Netball and the pelvic floor – How high impact sport can affect urinary continence

Research shows that high impact sport is likely to be associated with urinary incontinence.

However most studies are done on professional athletes only. To determine whether this also held true for non professional athletes, a study of 176 adult netball players was conducted in South Australia with some alarming results.

• 1 in 3 women playing netball suffered from incontinence episodes
• 50% of those who had delivered a baby experienced incontinence
• only 8% of affected players sort help from a GP, Physio or Women’s health practitioner
• less than 1 in 3 had tried to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles
• 50% of those who suffered incontinence wore a pad to play netball

These statistics are concerning as the pelvic floor is simply a muscle and can perform functionally with the correct activation techniques and exercise.

Also concerning is that the study did not identify the number of women who had stopped playing netball because of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.