Dr Udari Colombage - Pelvic health and pelvic floor dysfunction, how to ask questions about incontinence and pelvic health, resources for practitioners and patients

This week I spoke with physiotherapist and recent PhD graduate Dr Udari Colombage from Monash University Physiotherapy about pelvic floor dysfunction and her pathway from graduate, to PhD student, to early career researcher. Note that this episode contains content that may not be suitable for children; for example, discussions of surgery for breast cancer, incontinence and sexual dysfunction.    In this episode 0:00 About this episode 1:58 Welcome Udari – background, interest, qualifications and career pathway so far 5:15 Finding mentors and a special interest area in your career 7:00 Pelvic floor dysfunction in people with breast cancer 9:55 What did you enjoy about studying research in university? 12:40 Working with people following breast cancer surgery and people with lymphedema 16:05 What is lymphoedema and what are the common management strategies? 17:55 What are the psychological impacts of breast cancer surgery and how equipped did you feel to help people with cancer as a new graduate? 20:20 Sexual dysfunction and continence – challenges and clinical questions leading to research questions 25:00 How can practitioners help?  How to ask questions about incontinence and sexual health 29:30 Final thoughts? Don’t shy away from talking about incontinence – there are resources out there to help you   Udari discussed the Continence Foundation of Australia. Visit this website for resources for practitioners and patients  https://www.continence.org.au/   This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In. Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.