Abstract
To investigate the effect of an individualized and supervised exercise program for the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in the postpartum period of multiparous women, and to verify the correlation between two methods used to assess PFM strength. An open clinical trial was performed with puerperal, multiparous women aged 18 to 35 years. The sample consisted of 23 puerperal women divided into two groups: Intervention Group (IG, n=11) and Control Group (CG, n=12). The puerperal women in IG participated in an eight-week PFM exercise program, twice a week. The puerperal women in CG did not receive any recommendations regarding exercise. PFM strength was assessed using digital vaginal palpation and a perineometer. The statistical analysis was performed using the following tests: Fisher's exact, χ(2), Student's t, Kolmogorov-Smirnov for two samples, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Significance was defined as p<0.05. The participants' mean age was 24 ± 4.5 years in IG and 25.3 ± 4 years in CG (p=0.4). After the exercise program, a significant difference was found between the groups in both modalities of muscle strength assessment (p<0.001). The two muscle strength assessment methods showed a significant correlation in both assessments (1(st) assessment: r=0.889, p<0.001; 2(nd) assessment: r=0.925, p<0.001). The exercise program promoted a significant improvement in PFM strength. Good correlation was observed between digital vaginal palpation and a perineometer, which indicates that vaginal palpation can be used in clinical practice, since it is an inexpensive method that demonstrated significant correlation with an objective method, i.e. the use of a perioneometer.
Highlights
PURPOSES: To investigate the effect of an individualized and supervised exercise program for the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in the postpartum period of multiparous women, and to verify the correlation between two methods used to assess PFM strength
O levantador do ânus é um dos principais músculos do assoalho pélvico, sendo inervado pelo nervo pudendo e composto por fibras estriadas dos tipos I e II1
Não foi considerada a terceira questão sobre o impacto da incontinência na qualidade de vida e, portanto, o escore não foi calculado
Summary
OBJETIVOS: Investigar o efeito de um programa individualizado e supervisionado de exercícios para os músculos do assoalho pélvico (MAP) no pós-parto de multíparas e verificar a correlação entre dois métodos de medida de força dos MAP. As puérperas do GI participaram de um programa de exercícios para os MAP durante oito semanas, com frequência de duas vezes por semana. Após o programa de exercícios, verificou-se diferença significativa entre os grupos nas duas medidas da força muscular (p
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