The International Continence Society (ICS) held its 56th Annual Meeting in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from October 6 to 9, 2026.

CSPM members were active throughout the program: leading workshops, speaking at the 25th ICS Physiotherapy Forum and presenting Canadian clinical guidance to an international audience.

Pelvic floor loading: a standing-room-only workshop

Prof. Linda McLean, PhD, of the University of Ottawa, led the ICS Physiotherapy Committee workshop From trampoline to bench press and everything in between – what do we know about pelvic floor loading during physical activity? Prof. McLean runs the Motor Function Measurement (MFM) Lab, one of the few research labs in Canada dedicated to pelvic health. The session drew a full house, with attendees crowding the doorway to listen in.

Celebrating 25 years of the ICS Physiotherapy Forum

This year marked the 25th anniversary of the ICS Physiotherapy Forum, the model that inspired CSPM’s own Physiotherapy Forum at our Annual Meeting. Canada was well represented on the program, with two talks by CSPM members.

Prof. Mélanie Morin, PT, PhD, of the Université de Sherbrooke, and her postdoctoral fellow Małgorzata (Gosia) Starzec-Proserpio, PT, PhD, gave a joint presentation: Assessment of PFM tone in clinical practice – is there a place for palpation or should we move on?

Prof. Sinéad Dufour, PT, PhD, of McMaster University, presented Phenotyping Overactive Bladder Syndrome (OAB): Conservative Care Approaches for Centrally Mediated Urinary Urgency and Frequency.

A Canadian guideline on the international stage

Prof. Dufour also presented the ePoster Mobilizing the Evidence: Long-Term Management and Counselling Regarding Subsequent Mode of Delivery After Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIs), on behalf of the author team of SOGC Guideline No. 465. The poster outlined the guideline’s call for structured, multidisciplinary follow-up after OASI, including referral to pelvic health physiotherapy and decision-support algorithms for counselling on subsequent mode of delivery.

This important Guideline is the second of a two-part series establishing guidelines related to OASIs prevention and management authored by several CSPM members, including Prof. Dufour, Dr. Maria Giroux, Dr. Maryse Larouche, and Dr. Dante Pascali. These guidelines are published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.

See you in Florence

ICS returns to Florence, Italy, from September 15 to 18, 2027, ten years after the meeting was last held there. Closer to home, join us at the CSPM 8th Annual Meeting in Edmonton, April 9–11, 2027.

Thank you to Prof. Sinéad Dufour for sharing these photos and highlights.