Verbal Instruction for Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction among Healthy Young Males

Effects of a home-based pelvic floor muscle training with and without action and cue observation on urinary incontinence after prostatectomy: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of a home-based pelvic floor muscle training with and without action and cue observation on urinary incontinence after prostatectomy.DesignTwo-armed single-blind randomized controlled trial.SettingHumanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.ParticipantsNinety-two participants with age between 40 and 80 years and urinary incontinence after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.InterventionParticipants were randomized into an action and cue observation (n = 46) or control (n = 46) group undergoing an 8-week home-based pelvic floor muscle training. Action and cue observation group observed video clips showing exercises synchronized with a visual cue indicating the correct pelvic floor muscle activation timing and imitated the observed tasks. Control group observed landscape video clips and performed the same exercises of experimental group.Main measuresA blinded physiotherapist assessed participants for urinary leakages (24-h pad test), symptom severity (International Prostate Symptoms Score and International Prostate Symptoms Score - Quality of Life), quality of life (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form), and erectile dysfunction (International Index of Erectile Function) before and after the training.ResultsAll participants improved urinary leakages, symptom severity, and quality of life after training. Action and cue observation group revealed significantly larger improvements in 24-h pad test (mean difference: 106.1 g, 95% CI: 13.4 g, 199.1 g, p = .037) than control group.ConclusionsHome-based pelvic floor muscle training with action and cue observation led to larger improvements in urinary continence compared to the same training without action and cue observation after prostatectomy.

Between-sexes differences in lumbopelvic muscle mechanical properties of non-climacteric adults: a cross-sectional design

The lumbopelvic muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) are clinically relevant, but their dependence on sex remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to identify if lumbopelvic MMPs depend on the sex in a young adult population. Thirty-five healthy nulliparous women and 35 healthy men were analyzed (age range: 18-50). Lumbopelvic MMPs, that is, tone, stiffness, elasticity, relaxation and creep, assessed with MyotonPRO®, and pelvic floor (PF) health questionnaires were compared between-sexes. Intra-group correlations between sociodemographic and clinical data, and MMPs were also determined. The MMPs of PF were different between healthy non-climacteric adults of both sexes, with women showing higher values of tone and stiffness and lower values of elasticity and viscoelastic properties than men (in all cases, p < 0.03). At lumbar level, tone and stiffness were higher for men at both sides (in all cases, p < 0.04), and relaxation was lower at left side (p = 0.02). The MMPs showed few correlations with sociodemographic data within women. However, within males, there were positive correlations for PF stiffness and viscoelastic parameters with age, BMI and function (0.334 < r < 0.591) and, at lumbar level, negative correlations for tone and stiffness ( - 0.385 < r < -0.590) and positive correlations for viscoelastic properties (0.564 < r < 0.719), with BMI. This indicated that between-sexes differences of lumbopelvic MMPs depend on the specific location of assessment in healthy non-obese young individuals. Women show higher tone and stiffness and lower elasticity and viscoelasticity than men, at PF level.