Physiotherapy for Menopause

Physiotherapy can help you manage the physical changes associated with menopause through personalised exercise, hands-on treatment where appropriate, and practical advice. Your programme may include strength and mobility exercises, core and pelvic floor rehabilitation, and strategies to manage pain, support joint health, and maintain confidence in everyday movement.

Physiotherapy can complement medical treatments such as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). While HRT helps manage the effects of changing hormone levels, physiotherapy focuses on movement, strength, physical symptoms, and musculoskeletal and pelvic health. Together, these approaches can form part of a personalised approach to managing menopause-related changes.

Our evidence-based physiotherapy strategies focus on:

• Pain Management and Fatigue: Personalised exercise, movement, and pacing strategies can help ease joint and muscle pain, manage fatigue, and gradually build strength and stamina without doing too much too soon.
• Pelvic Floor and Sexual Wellbeing: Hormonal changes frequently lead to pelvic floor dysfunction or weakness, which can cause incontinence, prolapse symptoms, or pain during sex. Women’s health physiotherapy can help improve strength and relaxation, manage symptoms, and support your comfort and confidence. 
• Overall Quality of Life: Improving strength, mobility, and confidence can help you stay active, manage everyday activities more comfortably, and support your physical and emotional wellbeing through menopause and beyond.

We treat a wide range of menopause-related conditions, including:

• Pelvic floor conditions including Stress Incontinence, Urge Incontinence, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Vaginismus, Pain during sex or vaginal penetration, Over active bladder. If you would like more information see our Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy page. 
• Pelvic Girdle Pain: Pain around the pelvis, hips, pubic bone, or lower back, which may be influenced by changes in muscle function and movement.
• Sciatica: Pain that travels from the lower back or buttock into the leg, sometimes involving irritation or sensitivity of the nerves in the lower back and pelvis.
• Chronic Pelvic Pain: Persistent pain in the pelvis that may involve the muscles, nerves, bladder, bowel, reproductive organs, or other surrounding structures.
• Menopause-Related Joint and Muscle Changes: Hormonal changes during menopause can contribute to joint stiffness, muscle aches, and changes in tendon and joint health.
• Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention: Falling oestrogen levels during menopause can contribute to a loss of bone density, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. We provide personalised weight-bearing and resistance exercises to help maintain bone strength and support healthy movement.

Menopause is reached 12 months after your last menstrual period, while the perimenopausal transition can last for several years. During this time, changing hormone levels can affect many parts of the body, including your muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and pelvic tissues.

As oestrogen levels decline, some women experience changes such as joint stiffness, muscle aches, reduced strength, changes in bone density, and increased sensitivity or discomfort. You may also notice changes in your physical recovery and energy levels.

Symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats can disrupt sleep, contributing to tiredness and making it harder to stay active. Pain, fatigue, and reduced activity can then contribute to loss of strength and mobility over time.

Physiotherapy can help you stay active and manage these physical changes. Your physiotherapist can assess your strength, mobility, movement, and pelvic health, then develop a personalised programme to reduce discomfort, build strength, improve confidence, and support your long-term physical wellbeing.

Your initial assessment is a comprehensive, confidential session designed to understand your physical health and personal goals. We take the time to listen to your concerns and conduct a thorough physical evaluation. 

Your Health History: We’ll talk through your menopause journey, current symptoms, sleep, daily routine, activity levels, exercise habits, medications and HRT, pregnancy and childbirth history, previous injuries, and anything else that may be affecting how you feel and move.

Physical Examination: We’ll assess your posture, movement, muscle strength, joint mobility, and balance to understand how your body is moving and identify any areas that may need support.

Specialised Screening: Where appropriate, we may use simple assessment tools to better understand your pelvic health, joint comfort, strength, and everyday movement. This helps us tailor your treatment to your individual needs.

Following your assessment, your physiotherapist will use the findings to create a personalised treatment plan based on your goals, lifestyle, and individual needs.

Your personalised plan balances immediate symptom relief with long-term progress. We’ll work together towards clear, achievable goals to help you feel more comfortable now while building the strength, mobility, and confidence to support your long-term health and function.

While treatment plans are unique, they typically include:

• Home Exercise Plan: Specific, personalised exercises designed to build strength, support bone health, and help you stay strong, active, and confident in your everyday life.
• Manual Therapy: Targeted hands-on techniques, such as soft tissue massage and joint mobilisation, to ease muscle tension, reduce discomfort, and improve movement.
• Pelvic Floor Exercises: Personalised, guided exercises to improve pelvic floor strength, coordination, and relaxation, based on your individual needs.
• Education and Lifestyle Guidance: Practical advice on posture, sleep, daily activities, and pacing to help manage symptoms, reduce fatigue, and support your overall wellbeing.

We work collaboratively with you, regularly reviewing and adapting your plan as your symptoms evolve through perimenopause and postmenopause.