Pelvic Health Physiotherapy in Hamilton
Knowing where the nearest washroom is. Hesitating before a workout. Worrying that intimacy will hurt. Pelvic health concerns can quietly change how you move through your day—and what you feel comfortable saying yes to.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we give you a private, supportive space to talk about those changes. Whether you’re experiencing bladder leakage, pelvic pressure, pain with intercourse, pregnancy-related discomfort or symptoms after childbirth, we start with two questions: how is this affecting your life, and what would you like to feel more comfortable doing?
Pelvic health physiotherapy looks at the pelvic floor within the bigger picture of your body. Your assessment explores your symptoms alongside the function of your pelvic floor, hips, pelvis and abdominal wall, including concerns related to bladder and bowel function. This helps us build a treatment plan around your needs rather than a standard list of exercises.
Your care may include hands-on treatment, targeted exercises, education and practical adjustments to daily habits. From getting through a workday more comfortably to returning to exercise with greater confidence, your priorities help shape the direction we take together.
Our clinic is conveniently located on Hamilton Mountain near Upper Ottawa Street and Fennell Avenue East. We offer on-site parking and the building is fully accessible.
Abigail Nolet — Registered Physiotherapist and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Abigail completed her education at McMaster University in Hamilton, obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Honours) before completing her Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy in 2025.
Abigail has a strong clinical interest in orthopaedics and pelvic health. She has completed her Level 1 and 2 Pelvic Health certifications and is passionate about supporting clients through evidence-based pelvic floor assessment and rehabilitation. She aspires to continually refine her skills in musculoskeletal assessment and rehabilitation to provide high-quality, client-focused care. Abigail continues to expand her skillset through continuing education in the areas of pain neuroscience education, exercise with aging, manual therapy, and pelvic health.
In her free time, you will find Abigail participating in a variety of hobbies including music and running. She looks forward to working with the residents of the Hamilton community, helping them move better and feel better.
Sharlene Carneiro, BSc PT, MSc PT — Pelvic Health and Orthopedics Physiotherapist
Sharlene is a Certified Orthopedics Physiotherapist with over 10+ years of hands-on experience in providing care and treatment to various Musculoskeletal, Geriatric, and Sports conditions across the world including India, USA and Canada. She completed her Bachelors in Physiotherapy from Rajiv Gandhi University in India and her Masters in Manual and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation from Katholieke Universiet Leuven in Belgium.
After the birth of her daughter and dealing with post-partum stress urinary incontinence, Sharlene realized the importance of pelvic floor health and feeling a gap in her knowledge, she decided to pursue Pelvic Health training to help the multitude of Women who go through similar issues but never seek any professional help for it. She is now a Certified Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist with over 2 years of experience under her belt and has also completed numerous related courses including Visceral mobilization of the G.I. system, Labor & Delivery and C-section Rehabilitation with a goal of completing many more advanced courses to further her knowledge and experience in Pelvic Health care.
Sharlene believes in a holistic approach for movement and therapy and her mission is to help people understand how brilliant and unique the human body is and to empower every individual with knowledge to develop a better functional relationship with their bodies. She uses various hands-on manual therapy techniques, dry needling, individualized functional exercise programs and patient education to help her clients achieve their goals.
When she is not working at the clinic, Sharlene enjoys spending time with her two energetic kiddos, creative writing, being outdoors and catching up on all her favourite TV shows.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is available to all individuals and can help with the following conditions:
- Chronic low back, hip, and pelvic girdle pain
- Urinary and fecal incontinence
- Urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy, or leakage
- Painful insertion (intercourse, tampons, etc.)
- Peri-natal population
- Erectile dysfunction
- & more!
Physiotherapists who have been trained to treat dysfunction of the pelvic region have completed a thorough and college-approved training program that allows for both external and internal examination of the pelvic region. Each assessment and treatment program is tailored to the comfort level of the individual and an internal examination is not required to proceed with effective pelvic health physiotherapy. Each assessment will include:
- A thorough subjective assessment to better understand you and your concerns and goals including past medical history, current symptoms, and surgical history.
