Pelvic Floor News and Research

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The pelvic floor is a thin but strong sheet of muscle and connective tissue that closes off the pelvic cavity from below. It supports the pelvic organs, which include the urinary bladder, the uterus, cervix and vagina, and the last part of the large bowel (the rectum) in women. In men, it contains the bladder and the rectum.

Biofeedback treatment can successfully re-train bowel muscles

Chronic constipation affects 15 to 20 percent of the U.S. population. Nearly one-third of affected people have dyssynergic defecation, in which muscles used for bowel movements do not work well, but there's some good news.

4 Apr 2007

Botox for bladder problems

Pioneering medical research is going on at the University of Leicester into the use of Botulinum toxin - commonly thought of as a beauty treatment - for bladder problems.

8 Mar 2007

Damage to muscle during vaginal deliveries connected with pelvic organ prolapse

An increase among women electing to have caesarean sections in recent years has been due in large part to a concern that giving birth vaginally will lead to a fallen bladder and uterus in later life, and the issue has been hotly debated in the medical community.

31 Jan 2007

Prostate adjustable continence therapy is a safe and effective treatment for post radical prostatectomy incontinence

Urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy may affect 3-8% of patients and can have a significant negative impact on a patient's quality of life.

14 Jun 2006

Duloxetine proven effective for use in men with stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy

Up to 33% of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy suffer from varying degrees of incontinence.

13 Jun 2006

Burch colposuspension prevents De Novo incontinence after abdominal sacrocolpopexy

Patients with pelvic prolapse may develop de novo urinary incontinence after surgical repair.

18 Apr 2006

Intravaginal surface electromyography (SEMG) being used to treat vaginal pain

The diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginal pain disorders are progressing through the advancement of intravaginal surface electromyography (SEMG).

27 Mar 2006

Kegel exercises reduce urinary incontinence in women

Women suffering from urinary incontinence can benefit from pelvic floor muscle training, commonly known as Kegel exercises, according to a new review of studies.

5 Feb 2006

Weight loss and exercise reduces urinary incontinence in women with prediabetes

Losing a modest amount of weight through dietary changes and increased physical activity reduces the occurrence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women with prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetic.

27 Jan 2006

Pelvic floor muscle training helps reduce urinary incontinence in women

Leakage of urine when a person coughs or sneezes (stress incontinence) or from involuntary contraction of the bladder (urge incontinence) is a common problem for people living in the community.

25 Jan 2006

Perineal massage helps childbirth

Low-tech, at-home preparation in the last month before childbirth could help pregnant mothers avoid one of the more common surgeries performed on women in the United States, a new review suggests.

25 Jan 2006

Childbirth not linked to urinary incontinence

Postmenopausal women who have given birth vaginally do not appear to suffer from urinary incontinence at higher rates than their sisters who have never given birth, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study published in the December Obstetrics and Gynecology journal.

2 Dec 2005

Australian stem cell discovery hailed as a major medical and scientific development

Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) senior scientist Dr Caroline Gargett's discovery of adult stem cells in the uterus that can be grown into bone, muscle, fat and cartilage, has been hailed as a major medical and scientific development by international reproduction experts.

20 Jul 2005

Australian discovery of adult stem cells in the uterus

19 Jul 2005

Researchers recommend pelvic floor disorders be part of routine physical exams for all women

While most women suffer from pelvic floor disorders (PFD), the majority don’t seek help until they are incontinent.

28 Jun 2005

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects 48.2 percent of women

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that female sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects 48.2 percent of women in a new study and that these women had decreased sensation in the clitoris, which increased the risk of sexual dysfunction.

26 May 2005

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence in about 80 per cent of cases, according to the first national study undertaken in clinical practice by researchers at the University of South Australia.

20 May 2005

Episiotomy usually provides no benefits

According to a systematic review of existing studies, to appear in the May 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the surgical procedure known as an episiotomy, performed in up to 35 percent of U.S. vaginal births, usually provides no benefits.

5 May 2005

Pelvic floor exercises versus ‘holding on’ in treatment of incontinence

Pelvic floor muscle exercises could feel the squeeze when they go up against toilet techniques in a new study to find the best way to treat incontinence.

15 Mar 2005

Quicker recovery time with new laparoscopic hysterectomy

More than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed every year in the United States at a cost of $5 billion, which doesn't take into account the 144 million work hours lost to the average six-week recovery time. Billie Williams of Grapevine had been considering having one for years, but major surgery and a long convalescence didn't fit with her plans.

1 Mar 2005