Karen Swanepoel

Karen is a Bloemfontein physiotherapist with a passionate interest in women’s health conditions. She completed her Women’s Health Physiotherapy Course and Examinations in 2011 and has been a member of the MSH team since then. Her special interests are pelvic pain, dyspareunia and pregnancy.

She is now a presenter of the Pelvic and Women’s Health Physiotherapy Training Programme and serves on their course planning committee. As an author and invited speaker she is a clear authority in her field.

Karen graduated in 2002 from the University of the Free State and has been working in private practice since 2004, in gynaecology, urology, ante- and postnatal fields.

Karen became more involved in pregnancy wellness while teaching pregnancy exercise classes for PreggiBellies in 2011-2013. She assists mothers with breastfeeding problems and works closely with local midwives to offer mothers a positive breastfeeding experience.

She treats urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and gynaecological patients. She manages pre- and postnatal patients with diastasis recti-abdominis, and pelvic floor-, lower back- and symphysis pubis dysfunction and has treated multiple patients with vaginismus and unconsummated relationships.

In 2016 Karen travelled to Alkmaar and Almere to visit Paediatric Bladder and Bowel Clinics to further her knowledge in this field.

Member of The Southern African Sexual Health Association

Karen is the proud author of Female Bladder Conditions and Physiotherapy (2017) and Childhood Potty Problems Explained (2019) through her publishing house Regain Publications. She also hosts a blog on www.regain.co.za. She has also developed a children’s workbook to complement the therapy and information in a child-friendly manner.