Service overview
Physiotherapy for women in pregnancy, after birth and at any age, for the pelvic floor, bladder, tummy muscles, pelvis and back.
Who it is for
Women with leaking urine, pelvic or back pain in pregnancy, a tummy gap or symptoms of prolapse, and women who want to get back to exercise after a baby.
Key treatments offered
Pelvic floor muscle assessment, treatment and training, bladder training, tummy gap, diastasis recti and core exercises, hands-on treatment, clinical Pilates and a step-by-step return to exercise.
What to expect
A first appointment of about 45 minutes, one to one with Gabriela Ramires. An internal pelvic floor check only happens if it would help and you agree.
Why choose Kinesis Clinic
A women’s health physiotherapist licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, female physiotherapists on request, no referral needed, and free parking at Vida The Hills, next to Emirates Hills.
Kinesis Clinic offers women’s health, pelvic floor and pre-postnatal physiotherapy at Vida The Hills in Dubai, Emirates Hills area. Gabriela Ramires, our women’s health physiotherapist, sees women in pregnancy, after birth and at any age and stage. She helps with leaking, pelvic pain, a tummy gap and getting back to exercise.
Women in pregnancy and post delivery, Diastasis Recti, pelvic and back symptoms, pre and post operative rehabilitation, as well as with urinary and hormonal concerns. These are the conditions we treat most often.
Back, hip, buttock and rib pain often build as your bump grows. Our women’s health physiotherapist assesses and treats the areas involved, works on your posture, movement and strength so you can stay active. If you would also like to see a chiropractor in pregnancy, read about our chiropractic care.
Pelvic girdle pain is pain at the front or back of your pelvis in pregnancy. The NHS (National Health Service in the U.K.) estimates it affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women. It is often worse on stairs, when you turn over in bed or when you get out of a car. It is commonly associated with SPD (Symphysis pubis dysfunction), which is a condition causing pain, stiffness or instability in the pubis symphysis joint at the front of your pelvis.
The NHS advises telling your midwife or doctor, because getting it diagnosed early can help keep the pain to a minimum. Gabriela treats pelvic girdle pain with hands-on treatment and exercises.
Diastasis recti is a gap between the two long muscles down the front of your tummy. It often stretches and opens in pregnancy and can leave your core feeling weak. The NHS says the gap usually recovers by the time your baby is eight weeks old, so have it checked if yours has not or you need the right guidance and support.
Rebuilding strength in your tummy and pelvic floor muscles once your doctor is happy with how you are healing. From work on the C-section scar to recovery support and return to activities. Scar work is carried out by Katerina Rellias, who has trained in scar management for all types of scars, including after a C-section.
Urinary incontinence means leaking urine when you do not mean to. Leaking when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump or lift is called stress incontinence. A sudden, strong need to pee, sometimes with some leaking before you reach the toilet, is urge incontinence. Many women have both, and doctors call this mixed incontinence.
Stress incontinence
Leaking when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump or lift
Urge incontinence
A sudden, strong need to pee, sometimes with some leaking before you reach the toilet
Mixed incontinence
Many women have both
Leaking is common in pregnancy, after birth and around the menopause, and it can be treated. UK guidelines from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommend supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least three months as the first treatment for stress leaking, and bladder training for at least six weeks for urgency. At Kinesis, Gabriela checks how your pelvic floor works and plans both with you.
If it hurts or burns when you pee, or you see blood in your pee, see your doctor first, as these can be signs of an infection.
Pelvic organ prolapse is when your womb, bladder or bowel bulges into the vagina. It is more common than many women think: NICE notes that, on examination, prolapse is found in up to half of women. You may feel heaviness or a bulge in your vagina. The NHS advises seeing a doctor if you notice a lump in or around your vagina. It lists physiotherapy and pelvic floor muscle training with a women’s health physiotherapist among the treatments.
Pelvic floor problems are not always about weakness. Sometimes the muscles stay tense and find it hard to relax, and this can cause pelvic pain. Gabriela uses breathing and relaxation exercises and hands-on treatment to help them relax. This can include pain during sex, such as vaginismus, where the pelvic floor muscles tighten involuntarily. Gabriela treats this with internal and external work, and Katerina offers external guidance and training. Long-lasting pelvic pain affects around 1 in 6 women, according to the RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists). If yours keeps going, see your doctor first to rule out other causes, such as endometriosis.
Call your obstetrician or hospital straight away, even at night, if:
Call 998 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have chest pain or difficulty breathing. Do the same for back pain with numbness, tingling or weakness in both legs, numbness around your genitals or bottom, or new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels.
Every recovery is different. This is what UK guidance suggests after a straightforward birth.
In the first days and weeks: start gentle pelvic floor squeezes as soon as you feel ready.
From six weeks: your postnatal check with your doctor. A 2019 UK guideline recommends that every new mother is offered a pelvic health check with a physiotherapist from six weeks, whatever kind of birth she had.
From three months: a gradual return to activities and running, once your pelvic floor and strength have been checked.
