99 research outputs found
Physiotherapy management of incontinence in men
Get PDFUrinary and faecal incontinence are not usually at the forefront of physiotherapists' minds on graduation; they are conditions that society still reacts to with silence or stigma. These conditions do not seem to have a significant place outside women's health in physiotherapy practice and then mainly after pregnancy. As incontinence is often considered a women's health issue, incontinence in men has been greatly neglected. Urinary incontinence (UI), defined as ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of urine’,1 is a common condition in adults, with considerable health consequences. Faecal incontinence (FI) also has significant health consequences. The International Continence Society definition of anorectal incontinence is ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of flatus or faeces’, which allows for a range of symptoms from loss of wind to solid faeces.1 In recent years, partly due to the increase in lifespan and to improvements in survivorship with prostate cancer treatments, male UI and FI have become an area of importance to physiotherapists. UI has a significant impact on men, both physically and psychosocially, and it can dramatically affect their quality of life. This review summarises: the prevalence and burden of male UI and FI; the male continence mechanism; how the cause of continence differs between males and females; how the consequences of treating prostate cancer impact continence; how male incontinence is managed using the latest evidence; and future directions for research and practice
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Radical Prostatectomy and Recent Understanding of the Male Continence Mechanism: A Review
No full textObjective: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is recommended as part of supportive care for patients with prostate cancer. It can assist in reducing treatment-related symptoms such as urinary incontinence. This literature review aims to discuss recent innovative findings on the pathophysiology of the male continence mechanism and implications for PFMT in radical prostatectomy. Data Sources: CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Emcare and PsycINFO were searched until January 2020. Conclusion: Nurses providing supportive care for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy can engage in-clinic in the instruction and recommendation of pre- and postoperative PFMT and delivering guidance on home-based programs to promote motor learning. Implications for Nursing Practice: Optimal postoperative urinary incontinence outcomes are suggested to be promoted by preoperative PFMT. Training focused on the urethral and anterior pelvic floor muscle complex has been shown to facilitate mid urethral occlusion required for continence. Prescription of PFMT should be individualised, focusing on skill acquisition and motor learning, which is in line with recent knowledge developments in male pelvic floor anatomy.</p
How wet is too wet?
No full textAll continence advisors are aware of clients who report severedistress about their leakage, use lots of pads or continenceaids, and describe major effects on quality of life; indeed, theemotional impact of incontinence can be quite significant 1.However, when objective measures are used, there is sometimesa mismatch with what has been reported. Patient perceptionof how much they leak is greatly influenced by the amount ofurine they feel leaving the urethra and the size of the wet patchon their clothing. Thus, there can be a discrepancy betweenreported incontinence and actual leakage
Culturally responsive women’s and men’s health physiotherapy for Indigenous people living in regional, rural, and remote Australia
No full textIntroduction: Women’s and men’s health physiotherapy involve the assessment and management of pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, pelvic pain, and specific areas related to each gender. Dysfunction with these areas has a large impact upon individuals and communities due to the cost of managing the conditions and their symptoms. Indigenous people have poorer health outcomes in Australia due to a lack of access to culturally responsive health care. The aim of this study was to explore if physiotherapists perceived that they could provide culturally responsive women’s and men’s health physiotherapy services to Indigenous people living in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Method: An online survey was distributed through social media Facebook sites to physiotherapists who provide women’s and men’s health physiotherapy services to people living in regional, rural, and remote Australia, from August to November 2020. An inductive approach to analysis was used, linking data to themes. Results: There were 33/54 responses to the question on culturally responsive care, with 29/54 respondents stating that they perceived that they provide culturally responsive women’s and men’s’ physiotherapy services. Examples of services included a weekly clinic with a local Aboriginal medical service, working with aboriginal liaison officers, participating in cultural training and developing culturally sensitive handouts and presentations. A lack of inclusion of culturally responsive practice in postgraduate education was stated as a barrier to gaining knowledge of how to provide services. Low referrals and a low up take of women’s and men’s’ physiotherapy services, lack of funding as well as a lack of culturally appropriate locations to provide services were described as limitations to providing women’s and men’s health physiotherapy services. Conclusion: Physiotherapists may provide culturally responsive, but they feel their knowledge of how to provide culturally responsive services is limited. A lack of referrals and funding also appears to limit their ability to provide women’s and men’s health physiotherapy to all people in regional, rural, and remote Australia.</p
Telehealth and the provision of pelvic health physiotherapy in regional, rural and remote Australia
