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Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor

Science to Practice

  • 1st Edition - May 20, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editor: Gráinne M. Donnelly
  • Language: English

Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: Science to Practice shines a spotlight on a critical but often overlooked aspect of female athlete health: the pelvic floor. Bringing together… Read more

Description

Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: Science to Practice shines a spotlight on a critical but often overlooked aspect of female athlete health: the pelvic floor. Bringing together the expertise of international clinicians and researchers, this book highlights persistent gaps in knowledge and practice, offering valuable direction for future research. It educates professionals on how to effectively screen, treat, and rehabilitate athletes, emphasizing that pelvic floor dysfunction can profoundly impact engagement, athletic performance, and overall well-being. By addressing this traditionally taboo subject, the authors provide evidence-based insights that call for the pelvic floor to be considered as essential in sports medicine.

Sections discuss practical strategies for screening and supporting athletes, managing or alleviating symptoms, and ensuring a safe return to sport, all while prioritizing long-term pelvic health. This is an indispensable resource for anyone working with female athletes, blending science and clinical experience to advance care in this vital area.

Key features

  • Chapter contributions from an international panel of experts
  • Overview of the pelvic floor muscles, their function and what happens when they are dysfunctional
  • Outlines the current state of science on the pelvic floor within sports medicine

Readership

Researchers, Coaches, Physiotherapists and Physicians in Sports Medicine

Table of contents

1 The pelvic floor is sports medicine
Gráinne M. Donnelly

2 The female pelvic floor—anatomy, function, and the lifespan model
Jennifer A. LaCross, James A. Ashton-Miller, John DeLancey

3 An evolutionary perspective on human pelvic floor function and disorders
Anna Warrener, Gráinne M. Donnelly

4 Biomechanics of childbirth
Katie Harte, Alex Lennon

5 The prevalence and impact of pelvic floor dysfunction on athlete engagement, enjoyment, and performance
Jodie Dakic

6 The hidden strain: Pelvic floor dysfunction in athletes - an epidemiological perspective
Molly F. McCarthy-Ryan, Megan L. James, Isabel S. Moore

7 Surveillance, screening, and athlete profiling for pelvic floor dysfunction
Silvia Giagio

8 Assessment and measurement of the female pelvic floor
Sabine Vesting, Linda McLean

9 Differential diagnosis—Is it the pelvic floor, the hip, or the groin?
Helen McKeever

10 Pelvic floor dysfunction—Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
Gillian Campbell, Kate Lough

11 Pelvic floor dysfunction—Gastrointestinal issues impacting the female athlete
Carina Siracusa, Michelle Lyons

12 Pelvic floor dysfunction—understanding pelvic pain in female athletes
Jilly Bond, Katie Gore

13 Psychological considerations for pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic conditions
Sula Windgassen, Alicia Maria Hughes

14 Load capacity of the pelvic floor
Biljana Kennaway, Tim Gabbett, Bill Taylor, Gráinne M. Donnelly

15 Sports specific considerations for load capacity of the pelvic floor
Gráinne M. Donnelly, Elia Bassini, Ellen Casey, Shefali M. Christopher, Silvia Giagio, Olivia Leupold, Benton Lindaman, Weronika B. Solomon

16 Saddle soreness and other genitoperineal complaints in cyclists
Hedwig Neels

17 High-impact exercise and the pelvic floor
Marina Petter Rodrigues, Stéphanie Thibault-Gagnon, Linda McLean

18 Resistance training and the pelvic floor: Evidence, gaps, and clinical implications
Lori Forner

19 Management of pelvic floor dysfunction in the female athlete—The evidence for pelvic floor muscle training and adjunctive devices
Kari Bø, Marte C.D. Gram, Kristina L. Skaug

20 Adjuncts to pelvic floor muscle training—The application of products and devices
Gráinne M. Donnelly, Natalie McConochie, Fiona Rogers, Sinéad Dufour

21 Adjuncts to pelvic floor muscle training—FemTech and the role of virtual care
Fiona Rogers, Sinéad Dufour

22 Pelvic floor considerations for return to performance
Jenna Schulz

23 Clinical reasoning—A reasoned call to action?
Rosalyn Cooke, Gráinne M. Donnelly

24 Conversations with the sports medicine team—experiences and perspectives on sports medicine and the pelvic floor
Gráinne M. Donnelly

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: May 28, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editor

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Gráinne M. Donnelly

Gráinne Donnelly is an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist specialising in pelvic health. She provides private pelvic health services, educates health and fitness professionals internationally and is currently studying in a doctoral research program. Gráinne is a Trustee of the Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy charitable body, holding responsibility as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy. She also sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Active Pregnancy Foundation.
Affiliations and expertise
Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK