New patient resources focus on health below the waist

A new section on pelvic health on Interior Health’s (IH) website aims to educate people about their health below the waist—and make it easier to talk about what can be an embarrassing topic

The project to develop the new pages was initiated and led by Dr. Jennifer Locke, a Kelowna-based urologist. Her goal was to empower her patients with knowledge and resources so they could take charge of their bladder, bowel and sexual health while they waited to see her.

“Before a patient comes to see me, they can access these helpful resources, which include handouts, videos and podcast episodes from The Pelvic Floor Project,” explains Dr. Locke. “These resources can help you understand different conditions, the brain-body connection, whether medications or surgery are warranted, and what you can do to take care of your pelvic region.”

As a urologist, Dr. Locke is one member of a team of health-care practitioners that can help you with the health of your pelvic region.

Jennifer Gabrys is a Penticton-based physiotherapist who works in family medicine for IH and in private practice. She helped develop and review the new pages, along with IH physiotherapist Angela Ozero, and regional educator for physical therapy, Shauna Boyko.

“Physiotherapists with training in pelvic health can be a key member of your health-care team when it comes to incontinence and constipation, pain management and pre and postnatal care,” says Jennifer, who has specialized training in pelvic health.

“A physiotherapist can offer therapies, exercises and guidance to treat your condition. Some treatments, like modifying diet and exercise and forming new habits, don’t involve surgery or medications.”

She adds that basic patient education on topics like bladder urgency and pelvic floor exercises can make a big difference. “Many of my patients in private practice didn’t realize pelvic health physiotherapy exists and wish they had come to see me earlier.”

Physiotherapy can also be beneficial for those experiencing conditions like a neurogenic bladder, which can happen after a stroke, and moms who have recently given birth.

Angela is a physiotherapist based in Coldstream. She’s a member of the Interior Health Continence Committee and owner of Pelvia Physiotherapy. She also chairs the Provincial Interprofessional Continence Committee.

“After a stroke, some patients can have urgency so significant that the patient is running to the bathroom every 15 minutes," explains Angela. "Pelvic health physiotherapy offers exercises, interventions and other strategies to settle their urgency to take control of their neurogenic bladders.”

Physiotherapy can also help postpartum moms. “Some birthers have been given the message to ‘just put up’ with their symptoms such as incontinence, pain during intercourse or pelvic organ prolapse,” Angela adss. “IH’s community nurses offer free drop-in parenting classes called Baby Talk. Some sessions feature guest pelvic floor physiotherapists who share advice to help get their pelvic health back on track.”

Pelvic Health is divided into seven key topics that address conditions ranging from incontinence and constipation, to pain, to reproductive and sexual health:

• I always have to pee or can’t pee
• I have pain or discomfort in my pelvic area
• I leak pee or dribble
• I’m constipated or leak gas or poo
• I’m uncomfortable, unable or it hurts to have sex
• Pregnancy & Childbirth
• Sexual Health

“We were very deliberate when it came to naming the sections,” says Shauna, who develops patient education materials for IH. “We chose words like ‘pee’ and ‘poo’ to not only make the topics understandable but to normalize these topics. People can feel embarrassed if they, for example, pee when they sneeze. But it’s so important to talk with a trusted health-care provider about any concerns you have.”

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