Pelvic Health, OASI Tears and Birth Injury Rehabilitation

Pelvic health issues following childbirth can have a significant impact on daily life, rehabilitation, work, relationships, childcare, continence, confidence and long-term support needs. In legal claims involving maternal injury, OASI tears or pelvic floor dysfunction, the practical consequences may not always be obvious from the medical records alone.

This clinical training session is designed to help solicitors and legal teams understand how pelvic health symptoms may present, how specialist physiotherapy can support rehabilitation, and how functional impact, prognosis and future needs may be considered within expert evidence.

Delivered by: Imogen Williams, Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and Expert Witness

What the session covers

The session provides a practical introduction to pelvic health evidence in maternal injury and birth injury claims. It explores obstetric anal sphincter injury, pelvic floor dysfunction, continence symptoms, pain, prolapse, pelvic girdle pain, rehabilitation options and the wider effect of pelvic health conditions on daily function.

The session can also consider how symptoms may affect childcare, domestic activity, work, intimacy, exercise, travel and social participation, and how specialist physiotherapy evidence can help explain rehabilitation needs, likely prognosis and reasonable future provision.

This session can cover

• Pelvic health presentation after childbirth
• OASI tears and obstetric anal sphincter injury
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Bladder and bowel symptoms
• Pain, prolapse and pelvic girdle pain
• Rehabilitation following childbirth-related trauma
• Functional impact on childcare, work and daily life
• Prognosis and future rehabilitation needs
• How pelvic health physiotherapy evidence supports legal claims

Why this matters for solicitors

Pelvic health symptoms can be private, distressing and difficult for claimants to describe. A claimant may appear physically well but still experience continence symptoms, pain, fatigue, loss of confidence, reduced sexual function, difficulty with childcare tasks or limitations in work and domestic activity.

For solicitors, understanding pelvic health presentation and rehabilitation can support better instructions, more focused expert questions and a clearer approach to evidence on functional impact, therapy needs, prognosis and quantum.

Claimant-facing option

This topic can also be adapted for claimant-facing education where appropriate. A claimant-focused session can explain pelvic health symptoms, rehabilitation options, pacing, confidence, return to activity and when further specialist support may be needed.

Claimant-facing sessions are educational and supportive. They do not replace individual clinical assessment, treatment or medico-legal advice, but they can help claimants better understand common pelvic health issues and the role of rehabilitation.

Who the session is for

• Clinical negligence solicitors
• Personal injury solicitors
• Maternal injury teams
• Birth injury teams
• Deputies
• Insurers
• Claims handlers
• Litigation teams
• Professional referrers
• Claimant education sessions, where appropriate

Format options

• 30-minute introductory session
• 45–60 minute team training session
• Online or in-person delivery
• Solicitor-facing or claimant-facing format
• Topic-specific discussion
• Q&A with pelvic health physiotherapy input
• Tailored to your team’s caseload

To arrange this session for your team, email Nathan Scragg, Partnerships Director at Harrison Associates.

Please include the topic you are interested in, your firm or organisation, preferred format and any particular issues you would like the session to cover.

Email Nathan to Arrange This Session

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