More than 50% of nursing home admissions are related to loss of bladder control and yet very few women do anything to prevent it. How can this be? Well for starters we have to acknowledge that we have done a poor job educating the public, women and men, about the relevance of pelvic floor fitness. Aside from the occasional suggestion to “do your Kegels” nobody hears anything about the pelvic floor. <br/><br/> The demographics are really alarming: Between 1900 and 2000, the total US population increased 3-fold, but the population of people older than 65 yr increased 10-fold. With aging, the percentage of elderly people who live at home but need assistance or who live in a nursing home increases markedly to 56% of women and 38% of men over 85.<br/><br/> As the baby boomers reach the golden years starting next year, the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders (urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse) will increase dramatically along with the cost of medical services to treat these problems. Although the hour is already late we can do something now to begin to mitigate this morbid prediction. It is a two step process: first we must educate the public as to the nature of pelvic floor disorders, i.e. these are neuromuscular problems, and second we must provide a practical means to improving the performance of this specific neuromuscular system, i.e. achieve pelvic floor conditioning. This was the motivation behind the creation of the Pfilates program; a plyometric exercise program specifically created to improve pelvic floor strength, endurance, and coordination. Admittedly this is only a start. Tell someone you know about this very important, free Health Chat - Pelvic floor fitness is a very serious health concern that is rarely discussed and so easy to improve.<br/><br/> Dr Crawford is a Board Certified OB/GYN who has a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor disorders including urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, female sexual dysfunction, and anal incontinence. Dr. Crawford is keenly interested pelvic floor neuromuscular restoration and is the creator of “The Pfilates Program”; a program for pelvic floor fitness training. For the last 5 years Dr. Crawford has been actively involved with the International Organization for Women and Development and has traveled to Niger West Africa each year to participate in the surgical repair of obstetrical fistula. Dr. Crawford is a frequent speaker at physician education programs across the United States.<br/><br/> Sherrie Palm is the author of “Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic”. Sherrie had never heard about the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) until she needed surgery for it; she feels all women should be made aware of this common female health issue. In her book, Sherrie shares her road to knowledge and explores POP from all angles, providing the information women need to recognize the symptoms of POP and to become advocates for their own health. Sherrie is also actively involved with the local Special Olympics and donates a portion of the book’s proceeds to her local group. MedHelp is also very grateful for the tremendous outreach work Sherrie is doing in our new Urogynecology Community as our Community Leader. <br/><br/>