Pelvic Floor Disorders

Summary

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and other tissues that form a sling or hammock across the pelvis. In women, it holds the uterus, bladder, bowel, and other pelvic organs in place so that they can work properly. The pelvic floor can become weak or be injured. The main causes are pregnancy and childbirth. Other causes include being overweight, radiation treatment, surgery, and getting older.

Common symptoms include:

• Feeling heaviness, fullness, pulling, or aching in the vagina. It gets worse by the end of the day or during a bowel movement.
• Seeing or feeling a “bulge” or “something coming out” of the vagina
• Having a hard time starting to urinate or emptying the bladder completely
• Having frequent urinary tract infections
• Leaking urine when you cough, laugh, or exercise
• Feeling an urgent or frequent need to urinate
• Feeling pain while urinating
• Leaking stool or having a hard time controlling gas
• Being constipated
• Having a hard time making it to the bathroom in time

Your health care provider diagnoses the problem with a physical exam, a pelvic exam, or special tests. Treatments include special pelvic muscle exercises called Kegel exercises. A mechanical support device called a pessary helps some women. Surgery and medicines are other treatments.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• About Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Expanded Version American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse American Urogynecologic Society
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse Food and Drug Administration
• Power to the Pelvis: Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor Muscles National Institutes of Health

Find an Expert

• American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Patient Handouts

• Anterior vaginal wall repair Medical Encyclopedia
• Pelvic floor muscle training exercises Medical Encyclopedia
• Rectal prolapse Medical Encyclopedia
• Urinary Retention National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Uterine prolapse Medical Encyclopedia

Treatments and Therapies

• Anterior vaginal wall repair (surgical treatment of urinary incontinence) – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• How Are Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs) Treated? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Kegel Exercises National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse–Surgery American Urogynecologic Society
• Urogynecologic Surgical Mesh Implants Food and Drug Administration
• Vaginal Pessary American Academy of Family Physicians

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cystocele National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pelvic Floor Disorders National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pelvic Organ Prolapse National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal Prolapse National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectocele National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Uterine Prolapse National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Cystocele (Prolapsed Bladder) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Rectal Prolapse American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
• Rectocele American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
• Stress Incontinence Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Uterine Prolapse Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Diagnosis and Tests

• How Are Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs) Diagnosed? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Pelvic Floor MRI Radiological Society of North America
• Pelvis Ultrasound Radiological Society of North America

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse – Prevention American Urogynecologic Society

Encyclopedia

• Pelvic ultrasound – abdominal Medical Encyclopedia

Journal Articles

• Pelvic Floor Disorders

Related Issues

• Urinary Retention National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• What is a Urogynecologist? American Urogynecologic Society