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Tuesday 11am - 7pm Thursday 8am - 4pm Friday 8am - 4pm

Wendy Farren Physiotherapy

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Kingsbridge
Wendy Farren Physiotherapy

Specialist Physiotherapist in Pelvic Health and Musculoskeletal

01/05/2026

May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.

Over the next month I will be posting about all things osteoporosis and especially how it relates to women's health.

Your bones can lose strength silently over time.
Understanding the difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis can help you to take action early to look after your bones for the future.

Small daily habits= longer term bone density!

15/04/2026

😧Stress and Pain- what's the link?

When you are stressed your body produces cortisol and adrenaline. This can be very useful in short bursts but not so useful if you are experiencing stress over a long period of time.

🤦‍♀️How stress can cause or increase pain
-Muscle tension can increase in jaw, shoulders, abdomen, back and pelvic floor
- Long term stress can raise inflammation which can increase pain
- Increased pain sensitivity as your brain becomes faster to react to pain signals or even normal movement
- Poor sleep- being woken by stress can also increase cortisol levels and reduce the hormone that allows healing
- Fatigue from lack of sleep lowers pain tolerance too

🧘‍♀️How to reduce stress
- Gentle restorative activities such as walking, yoga and stretches
-Deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation
-Developing a sleep routine
-Pacing activities to reduce fatigue
-Getting help from a health professional

08/04/2026

60 % of teenagers that have moderate or severe period pain go on to have chronic pain including chronic pelvic pain as adults. Often period pain goes untreated.

A study in 2025 by Reid- McCann et al that looked at 1000 15-year-olds followed the group into adulthood. They found that 60% of those who had moderate or severe period pain when they were 15 years old reported chronic pain (pain that lasts more than 3 months) including chronic pelvic pain and low back pain when they were 26 years old.

⭐If someone goes onto develop chronic pelvic pain a specialist pelvic physiotherapist can help with the following:
✔️Help on reduction of pain
✔️Bladder or bowel advice and treatment if needed
✔️Tips to support pain during s*xual in*******se
✔️Pelvic floor muscle exercise therapy to work of coordination of the pelvic floor muscles
✔️Pelvic floor manual therapy
✔️Help to gradually expose you to exercise and painful activities through graded exposure to allow you to return to activities you enjoy

Picture designed by Freepik www.freepik.com

01/04/2026

How can stress affect chronic pelvic pain?

Stress can worsen pain by increasing the fight or flight mechanism which can increase muscle tension, inflammation and sensitivity to pain.
But also living with chronic pain can sometimes increase stress too.

What can help stress?
✔️Mindfulness and meditation
✔️ Abdominal breathing exercises
✔️Cognitive behavioural therapy
✔️Building a therapeutic alliance with a pelvic health physiotherapist
✔️Restorative exercise like walking and Yoga
✔️Pain management strategies

April is Stress Awareness Month according to the Stress Management Society. They have some useful free resources on stress.org.uk or I can be contacted at https://www.wendyfarrenphysiotherapy.co.uk/contact

20/03/2026

“What stood out most about Wendy's approach is how kind, reassuring and professional she was throughout the assessment. I also loved the fact that Wendy told me exactly when it would be safe for me to start gentle exercise, and what that exercise would look like following birth. This plan also included some work I started prior to labour to strengthen my pelvic floor but also really teach me to relax it, which was important for labour.”

~ Naomi, Ante-natal preparation for birth appointment

It is often useful to have an ante-natal preparation for birth appointment at 35 weeks pregnancy. This prepares for birth and for the first 6 weeks after birth before the postnatal 6 week check up appointment.

https://www.wendyfarrenphysiotherapy.co.uk/contact

15/03/2026

❤️
To the mums
To mums of the future
The new mums
And the seasoned pros-

Your body has or will do something extraordinary!

Today I celebrate you- and I'm here to support your healing!

Happy Mothers Day 💐

13/03/2026

✨ World Sleep Day 2026✨- ' Sleep Well, Live Better'

⭐Women often experience sleep issues due to pelvic pain, perimenopausal symptoms or during breast cancer treatment.

⭐16-42% of women before menopause have sleep issues. 39-47 % of perimenopause and 35
60% of postmenopausal women have sleep problems. This can be due to hormonal changes
or lifestyle changes, medication, bladder issues, sleep apnoea, restless legs or aches and
pains.

⭐Sleep really matters for people with breast cancer as sleep boosts immune function by allowing the body to repair cells, reduces inflammation and produces immune cells. Sleep also regulates hormones, helps you to manage your mental health and reduces inflammation.

⭐The goal is to be able to have between 7-8 hours’ sleep at least. Deep sleep is required to
produce human growth hormone. Human growth hormone helps you to maintain weight
levels and to repair your body to restore your body for the next day.

