Original articlePelvic Floor Muscle Activity in Different Sitting Postures in Continent and Incontinent Women
Section snippets
Participants
Seventeen parous women with or without SUI were recruited from volunteers and patients. Subjects were excluded if they could not comprehend English, were pregnant or had been pregnant in the last 12 months, had a BMI greater than 30kg/m2, had acute or chronic low back pain or significant postural abnormality (eg, significant scoliosis or kyphosis), had a neurologic condition, had a chronic or acute respiratory condition at the time of testing, had chronic constipation or symptomatic vaginal
Results
When the asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects moved from slump supported to upright unsupported sitting, there was a significant increase in electromyographic activity of the PFM (P<.001) and right obliquus internus and transversus abdominis (P<.05). There was also a trend for increased activity of right obliquus externus abdominis (P=.12) and left obliquus internus and transversus abdominis (P=.10) in both groups. There was no change in rectus abdominis electromyographic activity (P=.28).
Discussion
The results of this study indicate that activity of the PFM is affected by sitting posture in women with and without SUI. Although the group of symptomatic women, most of whom had severe SUI,22, 24 had less PFM electromyographic activity and a tendency toward greater activity of the superficial abdominal muscles than the continent women, activity of the pelvic floor and obliquus internus and transversus abdominis muscles increased in both groups when moving from a slumped to an upright
Conclusions
These data point to the importance of spinal posture for control of the PFM and abdominal muscles. As more upright sitting postures recruit greater PFM resting activity, use of these trunk postures at leisure and in the workplace may be an effective strategy to enhance coordination and control of the PFM and abdominal muscles. The application of upright postures as a component of exercise programs could be beneficial in enhancing PFM recruitment during rehabilitation and may also contribute to
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2020, Sexual MedicineCitation Excerpt :In general, herein presented results coincide with the previously published findings. It has been documented by numerous authors13–15,17,18,20 that women who are suffering from PFD show lower MVC and endurance values because of the impairment of the PFM. By the proper stimulation of the PFM, patients are able to produce greater voluntary contractions for longer durations.
Supported by the National Continence and Women's Health Group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.