Margie Polden Memorial Lecture: Prolapse: the role of physiotherapy in its management and prevention

Physiotherapists have treated women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) for many years. The basis for this treatment is the logical application of research evidence for the conservative management of urinary incontinence and anecdotal evidence. However, the past few years have seen an increase in research specific to POP. This paper outlines the journey involved in adding a large randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) programme for POP to the evidence. In addition, new prolapse-related research that has evolved in this same time frame is outlined. We can now say that there is good evidence to support conservative management of POP in the form of PFMT. Although to date there are still no specific guidelines for conservative management of POP, there is now a sufficient body of evidence to begin the development of such guidelines.