Annabelle Fish - Women's Physiotherapy Specialist

23/10/2025

🔎 Helen Ledwick’s article talks about how isolating a diagnosis of prolapse can be and how as a new Mother she felt confused and shocked at the lack of awareness and support when she initially went to her G.P.

📖📢To help other women in the same situation, Helen wrote a book and launched a fantastic podcast called ‘Why Mum’s Don’t Jump.’

🎧In her podcast, Helen facilitates candid conversations between women with gynaecological conditions such as prolapse, stress incontinence, endometriosis etc. and medical experts in the field.

Her insights are giving women the knowledge and comfort they need when they are at their most vulnerable, encouraging them speak up and seek medical support without embarrassment or fear of being shrugged at.

Prolapse affects 1 in 10 women at some point in their life. It can be managed very successfully with physiotherapy, and in some cases with pessary support or surgery.

✨NHS treatment is available- please ask your GP for a ‘pelvic health referral’. Or if you have the means to go privately then do - just one session will help you feel reassured and that you have a plan. You can also refer to the Prolapse booklet by the Pelvic Obstetric Gynaecology Physiotherapy network (link in bio).

Treatment by a pelvic physio would involve :

✨Provision of exercise to help improve pelvic floor and core strength, endurance, and control.
✨Providing visualisations, breathing techniques and postures to help off load the pelvic floor.
✨Provide manual therapy to the pelvic floor and surrounding pelvic muscles when appropriate (if the muscles are tense and ‘up’ and need help to lengthen down)
✨We may suggest using a pessary insert or discuss if a pessary is right for you.
✨Discuss any lifestyle changes (i.e. proper lifting mechanics, avoiding constipation)


trying if support is not there the first time

22/10/2025

Strong, quick firing glute muscles will support the recovery of the majority of injuries below the waist including the back, hip, knee, and ankle.
I support women of all ages with pelvic floor disfunction and the core and glutes are often one of the main parts of the rehab program!

👆Here are some you could do lying down.
Try either 10 reps of each one of the above, or just start off gently with bridge.
💪🏻When you are ready, add on another 1-2 sets so that you are fatiguing the muscles.
(Make sure to stop if you feel any pinching or pain in the back or elsewhere).
💯Look forward to feeling stronger and more resilient.

Here are 5 glute exercises in lying:
1. Bridge
2. Hip rotation with glute squeeze in bridge
3. External rotation in bridge
4. Marches in bridge
5. Bicycle in bridge

We will move on to some more challenging ones in standing next time!

⚠️These are just general exercises, they are not prescriptive for any particular injury- if you are in pain, please seek professional advice! X

16/10/2025

17/09/2025

🏃‍♀️Would you like to start running or lifting weights but not sure if your body is ready?
💪🏻Do you want to get back to a class you love but have some physical concerns?
👌🏻Do you want to know exactly where your body (and pelvic floor) is at, so you can confidently move towards feeling strong and resilient again?
A Mummy Mot is a specialist, in depth assessment from 6 weeks postpartum. It will address all pregnancy and postpartum related changes so that you can feel your best. A 1 hour session will cover:

🌟A pelvic floor assessment with your consent.
🌟A re**us abdominal assessment (for tummy gap).
🌟Postural and core assessment.

Treatment will involve manual therapy including gentle massage & scar-work (c-section or perineal), an individualised pelvic floor programme, treatment for unresolved pregnancy related pain or postnatal pain such as neck, back pain or hip pain.

A full summary and an exercise programme tailored to you will be provided. I will also liaise with your G.P if a matter needs further medical attention or preferred fitness professional to help with your continuity of care.

📅 Appointments available at Training Points, Coopers Yard, Crystal Palace.
📧 To book, either email: annabellefishphysio@gmail.com, or through my website: Annabellefishphysio.co.uk
(Mention this post for a 10% discount)

Hope to see you soon,
Annabelle x

26/06/2025

Summer holidays are just around the corner!
I am offering a 15 % discount on all my services throughout June until July 17th when I close for 6 weeks.

If you are:
-Worried that the exercise you're doing is effecting your symptoms of stress incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse
-Would like to know how to look after your body after giving birth
-Want to focus on any pelvic health related symptoms and put in place small, practical, yet effective changes over the Summer, then please get in touch.

Services I offer are:
Pregnancy Care
Menopause MOT
Mummy MOT
Gynae physiotherapy
Contact: Annabellefishphysio@gmail.com
Website: www.annabellefishphysio.co.uk

See you soon x

16/06/2025

What is a Mummy MOT?

A Mummy MOT is a 1hr assessment for women from 6 weeks postpartum and is suitable for both a vaginal or C-section birth. Some women come in as soon as they can, however it's never too late to have a Mummy MOT.

It will involve:
A full posture screen
Pelvic floor muscle assessment & screen for pelvic floor disfunction
Abdominal muscle exam to check for separation
C-section scar check

Please get in touch if you would like a Mummy MOT with me at Training Points in Crystal Palace. The clinic room is airy and spacious, lots of room for baby and changing facilities. Mention this post for a 10% discount.

Hope to see you soon x

12/06/2025

💪🏻My lovely, brave client this week - who has had surgery for removal of 30 fibroids, and this is her scar.

