The research found a fitness class specifically designed to improve symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction might help in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and related symptoms. Pelvic floor dysfunction includes disorders of the bladder and bowel control, difficulty defecating and urinating, uterine prolapse and pelvic pain.

Lead author Linda Brubaker, MD, Professor, Departments of Obstetrics & gynecology and Urology, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States, and colleagues recruited women to participate in a fitness center class expressly designed to improve pelvic symptoms.

The fitness course was led by a non-medical fitness instructor who had completed structured training sessions specifically for the class and was certified in fitness instruction. The class taught specific core and pelvic exercises, and the instructor strongly encouraged participants to follow a home exercise program.

Participants were recruited through advertisements in a fitness center and in the local media. Participants ranged in age from 41 to 81 years. Of the 26 women who joined the class, 23 chose to participate in the study.

At the beginning and end of the 11-week class, participants completed a Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ) in addition to providing basic demographic information.

At the outset, 19 (82.6%) participants were able to list a primary pelvic floor symptom; 37% suffered from stress urinary incontinence; 21% from urinary frequency and 11% from urge incontinence with pain.

At the conclusion of the 11-week class, many of the women reported significant improvement, especially in the areas of urinary control.

The medium PDFI subscale score at baseline was significantly different from study end for the urinary distress inventory (79.9 vs. 36.1, P = .007) and the pelvic organ prolapse distress inventory (50.9 vs. 27.4, P = .002.).

The colorectal-anal distress inventory subscale did not demonstrate improvement at the end of the study, Dr. Brubaker said, possibly due to the small number of women who reported symptoms in this area.

Dr. Brubaker said the program provides an alternative to other treatments for some women. "Pelvic floor disorders are very common in women, and we found many of them feel embarrassed by the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders and don't want to tell anyone, even their doctor. It made sense to create a class that offers a supportive social atmosphere, education, pelvic health training and includes muscle exercises that can help alleviate their symptoms."


[Presentation title: Women at the Fitness Center: Can a Non-medical Pelvic Floor Class Improve Pelvic Floor Symptoms?. Poster 32]

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