We can only heal when we listen to what the body is telling us.
Pelvic physiotherapy, osteopathy and acupuncture for women at every stage of life, from childhood to menopause. We look for the root of the problem, not just the symptom.
Every symptom is a message. Our work is to understand where it comes from.
Listen
An unhurried first visit: your story, your cycle, your births, everything the body has held on to over the years.
Understand
We assess the whole body: pelvic floor, organs, posture, breathing and nervous system.
Treat the root
A plan that brings several techniques together and gives you tools to carry on caring for yourself at home.
Care for every stage of life
A woman’s body changes at every stage. Choose yours to see what may lie behind what you are feeling, and how we can help.
Babies and children
- Baby does not latch well or tires while feeding
- Intense crying, colic or reflux
- Always turns the head to the same side
Cycle and conception
- Period pain that stops you in your tracks
- Pain during sex
- Pelvic pain that won't go away
Pregnancy
- Lower back or pelvic girdle pain
- Pain at the front of the pelvis when walking or turning in bed
- Leaking urine when coughing or sneezing
Postpartum
- Leaking urine, wind or stools
- A heavy feeling or a 'bulge' in the vagina
- A tummy that hasn't come back, or separated abdominal muscles
Menopause
- Vaginal dryness, burning or discomfort
- Pain during sex
- Leaking urine or urgency
What are you feeling?
These are common complaints, but they do not have to be normal. The information on this website is educational and does not replace an assessment by a health professional.
Approaches that work together
Within gynaecology, obstetrics and urogynaecology, each session combines the techniques your body needs.
Pelvic physiotherapy
Assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, uterus and bowel and play a part in continence, sexual function and birth.
Read moreVisceral osteopathy
Gentle hands-on techniques over the abdomen and pelvis that aim to restore mobility to the organs and the tissues that connect them, looking at how organs, posture and pain relate.
Read moreCraniosacral osteopathy
A very light-touch approach to the head, spine and sacrum. Many people find it deeply relaxing; scientific evidence for its effects is still limited.
Read moreAcupuncture
Very fine, sterile, single-use needles placed at specific points on the body. It may help relieve pain and support wellbeing across the cycle, pregnancy and menopause.
Read morePaediatric osteopathy
Very gentle hands-on assessment and treatment for babies and children, paying attention to birth, feeding, posture and digestion, alongside your paediatrician's care.
Read moreBreastfeeding support
A physiotherapy and osteopathic intervention for mother and baby: tension, jaw and tongue mobility, posture and latch comfort, working alongside midwives, lactation consultants and paediatricians.
Read moreUnhurried, with no surprises
About 60 to 75 minutes. We explain every step before we take it, and nothing happens without your consent.
Talk
Your story, what you feel and what you want to get back.
Assess
Posture, breathing, abdomen and pelvic floor. An internal exam is always optional.
Treat
The first session already includes treatment, tailored to what we find.
Take home
A clear plan and simple exercises for daily life.
Joana Alves
A physiotherapist specialising in the pelvic floor, with postgraduate training in osteopathy and acupuncture. She cares for women and babies in Guimarães with an integrative approach focused on the root cause.
Birth in Motion
Birth preparation that works through the body: mobility, breathing, positions and confidence, for a more active and conscious birth.
- For pregnant women from the second trimester
- Group or one-to-one sessions
- Birth partners welcome
- Guimarães
Teaching, talks and building bridges across Europe
Joana teaches workshops and gives talks on pelvic health and integrative care through the childbearing years, and trains other therapists. She welcomes collaborations with professionals, schools and associations abroad.
Art of Birth Workshop Europe
An international workshop in Portugal with world-renowned midwife Naolí Vinaver, for midwives, doulas, physiotherapists and birth professionals.
- Where
- Portugal (venue to be announced)
- When
- 2027 (dates to be announced)
- For
- Birth and women's-health professionals
Reading the body
Menopause: your pelvic floor changes too
Dryness, burning, needing the toilet more often or a feeling of heaviness aren't just "age" that you have to put up with. Here's what changes in the pelvic floor at menopause and what can help.
When your baby struggles to latch: what may lie behind it
When latching is hard, it isn't your fault or your baby's. Tension from the birth, how freely the jaw, tongue and neck move, and the posture of you both can all play a part. Here's what we look at and how we work as a team.
Leaking urine after birth is common, but it isn't normal
Many women leak when they cough, laugh or lift their baby, and assume it's just part of having had a child. It's common, but it doesn't have to last: the pelvic floor can be assessed and retrained.
The first step is a conversation
Send a WhatsApp message saying what you are looking for, and Joana will get back to you to book a visit in Guimarães.
Joana usually replies within 24 working hours. Please do not send clinical details via WhatsApp: we will talk about them in person.