An experienced Accredited Physio clinic in Ashburton, Canterbury. Your Health is Our Priority
17/11/2025
Kia Ora my wonderful patients and followers!
A quick update — my diary has been getting much busier lately, which is wonderful, but it also means appointment times can book out further in advance. Especially with Christmas around the corner.
If you know you’ll need an appointment, please try to book early so I can make sure you get the time that works best for you.
A gentle reminder that late cancellations or no-shows impact my small business significantly and also delay care for others who are on the waitlist. If you need to change or cancel an appointment, giving as much notice as possible helps me offer that spot to someone who needs it.
Thank you so much for your support — I’m grateful for every one of you.
20/08/2025
This legend is who I recommend to anyone South of Ashburton for exercise - whether it's classes or PT, before/during/after kids. Once I've worked my magic on your pelvic floor, Janelle keeps it going.
She knows how to look after your body but making sure you train hard to meet your health and fitness goals. 😍🥇💪
rAs a MumSafe™️ Trainer I am committed to my ongoing education in working with women and mums. I am excited to say I have now obtained MumSafe Level Three status which means I have been a MumSafe Trainer for over three years and I have completed all of the Y3 ongoing education and assessments successfully. I am proud to be part of a committed team of trainers who all support the mission of safe and effective exercise at every stage of Motherhood.
Get in touch with me via messanger or find a trainer in your area at www.mumsafemovement.com
13/07/2025
Look what I got from
LOVED my extra goodies too, thank you so so so much!
Fitting kit now available at my clinic - external pelvic floor support for bit leakage and prolapse!!
26/06/2025
Re**us Abdominis, the 6-pack...it's my new favorite muscle in pregnancy and postpartum physio
After years and years of advising women NOT to work this muscle, we now know it's VITAL to have a strong re**us abdominis...and we can lay of the obsession with the transverse abdominis/lower abdominals.
In fact, only focusing on the lower abs in pregnancy and postpartum in fact WORSENS abdominal separation and may contribute to pelvic floor trauma.
Crazy right?????
Please remember this is not one size fits all advice...it depends on all the things!
Check out the blog on my website.
24/06/2025
Yip...the re**us abdominis or 6-pack has long been the feared muscle of pregnancy.
Not anymore!
Yeah I know it goes against EVERYTHING we currently know...but trust me!
Since November 2024, there have been some exciting changes in the world of pelvic health physiotherapy, especially around the pregnancy and postpartum period.
👶 pregnancy and postpartum is now recognised as lasting up to one year after birth — and we’re finally seeing research reflect just how unique this time really is compared to other times in a woman's life.
🧬 Hormones, genetics, trauma during birth, pre-pregnancy factors (constipation...im looking at you!!) and so many other factors mean the pelvic floor behaves differently in this season of life — and it needs to be assessed and supported differently, too.
We’re learning more about how birth trauma can impact things like leakage and prolapse, and how our approach to treatment is evolving in powerful ways.
💻 I’ve written some new blogs diving into this and I’ll be sharing more info with you over the coming week.
📲 Tag your pregnant friends, those trying to conceive, your newly postpartum bestie, or anyone who's about to pop! This info matters.
Let’s change the narrative around postpartum care — one pelvic floor at a time 💪
15/04/2025
Such an important message...
The misinformation about back pain is huge - any patient of mine in the past 5 years will have heard me talk about how back pain is incredibly complex. The body, nerves, brain, emotional and even your beliefs have an important role of what back pain feels feels like for you.
Lifting heavy weights does not injure your back.
Lifting a weight TOO heavy for what your body can handle (e.g. can do 20kgs and jumping suddenly to 50kgs) can injure (and heal!) your back but not damage it.
Lifting heavy as part of your job did not wear your spine away, age makes your spine older but that does not equal spinal damage and pain.
This doctor, is giving his opinion, but because he's a doctor (anaesthesiologist!!) saying s**t on social media, patients will take him at his work.
This mindset and language is hurtful and harmful to patients who rely on their health professionals giving them accurate info.
I'm always banging on about how important language is...
28/03/2025
I created this 75 page E-book over 3 years ago and it is quite literally jam.packed full of EVERYTHING you need to know about pregnancy and labour. For free!
I've updated it for 2025 - we have so much new information to share with women...but it's hard to get the info out there! Please share this far and wide
A FULL weekend of exceptional learning coming up, but too warm to sit inside.
Tea, Chocolate and Pringles are essential!
26/01/2025
After a VERY long and anxious wait, I can finally share our big news!!
From Monday 3rd February 2025, Essential Physiotherapy will be located at 10 Eton Street, Ashburton. We are so incredibly lucky and grateful to be moving to this warm and cozy building alongside the Ashburton Baptist Preschool. Finishing touches are being completed this week and we will be shifting in over the weekend ready to see you on Monday morning.
I am seeing patients online this week and a few in person - we have been in touch with everyone to let them know what is happening for this week (28th -30th Jan)...thank you sooooooo much Canterbury Chiropractic for putting up with a homeless physio this week!!!
And of course now comes the mammoth task of updating our address on the website, emails etc...please be patient with us as be get the new place up and rolling.
I cannot wait to see you all back in clinic for an epic 2025...May our pelvic floors be strong and fabulous!
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My name is Lesley Coffey and I am the owner of the clinic. I have been working in New Zealand as a physiotherapist for 11 years in private practice. I absolutely love the challenge this brings as no two days are ever the same.
In 2012 I became a Clinical Pilates instructor and I developed a really keen interest in core rehabilitation and using my Pilates as a treatment and exercise tool. I then discovered that the pelvic floor, and more importantly breathing are the key to getting the core working and discovered the world of Women’s and Pelvic Health. Once I started learning about this amazing area of the body I knew I had to share my knowledge with my patients and help them through their injuries and conditions.
Women's Health is a branch of physiotherapy that can help in treatment of:
Stress Urinary Incontinence - leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, run or jump
Urinary Urgency, Frequency and Incontinence - an unavoidable desire to go to the loo
Pelvic Organ Prolapse - feelings of a bulge or something in the va**na
Bowel issues
Pelvic Pain - any pain in the pelvis including sacrum/tailbone, hip pain, lower back and abdomen, pain with s*x and conditions such as Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Endometriosis, Bladder Pain Syndrome (sometimes called Interstitial Cystitis/ICS)
It also includes physiotherapy during pregnancy and the post natal period. Pregnancy is as good a time as any to keep fit and active (with the right guidance) and waiting until you body is healed after birth can seem to take an age, but its worth it. I can develop an individualized treatment and exercise plan for all women’s health patients, and my goal is to get you back to what you love doing and have some control back of your body and lifestyle.