- External assessment exploring movement patterns, muscle tension or tenderness, scar tissue mobility, and more.
- OPTIONAL: Internal assessment (vaginally and/or rectally) to assess pelvic floor muscle tenderness, tone, strength as well as to assess for the presence of prolapse.
Learn more about how Pelvic Health Physiotherapy can improve your urinary incontinence.
Pregnancy Physiotherapy in Hamilton
Rolling out of bed, climbing stairs or getting through your usual workout may feel different as your pregnancy progresses. As your body adapts, familiar movements can become uncomfortable or take more effort. That’s a reason to reassess what works for you—not an automatic reason to give up being active.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, our pelvic health physiotherapists help you find practical ways to keep moving during pregnancy. Whether you’re managing back or pelvic pain, noticing bladder leakage, or feeling pelvic pressure during activity, we work with you to understand your symptoms and adjust your routine.
Depending on your needs, your care may include:
- Pelvic floor exercises tailored to your symptoms and function
- Strength and mobility work to support everyday movement
- Breathing strategies to help manage pressure during exercise and daily tasks
- Adjustments to workouts, lifting and other activities
- Hands-on treatment for discomfort and movement restrictions
- Exercises for the hips and pelvis
- Education to support you through pregnancy and prepare for postpartum recovery
Your plan can evolve alongside your pregnancy, taking into account your comfort, activity level, goals and medical team’s recommendations.
Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Health Concerns
Pregnancy creates significant changes throughout the pelvic floor, abdominal wall, hips, pelvis, and lower back.
Pelvic health physiotherapy during pregnancy may help address:
- Pelvic girdle pain
- Pubic symphysis pain
- Lower back pain
- Hip pain
- Urinary leakage
- Pelvic pressure or heaviness
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Constipation
- Difficulty exercising
- Changes in abdominal and pelvic floor coordination
Treatment may also include education around movement, exercise modification, breathing, pelvic floor relaxation and preparation for postpartum recovery.
Postpartum Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
Pregnancy and childbirth can place significant demands on the pelvic floor and abdominal wall.
After delivery, you may experience:
- Urinary leakage
- Pelvic pressure or heaviness
- Pelvic pain
- Pain with intercourse
- Abdominal weakness
- Difficulty returning to exercise
- Scar sensitivity
- Caesarean-section recovery concerns
- Pelvic floor weakness or tension
- Reduced confidence with lifting, running or physical activity
Postpartum physiotherapy can help you gradually rebuild strength, coordination, movement tolerance, and confidence.
The goal isn’t simply to “get your body back.”
It’s to help you build the strength and physical capacity you need for the activities that matter to you now.
Postpartum Physiotherapy Rehab
Picking up your baby. Carrying the car seat. Feeding for long stretches. Postpartum recovery happens alongside new physical demands, often with interrupted sleep and little time to yourself.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we start with how you’re managing today and what you want to work towards. Your pregnancy, birth experience, symptoms and previous activity level all help shape your rehabilitation. There is no single schedule you need to keep up with.
Depending on your needs, we may focus on:
- Rebuilding pelvic floor function and addressing leakage or pelvic pressure
- Restoring abdominal strength and coordination, including concerns about diastasis recti
- Managing discomfort in your back, hips or pelvic girdle
- Supporting Caesarean-section recovery and addressing scar mobility when appropriate
- Finding more comfortable ways to lift, carry and care for your baby
- Gradually building towards strength training, running or sport
The calendar tells us how long it’s been since delivery. Your symptoms, movement and tolerance for activity help us decide what comes next. Together, we build a progression that fits your recovery and the life you’re returning to.
Physiotherapy Services & More!
We here at Restorative Touch offer a wide range of services in Hamilton tailored to your your needs, from Physiotherapy to Acupuncture and Massage Therapy. We have all the services you need to achieve your goals.