Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor
Science to Practice
- 1st Edition - April 1, 2026
- Editor: Gráinne M. Donnelly
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 2 9 8 6 - 9
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 2 9 8 7 - 6
While developments in the focus of female athlete health have progressed, specific focus on the pelvic floor in sports medicine is lacking. Yet pelvic floor dysfunction has… Read more
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While developments in the focus of female athlete health have progressed, specific focus on the pelvic floor in sports medicine is lacking. Yet pelvic floor dysfunction has significant implications for athlete engagement, performance, and wellbeing. Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: Science to Practice addresses a traditionally unspoken about topic, riddled with taboo, and uncovers the evidence informed insights into the role and function of the pelvic floor and its relevance for consideration in the same way as sports medicine considers all other regions of the body. The book addresses the pelvic floor - what it is, how it functions, and what can go wrong. It covers what to do when an athlete presents with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and how to support athletes in sport, helping manage/alleviate symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, with the goal of maintaining or returning the athlete to sport while safeguarding their long term pelvic health. Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: Science to Practice identifies key gaps to inform future studies for researchers and guides clinicans on how to screen, treat and rehabilitate an athlete. Written by both clinicans and researchers in the field for anyone working with or treating female athletes.
- Provides an overview of the pelvic floor muscles, anatomy and function
- Covers the often overlooked pelvic floor dysfunction
- Includes case examples across various sports
Researchers, Coaches, Physiotherapists and Physicians in Sports Medicine
1. Background - why pelvic floor function is sports medicine
2. The Female Pelvic Floor - overview of anatomy and function
3. Evolution of the Female Pelvic Floor
4. What can go wrong - Pelvic Floor Disorders / Dysfunction
5. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Screening and Athlete Profiling
6. Female Athlete Domains and Surveillance
7. Load Tolerance and the Pelvic Floor
8. High Impact and the Pelvic Floor
9. Resistance Training and the Pelvic Floor
10 Pelvic Floor Strength and Conditioning - what is the evidence supporting it and are the principles the same?
11. Adjuncts to Pelvic Floor Function
12. Beyond the Pelvic Floor - multidisciplinary whole-systems considerations within sports medicine
13. Transitions across the Athlete Lifespan
14. Return to Sport following sypmtoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
15. From Rehabilitation to Return to Performance
16. Athletes Voices - the perception and impact of pelvic floor muscle training and symptoms on sport engagement and performance
17. Multidisciplinary Sports Medicine Team Perspectives
18. Case Examples
19. Policy and Sports Organization Guidance
20. Clinical Reasoning for Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor
2. The Female Pelvic Floor - overview of anatomy and function
3. Evolution of the Female Pelvic Floor
4. What can go wrong - Pelvic Floor Disorders / Dysfunction
5. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Screening and Athlete Profiling
6. Female Athlete Domains and Surveillance
7. Load Tolerance and the Pelvic Floor
8. High Impact and the Pelvic Floor
9. Resistance Training and the Pelvic Floor
10 Pelvic Floor Strength and Conditioning - what is the evidence supporting it and are the principles the same?
11. Adjuncts to Pelvic Floor Function
12. Beyond the Pelvic Floor - multidisciplinary whole-systems considerations within sports medicine
13. Transitions across the Athlete Lifespan
14. Return to Sport following sypmtoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
15. From Rehabilitation to Return to Performance
16. Athletes Voices - the perception and impact of pelvic floor muscle training and symptoms on sport engagement and performance
17. Multidisciplinary Sports Medicine Team Perspectives
18. Case Examples
19. Policy and Sports Organization Guidance
20. Clinical Reasoning for Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor
- Edition: 1
- Published: April 1, 2026
- Language: English
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Gráinne M. Donnelly
Gráinne Donnelly is an Advanced Physiotherapist specialising in pelvic health. She provides pelvic health clinics privately, educates health and fitness professionals about pelvic health and is currently developing her interest and experience in the world of research and academia. She has recently published several papers on postpartum running and diastasis rectus abdominis. Her specialist interests are postpartum exercise, diastasis rectus abdominis and ultrasound imaging in pelvic health.
Affiliations and expertise
Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK