Ultrasound Imaging in Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
摘要
Pelvic floor disorders are multifactorial arising from both anatomic and functional impairments. These disorders of bowel, bladder, vaginal, or levator ani muscle function create a significant burden on the quality of life such as sexual health for the patient. The aim of pelvic health physiotherapy is the dynamic assessment and rehabilitation of the muscles and connective tissues that comprise the pelvic floor during functional activities in relation to the whole body’s musculoskeletal system, both voluntary and involuntary. Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging provides the pelvic health physiotherapist the ability to evaluate dynamic changes in the tissues while serving as an excellent visual feedback tool for retraining aberrant neuromotor control strategies. Although the number of positive studies on the use of pelvic floor ultrasound in physiotherapy has increased, there is still poor adoption of ultrasound as a core competency within the field of pelvic health physiotherapy. This chapter addresses the potential for using ultrasound during rehabilitation of pelvic floor disorders utilizing two-dimensional transabdominal and transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound approaches.