Effect of pelvic floor and abdominal muscle training on diaphragmatic excursion in multigravida women

Abstract

Background. Several research studies have indicated that the diminished strength of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) affects the diaphragmatic function. Objective. The study aimed to investigate the effect of a 12-week PFM and AbM training on diaphragmatic excursion (DE) in multigravida women. Methods. Ninety multigravida women who were postpartum for at least 6 months after normal vaginal or cesarean delivery and between 30 and 45 years of age were randomly assigned to three groups of equal size (n = 30). Group (A) received abdominal and pelvic floor Kegel training. Group (B) received abdominal training. Group (C) received pelvic floor Kegel training. Ultrasonography was utilized to assess the effects of DE at three different time points: before training, immediately post-training, and at a 12-week follow-up after the end of training. Results. The results showed that DE increased significantly in groups A (P = 0.038) and B (P = 0.009), with no significant differences in group C. Post hoc analysis revealed no significant differences between each group and the others, except for a significant difference between groups A and C (P = 0.001). Conclusion. The concurrent implementation of 12-week AbM and PFM training is more effective in enhancing DE in multigravida women than solely engaging in either AbM or PFM training.