Purpose: The purpose of this study was to devise a new urinary incontinence exercise using co-contraction of both the transverse abdominal muscle (TA) and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and examine the intervention effect in middle-aged women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Subjects: The subjects were fifteen women with SUI who were divided into two groups: the TA and PFM co-contraction exercise group (n=9) and the control group (n=6).
Methods: Participants in the exercise group performed TA and PFM co-contraction exercise. The thickness of the TA was measured before and after 8 weeks of exercise using ultrasound. The thickness of the TA was measured under 4 conditions: (1) at rest, (2) maximal contraction of the TA, (3) maximal contraction of the PFM, and (4) maximal co-contraction of both the TA and PFM.
Results: There were no significant differences among the results of the control group. In the exercise group, the cure rate of SUI was 88.9% after the intervention. There were significant differences in the thickness of the TA during maximal co-contraction of both the TA and PFM after the intervention.
Conclusion: The TA and PFM co-contraction exercise intervention increases the thickness of the TA and may be recommended to improve SUI in middle-aged women.
Written by:
Tajiri K, Huo M, Maruyama H. Are you the author?
Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Bukkyo University, Japan; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medical Health, Himeji Dokkyo University, Japan; International University of Health and Welfare, Japan.
Reference: J Phys Ther Sci. 2014 Aug;26(8):1161-3.
doi: 10.1589/jpts.26.1161
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25202173