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Specialist Women’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapy in East Lothian.

What is pelvic health / a pelvic health Physiotherapist?

Pelvic health and pelvic health physiotherapy is a specialized area of physiotherapy for Women focusing on the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding structures from postnatal, postmenopausal and anything inbetween, treating conditions like

  • incontinence (bladder/bowel)

  • pelvic pain

  • pelvic organ prolape

  • pregnancy-related pain (back/pelvic/hip/shoulder)

  • pregnancy related concerns (diastasis recti/prolapse/vaginal dryness/general weakness/bladder leaking)

  • sexual dysfunction

  • diastasis recti

Many women never seek help, underestimate their symptoms or accept them as ‘normal’, yet these problems can impact quality of life: from daily comfort, to exercise, to intimacy and confidence.

The impact of pelvic health and pelvic floor problems

  • 1 in 3 women report urinary leakage at least monthly.

  • Around 85% of vaginal births result in some form of perineal trauma (tears, grazes or episiotomy) during delivery.

  • Chronic pelvic pain affects roughly 1 in 6 women in the UK.

  • Diastasis recti effects 100% of pregnant Women and persists in ~36% at 6 weeks postnatal.

  • An OASI (third- or fourth-degree tears, affecting the anal sphincter) occurs in roughly 3 in every 100 vaginal births, 6 in every 100 for first time mothers.

  • Around 23.7% of women report at least one pelvic-floor disorder (urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence or prolapse).

  • By age 80, one in five women (~ 20%) will undergo surgery for either stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

  • Over 60% of UK women report at least one symptom of poor pelvic-floor health at some point.

What is a normal vagina and prolapsed bladder showing a prolapse of the uterus down the vagina.
Pregnant woman with her hands resting on her bladder. Afraid of incontinence. Pregnancy incontinence. Urinary incontinence. Bladder leaking.
A woman smiling seated on a purple exercise mat in a room. She is dressed in a navy blue polo shirt with the logo "Align Physiotherapy" and black sweatpants with white stripes. To her left are two kettlebells, one pink and one gry. To her right are two small red dumbbells and a tangible pelvis model on a small wooden table, which displays internal organs.

What does pelvic health problems look and feel like?

If you’re reading this, you may not realise how many women, at different life stages, struggle with pelvic-floor dysfunction or related issues.

Perhaps you:

  • Assume pelvic discomfort or bladder leaks are “just part of getting older”

  • Can no longer play netball because every time you land, you feel a heaviness in your vagina

  • Avoid talking about your pelvic-floor problem because of embarrassment

  • Don’t know where to start to support or strengthen your pelvic floor

  • Find you’re avoiding going to that concert because you’re scared of how far away the toilet is from your seat

  • Find information online confusing and difficult to know what to trust

  • Never stay out late because the bus home is longer than your bladder can manage

  • Want to start working towards improving symptoms but don’t know where to start or if you’re ‘doing it right’.

  • Have given up running because you are filling a pad after 10 mins

Things that will help incontinence, prolapse, scar tissue, bladder urgency and other pelvic floor dysfunction.

  • Stop you having to map out toilets every time you go out.

  • Understand why your tummy muscles are still not ‘back together’ 6 weeks after birth.

  • Help you get back onto that trampoline again and enjoy worry-free bouncing.

  • Getting you back to that sport you love without the need to change to a heavy absorbent pad.

  • Understand why your c-section scar feels tight or gives you an overhang and what to do about it.

  • Go out walking with friends without fearing you’ll need to empty your bladder again in 30 mins.

I’m passionate about providing specialist knowledge, pelvic health education, support, and empowerment for women to understand what is happening and how to help it.

By raising awareness, offering evidence-based treatment, I want to help you, or the people you care about, understand that pelvic-floor health is valuable and worth caring for.

Early awareness and support (even for mild symptoms) can reduce the likelihood of needing surgery later, as well as improve overall quality of life.

‘Expert care for the most important muscles you rarely talk about’

A female pelvis showing bones, pelvic floor muscles, and ligaments. Showing the pelvis and pelvic organs. Educational item showing a real pelvis and what the pelvic organs look like.
A woman standing by a toilet, holding her vulva and vagina. She is nervous about a leaking bladder and holding her vulva to stop leaking. Bladder incontinence. Urinary incontinence. bladder leaking
Abdominal muscles showing a diastasis recti or abdominal muscle separation. Common diastasis in pregnancy. Separated belly muscles. The separation of the abdomen when a woman becomes pregnant. Tummy gap seen.
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About me

Hello, I’m Josie Marshall

I’m a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist based in East Lothian. It is my passion to help women reclaim confidence, knowledge and freedom from symptoms that affect their daily life.

My interest in Pelvic Health began before I had my own children where I worked briefly on the maternity ward as cover. I became fascinated with how the female body changes through the different stages of pregnancy and into the fourth trimester, after birth.

Then along came my own 3 children and I experienced first hand the challenges faced by so many women.

With a strong background in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and advanced training in pelvic health, I understand the interplay between posture, movement, breathing, core stability and the pelvic floor. You are your whole body, not just a sum of the parts.

In my practice, I provide a warm, respectful and safe environment when you’re invited to talk about the issues you’ve been putting off. Whether it’s bladder leakage, pelvic organ prolapse, post natal recovery, pelvic pain, return to exercise or more, together we build a tailored plan rooted in evidence for what matters to you.

I’m here to guide you, answer questions you may have and help you put a plan in place to understand your anatomy and how it changes and adapts, feel stronger and have more confidence in yourself and your body.

I believe everyone deserves to feel empowered and well equipped to live their fullest life.

A woman wearing a blue polo shirt with the logo 'ALIGN pelvic health Physiotherapy' on it, smiling and posing in front of a blue background.

My Qualifications & Memberships

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy,

Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Health Care Professions Council.

Certified Mummy MOT Practitioner.

Associate Member Pelvic, Obstetric and Gyneacological Physiotherapists.

Logos of four professional organizations: The Mummy MOT, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Pelvic Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy, and HCPC.
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