Taken by Sophie Awajan

Salford mums are being offered private care at a physiotherapy clinic in the city amid NHS shortages.

The Bode Clinic dedicates Mondays and Fridays to women’s health and pregnancy, providing both pre and post-natal care as required.

The clinic was founded by Kristin Wika Paulson in 2019, just before the outbreak of Covid.

After Kristin established her clinic, she became pregnant and experienced the detrimental effects of a struggling NHS.

She said: “You feel ignored and struggle to ask all the questions because you feel like they don’t really have time for that.

“I had the baby then was told what to do and that was it. I knew my body needed help, but I couldn’t get it.”

From this experience, Kristin brought a women’s healthcare specialist, Amy Cummings, into Bode Clinic so that they could help provide a space for women to get tailored treatments during and after pregnancy.

Amy, the designated women’s health specialist, acquired a master’s degree in physiotherapy and now dedicates her time to helping women through pre- and post-natal care.

Bode Clinic, New Bailey Street, offers treatments such as internal assessments, pregnancy massages, Mummy MOTs and return-to-training plans post-childbirth.

Amy said: “One thing we tend to teach straight away is the technique for breathing to build pelvic floor muscles.”

Paulson says it’s easy for women to ignore the importance of strong pelvic muscles and normalise health issues, she explains:

“Because some problems are so common, women think it’s ok to not think too much of it.

“But we can help relieve them and teach them about their bodies with the right assessments and treatments.”

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