Pelvic floor disorders occur when the pelvic floor muscles become weak or damaged and can result in a wide variety of symptoms.
The pelvic floor test focuses on the symptoms of urinary incontinence, which has been proven to be a good proxy indicator for overall pelvic floor health.
The pelvic floor test returns a percentage score. 0% means no symptoms and 100% means intensive symptoms.
Pelvic floor disorders
The three main types of pelvic floor disorders are:
Urinary incontinence, or lack of bladder control
Fecal incontinence, or lack of bowel control
Pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which the uterus, bladder or bowel may "drop" within the vagina and cause a bulge through the vaginal canal
People with pelvic floor disorders may experience:
Urinary problems, such as urinary incontinence, an urgent need to urinate, painful urination or incomplete emptying of their bladder
Constipation, straining or pain during bowel movements
Pain or pressure in the vagina or rectum
A heavy feeling in the pelvis or a bulge in the vagina or rectum
Muscle spasms in the pelvis
Discomfort during sexual intercourse
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence simply means leaking urine. Incontinence can range from leaking just a few drops of urine to complete emptying of the bladder.
Urinary incontinence can be divided into three main types:
Stress incontinence is leaking urine when coughing, laughing, or sneezing. Leaks can also happen when one walks, runs, or exercises.
Urgency incontinence is a sudden strong urge to urinate that is hard to stop. Women with this type of urinary incontinence may leak urine on the way to the bathroom. If you have an “overactive bladder”, it means that you have symptoms of urgency that may or may not include incontinence.
Mixed incontinence combines symptoms of both stress incontinence and urgency incontinence.
Prolapse
The pelvic cavity is home to a number of extremely important organs, all of which are at risk of falling out of place. When this happens, it can affect the anterior (front) or posterior (back) wall of the vagina, and in some cases the central part of the pelvis.
Prolapse symptoms vary depending upon the stage it is at, however, common indications include:
A 'dragging' sensation in the vagina or lower back
Pelvic and/or abdominal pain
A lump inside or outside the vagina
Struggling to empty the bowel
Dyspareunia (painful sex) or lack of intimate sensation
Urinary abnormalities such as a slow stream, incomplete emptying of your bladder, urinary frequency/urgency or stress incontinence