Fernandez Hospital provides access to excellent, equitable, evidence-based and respectful health-care for women and new-born. The physiotherapy department takes up this mission and follows an evidence-based practice and an overall holistic approach that contributes to improving quality of care in addressing issues of women’s health and new-born care.

A physiotherapist primarily uses nonpharmacological methods like electrotherapy equipment and hands-on techniques which are used to reduce pain improve muscle strength, flexibility, and functional outcomes in individuals.

Some of the techniques we use:

- Use pain relieving modalities to help reduce acute pain like TENS, Heat pack etc.

- Use myofascial release, trigger release and soft tissue release techniques to help reduce pain and improve muscle function.

- Use manual therapy techniques to improve joint dysfunctions and pain relief.

- Use of exercises to improve flexibility and stability of the muscles as required.

- Pilates concepts, core, and pelvic floor muscle training into improving overall function.

- Neural mobilization techniques.

- Advice on sleeping, resting, posture and movement modifications.

- Taping techniques to improve function and reduce pain.

- Advice on use of supportive belts, splints, and footwear modification

Physiotherapy during pregnancy

A Physiotherapist can help you with suitable exercises that will help keep you fit through pregnancy, adapt to the changing mechanics of the body, help you overcome general aches, cramps and muscle pains that are common in pregnancy.

Increasing pain can be due to strains on the joints of the body contributed by hormonal changes especially the hormones relaxin and oestrogen that help relax the ligaments to make more room for the baby to settle and come down.

If you are a woman who is in the high BMI group or in the high-risk group of pregnancy, we assess you, take your antenatal history and design an exercise regime that is tailor made for your condition be followed through pregnancy. This encourages a safe and healthy weight management and muscle conditioning aiming at a more comfortable pregnancy and birth you can enjoy.

If your baby is in breech, transverse, or oblique position, our physiotherapy team is trained in assessing your posture, muscles and joint alignment and use specialized soft tissue release techniques, spinning babies techniques, exercises and positions that will encourage your baby to turn into the head down /cephalic position by making more room for your baby and having a better chance to have a normal vaginal birth.

Paediatric Physiotherapy

NICU care involves a physiotherapist as an integral part of the team contributing to the following areas:

Clearing the chest of secretions, positioning, increasing air entry to the lungs and improving and restoring the normal function of the lung

Contributing to improving the oro-motor function in babies with a weak suck, swallow function. This helps in better feeding outcomes and helping the baby transition to direct breast feeding from tube or palada feeding.

Counselling and teaching the mother on baby handling and ensuring an environment that is developmentally supportive.

Early intervention program post discharge of a preterm or a term baby that has had a neurological insult from the hospital is done by regular follow ups in the neurodevelopment clinics where a physiotherapist is an important team member along with the paediatrician.