Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Welcome to Queen Margaret University's Current and Emerging Roles in Physiotherapy Practice project. This space was created by and for the students at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, UK. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Sarah Barnes, Chris Van Wyk, Amy McCarthy, Gina Mclaughlin, John Lavin, Claire Ramsden and Carolinne Cieslak.

Top Contributors - Sarah Barnes, Carolinne Cieslak, Gina McLoughlin, Kim Jackson, Claire Ramsden, Chris Van Wyk, Amy McCarthy, John Lavin, Vidya Acharya, Nicole Hills and Rachael Lowe  

Learning Outcomes

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Overview

Ted Ex Talk [1]

 Signs and Symptoms

Men:

• Constipation or bowel strains
• Ongoing pain in your pelvic region, genitals or rectum.
• A prolapse – may feel as though there is a bulge/ pressure in the rectum or a feeling of needing to use your bowels without actually needing to go. - Accidentally leaking urine when you exercise, laugh, cough or sneeze.
• Feelings of urgency in needing to the bathroom, or not making it there in time.
• Frequent need to urinate.
• Difficultly emptying your bladder (discontinuous urination – stop and start multiple times) and bowels.
• The feeling of needing to have several bowel movements during a short period of time.
• Accidentally passing wind.
• Pain in your lower back that cannot be explained by other causes.
• Pain in the testicles, penis (referred pain from the pelvic floor) or pelvis during intercourse.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Painful ejaculation.

For further information on the male pelvic floor go to: [2]

Women:

• Pain or numbness during intercourse.
• Ongoing pain in your pelvic region, genitals or rectum.
• A prolapse – may be felt as a bulge in the vagina (feeling or seeing a bulge or lump in or coming out of your vagina) or a feeling of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging or dropping sensation.
• Accidentally leaking urine when you exercise, laugh, cough or sneeze (stress incontinence).
• Feelings of urgency in needing to the bathroom, or not making it there in time.
• Frequent need to urinate.
• Difficultly emptying your bladder (discontinuous urination – stop and start multiple times) and bowels.
• The feeling of needing to have several bowel movements during a short period of time.
• Constipation or bowel strains.
• Accidentally passing wind.
• Pain in your lower back that cannot be explained by other causes.

Helpful websites for further information: [3] [4]

  Risk Factors  

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   Treatment  

Pelvic floor exercises for beginners:[5]

Pelvic floor exercises for men: [6]

Progressive pelvic floor exercises: Episode 1: [7] Episode 2:[8] Episode 3: [9] Episode 4: [10] Episode 5: [11]

References

see adding references tutorial.