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Original poster

Postnatal incontinence

11 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 13/06/2006 20:44

I had a good chat with a physio friend the other day who claimed that only 25% of women with postnatal incontinence (urinary or fecal) get the help they need. The rest either think that their problems are normal and unavoidable, or think that their only treatment option will be surgery, and they'd rather put up with it than be operated on.

Are these really common beliefs? Are there thousands of women out there, not getting the help they need?

OP posts:

spacecadet · 13/06/2006 20:49

well i didnt get help for the wrong reason, i was told ten years ago, surgery was the only option and they wouldnt operate until i reached menopause, ive just moved house and seen a new doctor who said rubbish, they will operate and referred me immediately, but ive suffered for years.

morocco · 13/06/2006 20:49

every woman in France (so I was told) has the right to 12 sessions of post natal physio for free - can't imagine that happening here somehow.

spacecadet · 13/06/2006 20:52

if only...

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 13/06/2006 20:53

You do have the right to postnatal physio for incontinence issues - that's what my physio friend does for a living, with the NHS. There probably is a shortage of physios everywhere, though.

And SC, that's scary. Have you had physio already?

OP posts:

morningpaper · 13/06/2006 20:55

Morocco are you saying that you don't think you can get physio for free?

That's what the NHS is for! :)

Just ring your GP and he or she will refer you.

I've had lots of NHS Physio for various postnatal and pre-natal issues - it is an EXCELLENT service and your GP will be happy to refer you for just about anything that is worrying you.

spacecadet · 13/06/2006 20:58

NQC-i eventually had physio after ds2 was born, the electrodes jobby!, it helped but because my problem is a cystocele, it needs surgery to correct it.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 13/06/2006 21:00

sc, fair enough, just didn't want anyone going under the knife when they didn't need to. When are you having the op?

OP posts:

morocco · 13/06/2006 21:07

not exactly - what I mean is every single woman can go for the physio, like it's a routine check or something. You know, like here there might be a 6 week check and more or less everyone who wanted to would go to it, well in France, it would be routine for everyone to go to their post natal physio.
I'm not absolutely sure - that's just what my French friends told me - I went for the 12 weeks on my insurance and it was absolutely fantastic. I didn't have any particular problem and hadn't mentioned anything to the obs but like NQC says, I thought of it as 'normal and unavoidable'

spacecadet · 13/06/2006 21:10

nqc-ive got to wait for my referral to come through, i must admit, i wish it would just require some more physio as im terrified of having an op!

spacecadet · 13/06/2006 21:12

i have to say, where i lived before, it was years before i was offered physio

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 13/06/2006 21:49

I do wish physio was more widely available here. I think a lot of people lump it in with osteopathy and homeopathy, unfairly, as it's part of traditional medicine.

I use physios for pretty much any muscular complaint, and trust them more than GPs. Certainly, my local GP has been really surprised by how quickly I've fixed things (like frozen shoulder) without them.

OP posts:

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