce any post labor complications.

Following are the common conditions that women have to deal with during and after pregnancy. Physiotherapy can significantly help improve and manage these conditions. 

• Urinary incontinence: Physiotherapy can help with Stress Urinary Incontinence, Urge Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder. 
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Physiotherapy can help with Prolapse, Sexual Dysfunction, Chronic Pelvic Pain and Bowel Conditions such as Constipation and Faecal Incontinence.

In the first appointment, the physiotherapist will take a detailed assessment of your condition. He/ She will ask you about your symptoms and your general medical history. Post this assessment, the physiotherapist will conduct a physical examination. The examination will try to evaluate your posture, function, muscle tone, flexibility, and strength. Post this evaluation, the physiotherapist will create a customized plan for you that will care of your symptoms and requirements. 

First Response Healthcare (FRH) is one of the most dependable home healthcare companies in Dubai that offers a range of healthcare services right at your doorstep. FRH offers prenatal and postnatal physiotherapy for pregnant women and new mothers, along with a range of other services. Our physiotherapy services are delivered by highly experienced physiotherapists who are trained to provide treatment and assessment for a variety of prenatal and postnatal conditions. 

FRH has received the Gold Seal of Approval for meeting the Joint Commission International Standards for its services. It has a team of highly competent & DHA licensed doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and medical experts, who offer their services 24*7, 365 days a year. The FRH team makes sure to provide kind and compassionate medical attention to all their patients, and prioritizes their comfort and convenience. You can avail our ‘Physiotherapy on Call,’ wherein we provide in-home physiotherapy at a place of your choice, located anywhere within the Emirate of Dubai. FRH can provide its services at your home, hotel or office based on your preference and convenience. 

FRH provides physiotherapy for the following prenatal conditions and issues: 

• Pelvic Girdle/ Hip/ Groin/ Pubic Pain
• Lower Back/ Sacroiliac Joint (Sij) Pain/ Sciatica
• Thoracic/ Rib Pain
• Edema Or Fluid Retention
• Muscle Cramps
• Pelvic Floor Weakness And Urinary Incontinence
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

FRH provides physiotherapy for the following postnatal conditions and issues: 

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Back Pain
• Shoulder Pain
• Postnatal Recovery

Getting physiotherapy treatment at home can prove to be cheaper since it avoids multiple visits to the hospital, physiotherapy center or clinic. Receiving physiotherapy at home can also help you avoid the stress and distractions of an outside facility and can help you focus on your treatment and therapy. In the pandemic, the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus is a major concern. The risk is even higher in places like hospitals, clinics, physiotherapy centers, where there are a lot of people and patients. This risk can easily be avoided if you get physiotherapy treatment at home. 

Here’s What Makes FRH Stand Out: 

• Flexible Appointments: We adapt to your schedule and you can book an appointment with us 24*7, even on weekends and public holidays. 
• Fastest Delivery of Services: We can reach your home, hotel or office within 30* minutes after you book an appointment. 
• We come to you, anywhere; We cover the entire Emirate of Dubai and can come to you at a location of your choice.  
• You get to choose a place of your convenience: Our team can come to you wherever you are, and can offer physiotherapy services at your home, hotel or office. 
• Customized Services – Their services are planned keeping in mind your comfort and convenience.
• One-on-One Attention – They take the time to listen and understand your needs, requirements and expectations before proceeding with the treatment process.
• In the Privacy & Comfort of Your Own Home – There’s no need for you to go anywhere, since their team comes to you, thus prioritizing your safety and convenience.
• Communicated Recovery Process – They make sure to update you with Regular Progress Reports to keep you abreast with your improvement and condition.

Our Physiotherapy Plan Can Also Offer The Following: 

• Strength Training
• Balance Training
• Therapeutic Massage and Exercises
• Muscle Imbalance Correction
• Posture Correction
• Neuro-developmental Therapy

To avail prenatal and postnatal physiotherapy services in Dubai, you can call on 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC. You can also book an online appointment by visiting our website  https://firstresponse.ae/