Female Pelvic Floor assessment – Advancing Objective Clinical Assessment of pelvic floor muscle function

Dr. Linda McLean and Eric Lanteigne from the University of Ottawa identified a gap in the clinical assessment of pelvic floor muscle function.

Despite the use of physiotherapist-supervised pelvic floor muscle training interventions for pelvic floor disorders, current evaluation of impairments in pelvic floor muscle strength, tone, and motor control is commonly performed through manual palpation. This approach can be subjective, lacks reliability and sensitivity to change, and makes it difficult to objectively track progress over time.

This submission highlights the need for more objective and consistent approaches to assess and monitor pelvic floor muscle function in clinical practice. Recognized through a micro-award, this work reflects an important early-stage insight into a recognized clinical challenge.