Women's Health
Gisborne Women’s Health services are provided by Marsha Ellis (RN, BSc(HlthSci), BHSc(MST), MNA, FRCNA, MANTA).
Marsha is both an experienced clinician and an experienced educator of nurses and other health practitioners. Marsha’s main areas of interest are musculoskeletal therapy, women’s health issues and the non-invasive treatment of urinary incontinence, particularly, but not exclusively, in women.
Musculoskeletal Therapy is a relatively new profession that advances the knowledge, critical thinking and practical skills base of remedial massage therapy. It has been described as a largely ‘hands-on’ method of management of soft tissue injuries and conditions, based on detailed physical examination1 and the application of appropriate management choices from a broad menu of neuromuscular, soft tissue approaches, e.g. remedial massage, neuromuscular techniques, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage and proprioceptive taping. Marsha uses all of these approaches to address musculoskeletal injuries and conditions and has seen excellent results for patients with sprains, strains, ‘frozen shoulders’, ‘heel spurs’ and lymphoedema. She enjoys working independently and in association with the other practitioners in the clinic to enhance the results of treatment.
A significant portion of Marsha’s practice involves the use of the Neocontrol Pelvic Floor Therapy System. Neocontrol therapy requires the use of a special chair, through which the delivery of two frequencies of magnetic resonance stimulates contraction of the pelvic floor muscles.2 Treatment is painless and nothing but the seat of the chair ever touches the patient. Treatment sessions take less than 30 minutes and a typical treatment plan comprises two sessions/week for approximately 8-10 weeks. Significant support for the effectiveness of the treatment, especially in clients with mild to moderate (type 1 or 11) stress, urge and mixed incontinence, may be found in the literature. In Marsha’s practice, she is seeing remarkable, rapid improvement in 70-80% of the clients she sees.
Marsha is a Member of the Australian Natural Therapists Association and a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia. She is available to see patients on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am-1 pm and 3-6 pm. Marsha is recognised as a remedial therapist by Workcover and a range of private medical insurance organizations, so patients with private health benefits that include ‘extras’ may be eligible to claim rebates for their treatment. More information about both musculoskeletal therapy and the Neocontrol Pelvic Therapy System is available by contacting the clinic and asking about Gisborne Women’s Health or musculoskeletal therapy on 54282669.
1 Jull G. and Moore A. 2001 Editorial: Delivery of musculoskeletal therapy on line?’ Manual Therapy 6:2, 65. Available on line at
http://www.idealibrary.com.
2Goldberg R. and Sand P. 2001 Electromagnetic pelvic floor stimulation for urinary incontinence and bladder disease International
Urogynecology Journal 12, 401-404.
