Physiotherapy Assessment to Identify the ‘5 Fs’: A Concept of Innovative Pelvic Floor Training

Abstract

In the recommendations of the 6th International Consultation of Incontinence (ICI) [1] physiotherapy is considered a level 1, grade A, first-line treatment for the most prevalent kinds of urinary incontinence, stress-, urgency- and mixed urinary incontinence. When the attentive reader carefully looks at the ICI algorithms regarding initial management of urinary incontinence in women, he or she will find out that the medical diagnosis is actually no more than a ‘presumed diagnosis’ [2] . So, it might be that, based on such medical data, patients will be send for treatment to a physiotherapist with unclear health problems, underlying pathology and consequences [3]. Therefore, a physiotherapeutic assessment is essential to find out if, and to what extent, physiotherapy is helpful to deal with the consequences of the health problem urinary incontinence and what treatment components are warranted [3].