The “pelvic floor” refers to the muscles that form a sling across the opening of the pelvis. The muscles and the surrounding tissues keep all of the pelvic organs in place and help the organs function correctly.
Female pelvic floor disorders are conditions that affect a woman’s pelvic organs, including the vagina, uterus (or womb), bladder and rectum. Childbearing may increase the risk of pelvic floor disorders.
By age 55, nearly half of all women will have some type of pelvic floor disorder. Many women suffer in silence with the uncomfortable (and sometimes life-altering) symptoms.
Examples of pelvic floor disorders include:
- urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control), also known as:
- stress urinary incontinence
- urge urinary incontinence
- overactive bladder
- pelvic organ prolapse (pelvic support problems), also known as:
- cystocele
- enterocele
- rectocele
- uterine prolapse
- fecal incontinence (loss of bowel control)
- defecatory dysfunction (problems emptying the bowels)
- voiding dysfunction (problems urinating)
For more information about specific pelvic floor disorders, click on the links below:
