Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women
Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this study was to assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function using transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) in women attending group exercise classes. Specific aims were to: (1) identify the ability to perform a correct elevating PFM contraction and (2) assess bladder-...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Springer-Verlag London Ltd
2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3716 |
| _version_ | 1848744308157448192 |
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| author | Barton, A. Serrao, C. Thompson, Judith Briffa, K. |
| author_facet | Barton, A. Serrao, C. Thompson, Judith Briffa, K. |
| author_sort | Barton, A. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this study was to assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function using transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) in women attending group exercise classes. Specific aims were to: (1) identify the ability to perform a correct elevating PFM contraction and (2) assess bladder-base movement during an abdominal curl exercise. Methods: Ninety women participating in group exercise were recruited to complete a survey and TAUS assessment performed by two qualified Continence and Women’s Health physiotherapists with clinical experience in ultrasound scanning. The assessment comprised three attempts of a PFM contraction and an abdominal curl exercise in crook lying. Bladder-base displacement was measured to determine correct or incorrect activation patterns. Results: Twenty-five percent (n = 23) of women were unable to demonstrate an elevating PFM contraction, and all women displayed bladder-base depression on abdominal curl (range 0.33–31.2 mm). Parous women displayed, on average, significantly more bladder-base depression than did nulliparous women [15.5 (7.3) mm vs 11.4 (5.8) mm, p < 0.009). Sixty percent (n = 54) reported stress urinary incontinence (SUI). There was no association between SUI and the inability to perform an elevating PFM contraction (p = 0.278) or the amount of bladder-base depression with abdominal curl [14.1 (7.6) mm SUI vs 14.2 (6.7) mm non-SUI]. Conclusions: TAUS identified that 25 % of women who participated in group exercise were unable to perform a correctly elevating PFM contraction, and all depressed the bladder-base on abdominal curl. Therefore, exercising women may be at risk of PFM dysfunction when performing abdominal curl activities. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:59:24Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-3716 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:59:24Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Springer-Verlag London Ltd |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-37162017-09-13T14:44:02Z Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women Barton, A. Serrao, C. Thompson, Judith Briffa, K. Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this study was to assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function using transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) in women attending group exercise classes. Specific aims were to: (1) identify the ability to perform a correct elevating PFM contraction and (2) assess bladder-base movement during an abdominal curl exercise. Methods: Ninety women participating in group exercise were recruited to complete a survey and TAUS assessment performed by two qualified Continence and Women’s Health physiotherapists with clinical experience in ultrasound scanning. The assessment comprised three attempts of a PFM contraction and an abdominal curl exercise in crook lying. Bladder-base displacement was measured to determine correct or incorrect activation patterns. Results: Twenty-five percent (n = 23) of women were unable to demonstrate an elevating PFM contraction, and all women displayed bladder-base depression on abdominal curl (range 0.33–31.2 mm). Parous women displayed, on average, significantly more bladder-base depression than did nulliparous women [15.5 (7.3) mm vs 11.4 (5.8) mm, p < 0.009). Sixty percent (n = 54) reported stress urinary incontinence (SUI). There was no association between SUI and the inability to perform an elevating PFM contraction (p = 0.278) or the amount of bladder-base depression with abdominal curl [14.1 (7.6) mm SUI vs 14.2 (6.7) mm non-SUI]. Conclusions: TAUS identified that 25 % of women who participated in group exercise were unable to perform a correctly elevating PFM contraction, and all depressed the bladder-base on abdominal curl. Therefore, exercising women may be at risk of PFM dysfunction when performing abdominal curl activities. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3716 10.1007/s00192-015-2791-9 Springer-Verlag London Ltd restricted |
| spellingShingle | Barton, A. Serrao, C. Thompson, Judith Briffa, K. Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title | Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title_full | Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title_fullStr | Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title_short | Transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| title_sort | transabdominal ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle performance during abdominal curl in exercising women |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3716 |