If you would like to know more about sleep advice, I have a blog available on my website on the importance of sleep during breast cancer recovery.

https://www.wendyfarrenphysiotherapy.co.uk/blog/i9ijbmpnolpn07zq2ev3cvjimg4e39

Image by diana.grytsku on Freepik

08/03/2026

❤️ International Women's Day 2026

A lot of people ask why I became a women's health physiotherapist.
When a physiotherapist first qualifies they often do hospital rotations in all of the different specialities. I loved my first rotation onto obstetrics and gynaecology. I then sought out opportunities over the last 40 years to go on courses and build my skills to treat women with issues that they often experience throughout their lifetime whether this is issues such as pelvic pain, incontinence, prolapse, menopausal symptoms or pregnancy or postpartum return to fitness. Over the last year I also offer a breast cancer recovery service.
This photo was taken when I attended a Diane Lee women's health course in Canada a few years ago. The words behind me capture exactly what I would like to bring to my practice when treating all patients, but especially those women coming to see me for pelvic health issues and breast cancer recovery!

Happy International Women's Day 2026!!!❤️❤️❤️

04/03/2026

✨Physiotherapy for those in pelvic pain with endometriosis✨

What might Physiotherapy treatment involve?

✔️Helping to support your understanding of the mechanisms behind your symptoms and what you can do to manage them.

✔️Tips to help to reduce pain .

✔️Bladder training or drill if someone has bladder issues

✔️Fluid and diet advice if someone has bladder or bowel issues

✔️Tips for optimum bowel function. Often pelvic pain can alter bowel function

✔️Pelvic floor muscle exercise therapy (this may include pelvic floor muscle relaxation and coordination exercises).

✔️Pelvic floor muscle manual therapy. This can be done in the clinic and with guidance at home too

✔️Desensitization strategies (this may be to reduce the sensitivity of a particular area to touch or pressure)

✔️Psychologically supportive strategies. When pain has lasted for more than 3 months, it can change the way in which the brain manages pain

✔️Supporting your return to meaningful movement or exercise and activities that were painful by adding in graded exposure

✔️ Helping you to understand what to do in a flare up

To know more there are useful videos on endometriosis UK https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/search/node?keys=physiotherapy

01/03/2026

✨Endometriosis Awareness Month starts on the 1st March✨

✔️ Endometriosis affects 1.5 million women and those assigned female at birth in the UK. This is similar to the number affected by asthma or diabetes
✔️54% of people do not know what endometriosis is

The symptoms of endometriosis are:
•Pelvic pain
•Period pain that prevents normal activities
•Pain during or after s*x
•Painful bowel movements
•Pain when urinating
•Difficulty getting pregnant
•Fatigue

My next focus will be how physiotherapy can help to manage some of the symptoms of endometriosis.

18/02/2026

Caesarean section scars 0- 12 weeks

Common caesarean section concerns are
✔️Numbness
✔️Overhang
✔️ Itchy or painful scar
✔️Raised scar (Keloid)
✔️A feeling of dissociation from the scar area
✔️ Feeling tight when standing straight

0-6 weeks
Protect the scar and prevent infection
✨Keep the scar clean and dry
✨Pat the scar dry or let 'air-dry'
✨ Wear high waisted cotton underpants
✨Support the scar with a pillow if you cough or sneeze
✨ Avoid any oils or creams on the scar until it if fully healed

6 weeks +
Start when the scar is healed with no scabs, open areas or discharge

✨Start to massage gently about 1 cm away from the scar top and bottom
✨Massage is all directions, up and down, side to side and diagonally and in circular motions
✨ Some people prefer to massage with an oil such as vitamin E, olive oil or coconut oil, some prefer to massage the skin without oil and gently move the skin against other layers
✨ As healing continues the massage can be directed on the scar
✨ Raised scars will benefit from silicone sheets or gel
✨ Protect the scar from the sun with sun cream if it is exposed
✨ Remember gentle movement of the muscles of the lower abdomen can also mobilise the scar

13/02/2026

Caesarean Section Recovery Checklist weeks 4-12

Week 4-5 Steadily progressing!
• Introduce gentle bridges, gentle Pilates exercises, squats and lunges if you feel stable
• Gently increase activities around the house
• Encourage toddler independence but spending quality 1:1 time with them too

Week 6 – Check-up time!
• A post- natal check up with your GP and local physiotherapist
• Gradual lifting engaging pelvic floor and breathing out as you do so
• Start scar massage 1 cm from your scar as shown by your physiotherapist if your scar is healed
• Increase low impact activities

Weeks 8-12- Doing more!
• Introduce swimming if your scar is healed and lochia has stopped
• If you want to return to sport, start to work with your physiotherapist to work on load and impact and strength training in preparation for higher impact activities
• Scar massage can be more intense at 12 weeks- take guidance from your physiotherapist

This post is for information purposes only and should not be considered professional medical advice.

Address

The Health Hub, Fore Street
Kingsbridge
TQ71AX

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 7pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Website

http://wendyfarrenphysiotherapy.co.uk/

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