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Neural Control of Pelvic Floor Muscles

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Book cover Pelvic Floor Re-education

Abstract

The coordinated function of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and related organs is an important pre-requisite that enables women to be continent of urine and feces, to micturate and defecate, and to experience orgasm. It is dependent on a complex neurocontrol consisting of voluntary muscle actions and reflexes, genetically determined activation patterns allowing for a meticulous interplay of skeletal and autonomous muscle structures, and related organs. This scientifically complicated material is broken down in this chapter to a very understandable and practical level, which is a basic necessity for sophisticated pelvic floor physiotherapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    David B. Vodušek MD, PhD

Authors
  1. David B. Vodušek MD, PhD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynaecology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany

    Kaven Baessler MD (Consultant Gynaecologist) (Consultant Gynaecologist)

  2. Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Kathryn L. Burgio PhD (Professor of Medicine, Associate Director) (Professor of Medicine, Associate Director)

  3. Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Kathryn L. Burgio PhD (Professor of Medicine, Associate Director) (Professor of Medicine, Associate Director)

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Peggy A. Norton MD (Professor Chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery) (Professor Chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery)

  5. Neue Frauenklinik, Kantonsspital Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland

    Bernhard Schüssler MD, PhD (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

  6. Department of Urogynaecology, University of New South Wales St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Kate H. Moore MBBS, MD, FRCOG, FRANZCOG, CU (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  7. Portland Hospital, London, UK

    Stuart L. Stanton FRCS, FRCOG, FRANZCOG(Hon) (Professor of Pelvic Floor Reconstruction and Urogynaecology) (Professor of Pelvic Floor Reconstruction and Urogynaecology)

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Vodušek, D.B. (2008). Neural Control of Pelvic Floor Muscles. In: Baessler, K., Burgio, K.L., Norton, P.A., Schüssler, B., Moore, K.H., Stanton, S.L. (eds) Pelvic Floor Re-education. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-505-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-505-9_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-85233-968-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84628-505-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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