The Overactive Pelvic Floor

Abstract

This textbook provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of the Overactive Pelvic Floor (OPF) that provides clinical tools for medical and mental health practitioners alike. Written by experts in the field, this text offers tools for recognition, assessment, treatment and interdisciplinary referral for patients with OPF and OPF related conditions. The text reviews the definition, etiology and pathophysiology of non-relaxing pelvic floor muscle tone as well as discusses sexual function and past sexual experience in relation to the pelvic floor. Specific pelvic floor dysfunctions associated with pelvic floor overactivity in both men and women are reviewed in detail. Individual chapters are devoted to female genital pain and vulvodynia, female bladder pain and interstitial cystitis, male chronic pelvic and genital pain, sexual dysfunction related to pelvic pain in both men and women, musculoskeletal aspects of pelvic floor overactivity, LUTS and voiding dysfunction, and anorectal disorders. Assessment of the pelvic floor is addressed in distinct chapters describing subjective and objective assessment tools. State of the art testing measures including electromyographic and video-urodynamic analysis, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are introduced. The final chapters are devoted to medical, psychosocial, and physical therapy treatment interventions with an emphasis on interdisciplinary management The Overactive Pelvic Floor serves physicians in the fields of urology, urogynecology and gastroenterology as well as psychotherapists, sex therapists and physical therapists.