🧘During our sessions, we have worked on diaphragmatic breath-work, scar massage, activation of the muscles of the abdominal wall and dry needling.

👆Dry needling is a therapeutic technique which is widely used in physiotherapy. It involves insertion of fine, solid needles directly into areas of muscle and fascia where pain and tension is present.

🐉The technique shown below is known as “surrounding the dragon” and is a beneficial treatment for patients suffering from scar pain and other scar-related symptoms such as tightness or pulling.

🙏It has been such a pleasure to work with my client towards her goals of pain reduction, reduced muscle tension, and improved funtional movement.

If you have any scar related tension, pain, or restriction of movement, please get in touch, I would be very happy to support you with your healing and recovery x

07/05/2025

I had such an inspiring evening in the audience with Naga Munchetty () speaking so passionately about the women’s health crisis, as depicted in her book 'It’s probably nothing'.
Naga shared her own and other women’s experiences of living with persistent pain and being undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, belittled or dismissed multiple times by health professionals. Her book exposes our healthcare system (which fails the vast majority of women at some point in their lives) to be deep-rooted in medical misogyny and highlights the need for urgent change.
As a women's health physio, I support women living with persistent pain, many of whom have similar health stories to the testimonies in the book, and I often wonder when things will change. It will, and is, slowly - but we have a looong way to go!
In the meantime, my tiny contribution for social change is to highly recommend Naga's book! It would be brilliantly empowering for any woman who is being affected by health issues and not getting the treatment she deserves.

’s probably nothing for yourself 'T feel weak 'T feel pathetic 'T feel shame 'T feel like you're wasting other people's time # DO the research make notes # DO make the appointment bring an advocate (a friend, relative or partner) NOT accept being told it's normal or all in your head deserve to live their best lives now.

14/01/2025

How I can help you:
✨Pregnancy care
✨Mummy MOT
✨Menopause Care
✨Gynae physio for conditions such as endometriosis, vulvodynia, vaginismus etc.
✨Post-op and prehab care
✨Scar massage therapy (C-section and perineal)
🧭Training Points is situated on Coopers Yard, just off Westow Hill, on Crystal Palace Triangle.
☺️My therapy room is private and tranquil, situated on the 1st floor, where there is plenty of space to bring a little one (buggies are left in a sheltered, visible space outside the building). There are toilet facilities and changing mats for you as needed.
🕰️An initial assessment may last up to 60 minutes and an explanation of my findings and number of further appointments needed will always be discussed at the initial assessment.
📆To find out more or to make an appointment, you can visit www.annabellefishphysio.co.uk
👆Mention this post for a 10% discount!

14/10/2024

Are you pregnant? Have you thought about having some ante-natal physio sessions to keep on track prior to giving birth?

The sort of things we will cover in these sessions are:
*Soft tissue release around tight areas such as the hips waist and back
*A low resistance exercise programme to do at home on a gym ball or chair
*A refresher on how to do perineal massage from 34 weeks
*Breath work and engagement of the pelvic floor
*Provision of resources and lots of practical advice as regards safely returning to exercise and looking after the body post-natally
*Support with any other pregnancy related injuries or concerns

If you would like to book a complimentary call or make an appointment, please get in touch:

annabellefishphysio@gmail.com
www.annabellefishphysio.co.uk

(Mention this post for a 10% discount)!

04/10/2024

Have you had your 6 week sign off by your GP but feel you need more guidance and support with preparing your body to return to running or higher level hobbies and sports?

Did you know there are free guidelines designed by research pelvic health physios which outline a series of tests that a postnatal woman should ideally pass before they are deemed ready to run? (see link below)

There are lots of things you can be doing safely while you are waiting for your scars, muscles and fascia to heal so that you can really enjoy that first postnatal run when you’re ready!

🔋Power walking up local hills pushing the buggy

🚲Using a static bike (providing perineal scars have healed)

🩱Swimming (providing all scars have healed)

💫Using a step machine or cross trainer

🧘‍♂️Modified Pilates/yoga/ballet barre

💃🏼A gentle low impact dance class e.g salsa

💫Pelvic floor exercises

💤Rest when you can!

Women’s health physios are in the best place to help you get back to doing what you love. A 1:1 assessment will give you so much information and knowledge about how to look after your body with confidence.

Quote this post for a 15% discount off your initial consultation!
Annabelle Fish | Pelvic Health Physiotherapy | London
Link to free guidelines: https://mailchi.mp/38feb9423b2d/returning-to-running-postnatal-guideline

06/09/2024

After the busyness of Summer, we are offering all CP Mums 10% discount on an initial consultation at our Women’s pelvic health clinics held at Training Points, Crystal Palace.

If you have any symptoms related to your pelvic health, whether you are pregnant, between pregnancies, never been pregnant, or any time after birth and beyond we can advise and support you. Things we can help you with are:

Pregnancy Pelvic girdle pain
Pregnancy Lower back pain
Pregnancy joint pains
Pre-birth screening for pelvic floor dysfunction
Advice on perineal massage
Post natal Mummy MOT assessment
Pelvic floor assessment and rehabilitation
Diastasis recti assessment and clear guidance with rehabilitation
C-section scar massage and guidance for self massage

There are many more conditions that we see which haven't been listed, so please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to book an appointment. You can contact us through the website: www.annabellefish.co.uk

See you in September! x