Mrs Swati Agrawal1, Miss Sarah Dennis, Miss Erynne Stone, Miss Esther Chan
1Specialist Menopause Service, Swslhd, Campbelltown, Australia, 2University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Swati Agrawal is a Senior Physiotherapist specialising in women’s, men’s, and pelvic health, with nearly 20 years of experience. She works with the SWS Specialist Menopause Service, providing care for women with complex menopausal symptoms, and at Liverpool Hospital, managing a broad range of pelvic health conditions.
Her special interests include menopause management, pelvic floor rehabilitation, and promoting greater awareness of pelvic health across the community.
Menopause and perimenopause can significantly reduce quality of life and multidisciplinary care improves outcomes. The South-West Sydney LHD Specialist Menopause Service is a team of endocrinologist, gynecologist, haematologist, dietitian, psychologist, physiotherapist, nurse and administrative staff which offers a physiotherapist-led virtual hybrid exercise program, but its impact on physical function and menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) is unknown. This retrospective cohort study evaluates outcomes in peri- and post-menopausal women with severe or complex symptoms attending the service.
Participants attend once or twice weekly sessions over 8 weeks. Outcomes include MENQOL questionnaire, patient activation (PAM-13), Australian pelvic floor function (APFQ), and physical function measures (30-second sit-to-stand, grip strength, and single-leg balance). Pre–post de-identified data is extracted and its difference is analysed.
MENQOL improved overall, with only physical function statistically significant. APFQ showed significant improvement in bladder, bowel, and sexual domains. Grip strength and sit-to-stand improved significantly, while balance improved clinically.
The physiotherapist-led hybrid exercise program within a multidisciplinary menopause service improved physical function, pelvic floor outcomes, and aspects of menopause-specific quality of life in women with complex symptoms. While not all outcomes reached statistical significance, the overall findings support its clinical value. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.