What to Expect at Your Women’s Health Physio Appointment in Cork
When Women’s Health physio is something you’ve never heard of before, it’s completely natural to wonder what to expect at your first appointment. It’s one of the first questions I often ask- “What are you expecting from today?” In this post, I’ll walk you through what happens at a Women’s Health Physio appointment, and explain the different assessment options available to you.
A Safe, Comfortable Space to Begin
First and foremost, I do a lot of listening.
I listen to your story—what has brought you to me in the first place. These are often deeply personal and sensitive conversations, and I believe it’s essential to offer a safe, respectful, and private space where you feel comfortable sharing. Sometimes we spend an entire session just talking, and that’s perfectly okay.
For many people, I might be the first—or only the second—person they’ve ever told about their symptoms. So, step one is letting you know: you are not alone, and support is here.
A Holistic History
Next, I’ll take a detailed medical history to help me understand the bigger picture. Every person I see is unique, and this information helps us design a treatment plan tailored specifically to your needs. This will include things like general health, exercise, sleep hygiene and diet. A broader look at the bigger picture is always needed so we can give you the individualised care and treatment you need.
Do I Need a Pelvic Floor Assessment?
If you’ve Googled “women’s health physiotherapy” or pelvic floor physio, you may have come across the term internal pelvic floor exam. This can sound a bit daunting—especially if you didn’t even realise physios like us existed!
But please know: any assessment will always be fully explained and 100% your choice.
In fact, we often don’t do a pelvic floor exam at the first appointment. There are many other important aspects of your story and health to explore first.
Why do a Pelvic Floor Exam at all
We may choose to assess the pelvic floor to understand its:
- Strength
- Coordination
- Flexibility
- Or in some cases, tension and tone—especially for those experiencing pelvic pain.
There are a few options when it comes to pelvic floor assessment, and internal assessment is just one of them.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is made up of three layers of muscle and connective tissue. These muscles stretch from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back, forming the foundation that supports the bladder, bowel, and uterus (in females).
In females, the pelvic floor has three openings—urethra, vagina, and anal canal—and in males, two—urethra and anal canal. Unfortunately, the deeper layers of these muscles cannot be assessed externally, which is why an internal exam may sometimes be recommended.
What Happens During an Internal Pelvic Floor Assessment?
An internal exam involves your physio using a gloved, lubricated finger via the vagina or anus (depending on your symptoms) to assess the deep pelvic floor muscles. This allows us to check for:
- Strength
- Tension
- Muscle coordination
- And in some cases, signs of pelvic organ prolapse
That said, internal exams are never mandatory and there are always alternative options.
What are my other options if I don’t want an internal examination?
We can gather a lot of valuable insight through external, fully-clothed assessments or hands-off visual exams. What matters most is that you are in control of your appointment.
For the external palpation of the pelvic floor (be it through clothing or with visualisation of the pelvic floor muscles), the pads of my finger can be places just inside the sit bones to broadly assess the movement of your pelvic floor. While things cannot be quantified it still gives us a very good idea about co-ordination, contraction, and relaxation.
Of course, there are many individuals who I treat who never have a pelvic floor assessment, and that’s totally fine too. This is why we call it pelvic health physio instead of pelvic floor physio- because we can still make a huge impact without ever doing a pelvic floor assessment.
We also know that the pelvic floor is influenced by so many other structures within the body from the head to the toes and quite often we will take a more detailed look at other parts of the body.
My role is to guide, explain, and support you—never to pressure. Together, we’ll decide what’s best for you, based on your comfort, consent, and goals.
Creating Your Personalised Treatment Plan
Once we’ve completed a thorough assessment- both subjectively and objectively, we’ll work together to create a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and lifestyle. Your treatment plan will always be tailored made with you rather than for you to ensure we achieve your specified goals, and get you back to moving comfortably and confidently.
If you’re looking for pelvic floor physio in Cork, or support with leaking or prolapse, or other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction; I’m here to help you get back to doing what you love—comfortably and confidently. If you’re not sure if Women’s Health Physio can help you- read our Blog Post on who exactly it may benefit here.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Whether you’re postpartum, navigating menopause, or simply curious about your pelvic health, you’re not alone—and support is here when you’re ready.
If you’d like to book an appointment or ask any questions, I’d be happy to chat.
👉 Get in touch today or book your appointment online.
