Specialist pelvic health physiotherapy is not evenly distributed across the UK. In some areas the NHS wait runs to many months and the nearest private clinician with a genuine pelvic health specialism is an hour or more away. For a course of treatment spread over several months, that travel is often what stops people starting at all.
Online consultations solve most of that. A great deal of pelvic health physiotherapy — history-taking, diagnosis, education, exercise prescription, technique correction, bladder and bowel retraining, and progression of a programme — does not require the therapist to be in the room. What does require it is set out honestly below.
What works well online
Diagnosis from history
A large proportion of pelvic health diagnosis comes from a careful history — symptom pattern, triggers, timing, obstetric background, bladder and bowel habits. That translates entirely to video.
Supervised exercise technique
Your therapist can see whether you are bracing, holding your breath, gripping your glutes or bearing down — the common errors that make pelvic floor training ineffective or actively counterproductive.
Bladder and bowel retraining
Urgency deferral techniques, timed voiding, defaecation mechanics, and fluid and fibre adjustments are all education-led and work as well remotely as in person.
Programme progression
Reviewing what has changed, correcting technique and progressing load is the bulk of follow-up work, and it is well suited to video.
Return-to-exercise screening
Load and impact testing for return to running can be performed on camera and assessed in real time.
Second opinions
If you have been told surgery is your only option, or have been given exercises that are not working, a specialist review of your history and current programme is genuinely useful without any examination.
What online consultations cannot do
This needs saying plainly, because some providers are vague about it.
No internal examination is possible. That means online assessment cannot definitively grade a prolapse, cannot directly measure pelvic floor strength, endurance or coordination, cannot assess scar tissue or muscle tone by palpation, and cannot detect some findings that would change the treatment plan.
In practice this matters most when the diagnosis is uncertain, when prolapse grading will determine management, when there is pain on examination, or when you have tried a programme already and it has not worked. In those situations an in-person assessment — with us in Woodford Green or with a POGP-registered pelvic health physiotherapist near you — is the better first step, and you will be told so rather than sold a video appointment.
Where the picture is clear and the main need is a correct, supervised programme, online works well.
If an online assessment identifies something that needs hands-on examination or medical review, you will be told directly and pointed towards the right service — including NHS routes where those are appropriate.
How an online appointment works
Booking and link
Book by phone or through the contact form. You receive a secure video link and a short questionnaire to complete beforehand, which saves consultation time for the parts that need discussion.
What you need
A device with a camera, a stable internet connection, and a private room where you can speak freely and move around. Space to stand, squat and lie down is helpful. Headphones improve privacy if others are home.
The consultation
Typically 45 to 60 minutes for a first appointment: detailed history, observation of posture, breathing and movement, guided exercise attempts with real-time correction, and a full explanation of what is likely happening.
Your written plan
Sent to you afterwards — the specific exercises, frequency, progression criteria, what to change day to day, and what improvement should look like and by when.
Follow-up
Usually every two to four weeks initially. You can mix online and in-person appointments if you are able to travel occasionally — a common and sensible pattern is an in-person initial assessment followed by online reviews.
Who online consultations suit particularly well
Patients living outside reasonable travelling distance of a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist. Parents of young children for whom attending a clinic repeatedly is impractical. People whose symptoms — urgency, pain on sitting, or prolapse heaviness — make travel itself difficult. Patients with limited mobility, and those working hours that do not fit clinic times.
It also suits anyone who wants an expert opinion on a plan they have already been given, before committing to months of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can pelvic floor physiotherapy really work over video?
For a large proportion of patients, yes. Diagnosis from history, correction of exercise technique, bladder and bowel retraining, education and programme progression all translate well to video. The limitation is that no internal examination is possible, so online assessment cannot grade a prolapse or directly measure pelvic floor strength. Where those would change your management, an in-person assessment is recommended instead.
Do you cover the whole UK?
Yes. Online consultations are available to patients anywhere in the UK. The physical clinic is in Woodford Green, north-east London, so in-person appointments are for patients who can travel there.
Is the video call private and secure?
Yes. Appointments use a secure video platform and are subject to the same confidentiality and record-keeping standards as in-person clinical appointments. You should also take a private room at your end so you can speak freely.
Should my first appointment be online or in person?
If you can travel to Woodford Green, an in-person first assessment is generally better, because an internal examination gives the most accurate picture of pelvic floor function and prolapse grade, and it is available to you if you want it. If travelling is impractical, an online first appointment is a reasonable and effective starting point — and you will be told clearly if your particular presentation needs hands-on assessment.
What equipment do I need?
A phone, tablet or computer with a camera, a stable internet connection, and a private room with enough space to stand, move and lie down. Propping the device so your whole body is visible is helpful. Nothing else is required, and any equipment recommended for your programme will be discussed rather than assumed.
Clinically reviewed by Jency Sudha, Consultant Pelvic Health Physiotherapist & Biofeedback Specialist — last updated 26 July 2026
The information on this page is for general guidance and does not replace individual clinical assessment. If your symptoms are new, worsening, or accompanied by bleeding, fever or severe pain, contact your GP or NHS 111.
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Specialist pelvic health assessment and a supervised programme, without months on a waiting list or hours of travel.
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