Physiotherapy in Women’s Health

At the end of this course, the students are expected to: 1. demonstrate required skills in prescribing appropriate exercise programme for women before and after child birth; 2. discuss common conditions in women’s health, particularly with complications of labour and gynaecological problems requiring physiotherapy; 3. discuss the general principles that guides decision making in women’s health conditions; 4. demonstrate beginning level of care skills in managing patients with women’s health conditions; 5. take precautionary measures in instructing women in exercise during pregnancy and after child birth; 6. use clinical judgment and reflection to identify, monitor, and enhance clinical reasoning to minimise errors and enhance patient/client outcomes in women’s health conditions; and 7. apply relevant examinations and experiential information to guide management and prognosis in women’s health conditions.

Review of relevant anatomy and physiology of pregnancy: Menstruation, pregnancy and foetal development, Complications of pregnancy: ectopic, pre-eclamptic toxaemia, eclampsia, ante partum haemorrhage, placenta praevia, diabetes mellitus. Physical and physiological changes of labour Complications of labour: failure to progress, maternal and foetal distress, mal-presentation, cephalopelvic disproportion. Puerperium and complications including postpartum haemorrhage, fistulas; common antenatal conditions and management including urinary retention, urinary incontinence, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pregnancy-related pathologies including diastasis recti abdominis, stress incontinence, low back pain and pelvic pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and ligamentous laxity, varicose vein, preeclampsia, Caesarean child birth. Including pelvic inflammatory disease, cystocele, urethrocele, enterocele, uterine prolapse, dysmenorrhoea, female athlete triad. Physiotherapy interventions in pregnancy related pathologies.