No full textTelehealth is a way to increase access to skilled clinicians in women's and men's pelvic health physiotherapy services to remote locations in Australia. To investigate the barriers or limitations of telehealth delivery an online survey was distributed to physiotherapists who provide services to people living in regional, rural and remote Australia. The survey was open from August to November 2020 and delivered via two social media (Facebook) pages, the Australian Physiotherapy Association Women's and Men's Health Physiotherapy page and Australian Physiotherapy Rural Physiotherapy. Responses were analysed using an inductive approach to link descriptive themes. Of the 54 responses, 40 (74%) used telehealth. Three themes emerged from responses: firstly, a need for professional development in the use of telehealth to ensure the safe effective delivery of interventions; the second related to limited access to internet; and the third related to the funding available limiting the delivery of the physiotherapy services in rural and remote areas. To address the need for professional development in how to deliver telehealth safely and effectively, a joint-management approach between local and experienced clinicians may assist and increase the reach of service delivery. There may be models of telehealth to either replace or be an adjunct to face-to-face consultations. Telehealth may offer more flexible and higher levels of women's and men's pelvic health physiotherapy service delivery not previously available. However, its cost effectiveness and whether it is the best method for delivering the service to meet the needs of all the community in regional, rural and remote Australia needs to be urgently explored
Editorial December 2025
Get PDFI am delighted to present the final edition of the Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal for 2025. It’s been a very busy, yet productive year here at the ANZCJ! We have welcomed a new journal manager, Dr Katie Martin, within CSIRO Publishing, released a new website (https://connectsci.au/cj), celebrated our 30th anniversary, increased overall citations and enhanced the visibility of our articles globally. We have also expanded the editorial team, welcoming: Dr Irmina Nahon, Associate Professor in Physiotherapy from the University of Canberra; Dr Eric Chung from the University of Queensland and the Macquarie University Hospital (Sydney); and Dr Małgorzata Starzec-Proserpio from the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada and the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education in Poland
The Impact of Exercise and Nutrition as Part of a Person-Centered Approach to Prehabilitation in Patients with Bladder Cancer
No full textBackground: Muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is commonly treated with radical cystectomy. Patients who require radical cystectomy are often frail, unwell, have multiple comorbidities, and can experience unmet supportive care needs. Due to these complexities, patients requiring radical cystectomy are often considered high risk for anesthetics, and therefore improving their physical and psychological well-being is crucial prior to radical surgery. Prehabilitation is the practice of enhancing a patient's functional and psychological capacity before surgery, with the aim of improving postoperative outcomes. This narrativereview aims to identify and evaluate the role of physical exercise, nutritional intervention, and person-centered holistic approaches to prehabilitation in people affected by MIBC treated by radical cystectomy.Data Sources: Electronic databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus, and grey literature were searched using Google scholar until June 2020.Conclusion: Evidence to support specific prehabilitation clinical recommendations in people affected by MIBC is emerging. Prehabilitation including exercise prescription, nutritional intervention, and person-centeredholistic support is an important part of the clinical pathway for people affected by MIBC. Individualized prehabilitation programs across the multidisciplinary team should be considered to provide specific individual recommendations to avoid “one size fits all”. Given the limited research in this clinical area, future high-quality multi-center prospective trials are urgently needed.Implications for Nursing Practice: People affected by MIBC can experience a range of unmet supportive care needs in routine clinical care delivery at the time of diagnosis and into survivorship. Evidence is emerging around the role of multidisciplinary interventions in the form of exercise, nutritional input, and holistic supportive care to improve physical and psychological well-being prior to major surgery. Specialist nurses are ideally placed to ensure that individual holistic care needs are addressed, and appropriate care and supportis provided. Nurses can trigger timely referrals to members of the multidisciplinary team to coordinate an integrated person-centered approach to prehabilitation service provision to address the unmet needs of people undergoing treatment for MIB
Entry level women’s health physiotherapy curricula in Australia
No full textPurpose: Women’s health physiotherapy is an expanding area of physiotherapy practice. The purpose of this study was explore how graduates are prepared for practice within this area of physiotherapy. Methods: An online survey was distributed to universities with a physiotherapy programme and recent physiotherapy graduates in Australia, in 2017. The responses were analysed for themes. Results: There was information from 16 out the 20 physiotherapy courses in Australia in 2017. The number of hours involved in teach women’s health varied from 2 to 42. In some courses the content was integrated into other units such musculoskeletal and alongside men’s health. The content varied between courses but it was suggested that pelvic floor anatomy, incontinence, exercise during pregnancy and general exercises and osteoporosis were more likely to be covered. The management of mastitis and the role of the physiotherapist on the maternity ward were less likely to be taught. With pelvic organ prolapse as an example, anatomy and knowledge of treatment options were more likely to be covered than exercise recommendations and screening for symptoms. Conclusion: The information from this study may assist with curriculum design in physiotherapy courses
- …
