Pelvic Floor: Common Questions
The sling of muscle supporting the bladder, bowel and uterus.
Last revised
Pelvic Floor: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- First-line treatment for stress incontinence: supervised pelvic floor muscle training
- Minimum trial length: at least 3 months
- Most useful single change: Ask for referral to a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming incontinence after childbirth is permanent or normal.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Pelvic Floor?
The sling of muscle supporting the bladder, bowel and uterus.
Why does it matter?
Incontinence affects a large proportion of women, is strongly associated with childbirth and menopause, and responds well to supervised exercise.
First-line treatment for stress incontinence for Pelvic Floor?
Supervised pelvic floor muscle training.
Minimum trial length for Pelvic Floor?
At least 3 months.
Recommended in pregnancy for Pelvic Floor?
To reduce postnatal incontinence.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Ask for referral to a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist.
What is the most common mistake?
Assuming incontinence after childbirth is permanent or normal.
When should I see a doctor?
See a GP for any leakage of urine or stool, a feeling of something coming down in the vagina, or pain during sex. Seek urgent help for sudden inability to pass urine, new incontinence with back pain or numbness around the groin, or leg weakness — these can indicate nerve compression and are an emergency.
Where to go next
- Pelvic Floor: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Why Pelvic Floor Matters, Explained Simply
- Pelvic Floor — the reference entry
- The Evidence on Period Pain, Without the Hype
- Heavy Periods: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to get help
See a GP for any leakage of urine or stool, a feeling of something coming down in the vagina, or pain during sex. Seek urgent help for sudden inability to pass urine, new incontinence with back pain or numbness around the groin, or leg weakness — these can indicate nerve compression and are an emergency.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