At any point: book sooner if you have leaking, pain or a feeling of heaviness.
After a C-section or a deep tear, recovery takes longer, so check with your doctor before you do anything strenuous.
Your pelvic floor muscles sit around your bladder and urethra and help you control when you pee. To find them, imagine you are stopping yourself passing urine (peeing). These squeezes are also called Kegel exercises.
Sit or lie comfortably and breathe normally.
Squeeze those muscles quickly, without pulling your tummy in or holding your breath.
Hold the squeeze for 2 seconds, then let go fully.
Repeat 10 times. Over the following weeks, build up to holding each squeeze for 10 seconds.
The NHS suggests a programme of at least 8 squeezes, 3 times a day, for at least 3 months, as it can take a few months to notice a difference. If you are not sure you are using the right muscles, or nothing has changed, Gabriela can check your squeeze and set the right level for you.
Your first women’s health or pelvic floor physiotherapy appointment at Kinesis Clinic is one to one with Gabriela Ramires, in a private treatment room, and takes about 45 minutes. An internal pelvic floor examination only happens as and when required and with your prior consent.
Gabriela asks about your concerns, symptoms, your pregnancy or birth, your health and what you want to get back to doing. Bring any reports or scans you have. You do not need an MRI before you book.
She checks your posture, breathing and tummy muscles, and how your back, hips and pelvis move.
If an internal examination would help, Gabriela explains why and what it involves first. You can say no, ask for a chaperone or stop at any time. Without it, she can still assess your pelvic floor from the outside, though an internal check tells her more about how your muscles feel and work.
You leave with a plan and your first exercises to do at home.
Before you come: On your first appointment, arrive five minutes early with your Emirates ID or passport. We may send you a short form to fill in before your visit. You are welcome to bring your baby or toddler, Gabriela keeps toys in her room.
If leaking is your main concern: keep a bladder diary for three days before you come, it would help. Write down what you drink, when you pee and when you leak, and include a work day, a day off and your activities if you can.
Gabriela has more than ten years of clinical experience and is licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA licence 00216070-002). She holds a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy and an MSc in Neurological Rehabilitation. Her training covers women’s health, pregnancy and postnatal rehabilitation, Diastasis Recti tummy muscle separation, and mat, reformer, chair and barrel Pilates. She speaks English and Portuguese.
Gabriela carries out the internal pelvic floor assessments at Kinesis clinic. She also sees babies and children in our paediatric physiotherapy service.
“Many of the women I see have lived with leaking or a tummy gap for years because they were told it is part of having a baby. It is common, but it can be treated, and you do not need to wait until it gets worse to come in.”
Gabriela Ramires, women’s health physiotherapist
Depending on what Gabriela finds on her assessment, your plan can include:
In pregnancy, Gabriela also plans pelvic floor, breathing and strength exercises to get your body ready for labour, around how far along you are.
Most women come every one to two weeks and do their exercises at home every day in between. How many appointments you need depends on what you come in with, and our women’s health specialist will talk you through it at your first visit.
If you are recovering from tummy surgery, such as a tummy tuck with muscle repair, ask us about manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). Once your surgeon agrees, you can see and benefit from our MLD specialist physiotherapist.
You can book a postnatal physiotherapy appointment at Kinesis from about three to six weeks after birth, or sooner if you have pain or leaking and your doctor agrees. If you had a C-section or a deep tear, check with your doctor first.
No. Leaking, a tummy gap and a weak pelvic floor can be assessed and treated whether your baby is six months or six years old.
It is very common, but you do not have to put up with it. Pelvic floor exercises guided by a physiotherapist are the first treatment UK guidelines recommend. At Kinesis, we can check your pelvic floor and guide you with your training.
It can. The NHS says regular pelvic floor and deep tummy exercises can help reduce the gap. At Kinesis Clinic in Dubai, Gabriela is our Diastasis Recti expert. She measures your tummy gap, checks how your tummy muscles work together and builds your treatment plan and exercises from there.
Yes. Gabriela Ramires and the other female physiotherapists at Kinesis Clinic in Dubai, Marta, Asteera and Katerina, see women for pelvic floor and core rehabilitation as well as other female concerns. Gabriela is the only one who carries out internal assessment and treatment. Ask for a female physiotherapist when you book.
You can book without a referral. Kinesis does not bill insurers directly. You pay at the clinic, and after each session we email you the invoice and a form to send to your insurer for reimbursement.
Some insurers want a doctor’s referral and/or a pre-approval first, so check your policy before your first visit. You could also have a consultation with our in-house GP, who can write a referral if you need one.
Kinesis Clinic is at Vida The Hills, Tower A2, ground floor, units 8, 9 and 10, Dubai. It is next to Emirates Hills and a short drive from The Lakes, The Springs, The Meadows and Dubai Hills. Parking is free for two hours when reception validates your stay.
Clinically reviewed by Gabriela Ramires De Oliveira, Women’s Health Physiotherapist (DHA licence 00216070-002), and Aikaterini Rigoutsou Rellias, Medical Director (DHA licence 97466043-003). Last updated October 2026.
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