Effect of different contraction methods on pelvic floor muscle contraction in middle-aged women

Objective: Pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) form the base of the abdomino-pelvic cavity and also the PFMs function is important for urinary continence. PFMs training (PFMT) is considered to be the first method for PFM dysfunction. This study demonstrated correct PFMs contraction among commonly used different contraction methods for PFMT. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: In this study, nineteen middle-aged (40-70 years) women participated. To evaluate PFM function, ultrasonography was used to measure the distance of the bladder base movement. The distance of the PFM movements were calculated at rest and during the other contractions. The following four different contraction methods were performed randomly: (1) PFM contraction, (2) abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM), (3) anal contraction, and (4) hip adductor muscle contraction. The participants held the contraction for 3 seconds for a total of 3 times with a 30 seconds rest period between each trial. The mean of three measurements in each position were obtained and compared with that in the resting position. Results: The bladder base movement values were significantly greater when comparing PFM with ADIM and hip adductor contractions (p