Pelvic floor examination and assessment for urinary incontinence

Author(s): C. Ross - Pages: 13–16

Abstract

This case report describes the assessment and management of a 59-year-old woman. On assessment, the subject reported a 3-year history of the clinical signs of mixed urinary incontinence. Her predominant symptoms were daily urgency and urge urinary incontinence several times a week. A follow-up appointment was scheduled 2 weeks after the initial assessment to allow the subject time to complete a bladder frequency/volume diary and to consider the option of a vaginal examination. The subject verbally consented to this examination at the objective assessment. It was determined that pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training could build the structural support to the bladder and urethra for bladder filling, and improve the endurance of the PFMs when contracting during repeated coughs or sneezes. The initial goals of the management plan were to improve the endurance of the subject’s PFMs: once an increase in her maximum voluntary contraction had been achieved, the number of repetitions could then be increased.

Keywords: exercise, mixed urinary incontinence, pelvic floor muscles, vaginal examination.