Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Female Athletes: A Randomized
Controlled Pilot Study

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pelvic floor muscles training in elite female volleyball athletes and whether it is an effective therapy for stress urinary incontinence. Fourteen athletes, both continent and incontinent, between 18 and 30 years of age, were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received a protocol for pelvic floor muscle training for 4 months. This consisted of three phases: awareness/stabilization, strength training and power. The control group was not subject to any intervention during the same period. Measures were collected at the initial and final phase for both groups. Maximum voluntary contractions were evaluated with a perineometer, involuntary urine loss with a Pad test and quality of life with the King’s Health Questionnaire. Baseline sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics were not significantly different. Comparing the two groups, the experimental group improved maximum voluntary pelvic contractions (p<0.001) and reduced urine loss (p=0.025), indicating the existence of significant differences between groups in the variation from the initial and final phases. The percentage of urine loss decreased in the experimental group, from 71.4–42.9%, suggesting that the protocol intervention for 16 weeks may help athletes with stress urinary incontinence.

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Assessment of the Effectiveness of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) and Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation (ExMI) in Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/1019872 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Magdalena Weber-Rajek ◽

Agnieszka Strączyńska ◽

Katarzyna Strojek ◽

Zuzanna Piekorz ◽

Beata Pilarska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Muscle Training ◽

Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation ◽

Experimental Group

Objective. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training and extracorporeal magnetic innervation in treatment of urinary incontinence in women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods. The randomized controlled trial enrolled 128 women with stress urinary incontinence who were randomly allocated to either one out of two experimental groups (EG1 or EG2) or the control group (CG). Subjects in the experimental group 1 (EG1) received 12 sessions of pelvic floor muscle training, whereas subjects in the experimental group 2 (EG2) received 12 sessions of extracorporeal magnetic innervation. Subjects in the control group (CG) did not receive any therapeutic intervention. The following instruments were used to measure results in all study groups at the initial and final assessments: Revised Urinary Incontinence Scale (RUIS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ). Results. In both experimental groups, a statistically significant decline in depressive symptoms (BDI-II) and an improvement in urinary incontinence severity (RUIS) and quality of life (KHQ) were found in the following domains: “social limitations,” “emotions,” “severity measures,” and “symptom severity scale.” Moreover, self-efficacy beliefs (GSES) improved in the experimental group that received ExMI (EG2). No statistically significant differences were found between all measured variables in the control group. Comparative analysis of the three study groups showed statistically significant differences at the final assessment in the quality of life in the following domains: “physical limitations,” “social limitations,” “personal relationships,” and “emotions.” Conclusion. Pelvic floor muscle training and extracorporeal magnetic innervation proved to be effective treatment methods for stress urinary incontinence in women. The authors observed an improvement in both the physical and psychosocial aspects.

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A Randomized-Controlled Trial Pilot Study Examining the Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on the Irisin Concentration in Overweight or Obese Elderly Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/7356187 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Magdalena Weber-Rajek ◽

Agnieszka Radzimińska ◽

Agnieszka Strączyńska ◽

Katarzyna Strojek ◽

Zuzanna Piekorz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Control Group ◽

Muscle Training ◽

Final Assessment ◽

Experimental Group

Objective. This study aimed to examine the effect of pelvic floor muscle training on the irisin (Ir) concentration in overweight or obese elderly women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods. The number of participants included in analysis was 49: 28 women in the experimental group and 21 women in the control group. The experimental group (EG) underwent pelvic floor muscle training, whereas no therapeutic intervention was applied to the control group (CG). Irisin concentration, severity of urinary incontinence (RUIS), and body mass index (BMI) were measured in all women at the initial and final assessments. Results. By comparing the initial and final assessment results we have been able to demonstrate statistically significant differences in the measured variables in the experimental group. No statistically significant differences in the measured variables were reported for the control group at the initial and final assessments. Moderate negative correlation was observed between the BMI results with the irisin concentration results in the EG at the initial assessment and no correlation at the final assessment. Weak positive correlation was observed between the BMI results with the irisin concentration in the CG at the initial and final assessment. Conclusion. Further studies are necessary to observe the regulation of irisin concentration and explain mechanisms underlying these effects.

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What Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Load is Optimal in Minimizing Urine Loss in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16224358 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (22) ◽

pp. 4358 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Esther García-Sánchez ◽

Vicente Ávila-Gandía ◽

Javier López-Román ◽

Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez ◽

Jacobo Á. Rubio-Arias

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Training Load ◽

Muscle Training ◽

Pad Test ◽

Urine Loss

Pelvic floor muscle training is commonly used for urine loss. However, research studies have not determined which training load is the most effective for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Moreover, none of the previous reviews or studies have described the total effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with an objective test such as the pad test. The objectives were to analyze the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in women with SUI and to determine which training load produces the greatest adaptations for decreasing urine loss. The search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane), for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of PFMT. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: participants were women; were older than 18; had SUI; were treated with PFMT; and the assessments of the effects were measured with a pad test. Finally, 10 articles (293 women) analyzed the pad test in women with SUI who performed PFMT. The meta-analysis showed that PFMT, independent of the protocol used in the study, resulted in decreased urine loss in women suffering from SUI. However, for large effects, the program should last 6–12 weeks, with >3 sessions/week and a length of session <45 min.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Internet-based treatment of stress urinary incontinence: a randomised controlled study with focus on pelvic floor muscle training.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.717976624.793472210 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Francisco Cruz

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Muscle Training ◽

Randomised Controlled Study ◽

Randomised Controlled

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Women’s adoption of a web-based intervention for stress urinary incontinence: a qualitative study

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06585-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lotte Firet ◽

Theodora Alberta Maria Teunissen ◽

Rudolf Bertijn Kool ◽

Lukas van Doorn ◽

Manal Aourag ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Muscle Training ◽

Suitable Alternative ◽

Technical Features

Abstract Background Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common among women and affects their quality of life. Pelvic floor muscle training is an effective conservative therapy, but only a minority of women seek help. E-health with pelvic floor muscle training is effective and increases access to care. To implement an e-Health intervention in a sustainable way, however, we need to understand what determines adoption. The aim is to investigate the barriers and facilitators to adopting an e-Health intervention among Dutch women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods Semi-structured telephonic interviews were carried out among participants of the Dutch e-Health intervention for women with stress urinary incontinence. Women were purposively sampled. The ‘Fit between Individuals, Task and Technology’ (FITT) framework was used for both the data collection and data analysis, to gain a more in-depth insight into the adoption of the intervention. Results Twenty women were interviewed, mean age 51 years and mostly highly educated. The adoption of e-Health for women with SUI mainly depends on the interaction between users and e-Health, and users and pelvic floor muscle training exercises. Facilitators for the adoption were the preference for an accessible self-management intervention, having a strong sense of self-discipline and having the ability to schedule the exercises routinely. Women needed to possess self-efficacy to do this intervention independently. Barriers to the adoption of e-Health were personal circumstances restricting time for scheduling pelvic floor muscle training and lacking skills to perform the exercises correctly. Despite guidance by technical features several women remained uncertain about their performance of the exercises and, therefore, wanted additional contact with a professional. Conclusions For stress urinary incontinence e-Health is an appropriate option for a target audience. Use of the FITT framework clearly demonstrates the conditions for optimal adoption. For a subgroup it was a suitable alternative for medical care in person. For others it identified the need for further support by a health care professional. This support could be provided by improvements of technical features and incorporating modes for digital communication. The additional value of integration of the e-Health intervention in primary care might be a logical next step. Trial registration The study was prospectively registered in the Netherlands Trial Registry (NTR) NTR6956.

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