Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Pelvic Floor Hypertonicity: A Systematic Review of Treatment Efficacy.

Introduction: Hypertonicity of the pelvic floor (PFH) is a disabling condition with urological, gynecological and gastrointestinal symptoms, sexual problems and chronic pelvic pain, impacting quality of life. Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is a first-line intervention, yet no systematic review on the efficacy of PFPT for the treatment of PFH has been conducted.

Objectives: To systematically appraise the current literature on efficacy of PFPT modalities related to PFH.

The effect of EMG biofeedback assisted pelvic floor muscle therapy on symptoms of the overactive bladder syndrome in women: A randomized controlled trial.

Aims: The overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is defined as urinary urgency, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence. Biofeedback-assisted pelvic muscle therapy (BAPFMT) is a first-line treatment option for OAB. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of BAPFMT on symptoms of OAB after 9 weeks of treatment and to detect changes EMG activity of individual pelvic floor muscles (PFM) with the MAPLe.

Effect of preoperative pelvic floor muscle therapy with biofeedback versus standard care on stress urinary incontinence and quality of life in men undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a randomised control trial.

Aims: Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LARP) may cause stress urinary incontinence (SUI). This study reports the effects of preoperative pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT) on SUI and quality of life (QoL) in men undergoing LARP.

Materials And Methods: In this single-center randomized controlled trial, 122 patients undergoing LARP were assigned to an intervention group of PFMT with biofeedback once a week preoperatively, with 4 weeks' follow-up or to a control group receiving standard care.

Reliability and differentiation of pelvic floor muscle electromyography measurements in healthy volunteers using a new device: the Multiple Array Probe Leiden (MAPLe).

Aims: A new multiple electrode probe, the Multiple Array Probe Leiden (MAPLe), has been developed for biofeedback registration of the individual pelvic floor musculature (PFM). The aim was to determine the reliability and differentiation of electromyography (EMG) signals measured with the MAPLe in healthy volunteers.

Methods: Two hundred twenty nine healthy volunteers not seeking treatment or using medication for symptoms of prolapse, lower urinary tract, bowel, pain, and/or sexual function related to pelvic floor dysfunction were qualified to participate.

Validation of the Pelvic Floor Inventories Leiden (PelFIs) in English.

Aims: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the English translation of an interviewer-administered pelvic floor questionnaire, the "Pelvic Floor Inventories Leiden" (PeLFIs) for women, which addresses complaints of prolapse, bladder, and bowel dysfunction, pelvic floor pain and/or sexual dysfunction related to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Methods: The formal forward-backward translation of the PeLFIs was performed by bilingual Dutch/English translators. The final English version was administered to healthy volunteers (N = 94) and patients (N = 180) in Canada and the United States.

Chronic testicular pain as a symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Purpose: We determined whether chronic testicular pain is related to pelvic floor overactivity after ruling out other disease pathology.

Materials And Methods: A total of 41 patients with chronic testicular pain evaluated at our Pelvic Floor Department at a tertiary academic center were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent standard pelvic floor investigation, including history using a standardized questionnaire and electromyography registration of the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is not a risk factor for febrile urinary tract infection in adults.

Objective: To determine whether pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) might be a risk factor for or consequence of febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), as UTI in adults is a common infection in which an underlying urological abnormality is often considered, and as in children, PFD is also thought to have a pathophysiological role in adults with UTI.

Patients And Methods: A multicentre case-control study was conducted at 26 primary-care centres and at six Emergency Departments of regional hospitals. Cases were consecutive patients aged > or =18 years, who presented with febrile UTI.

Multiple pelvic floor complaints are correlated with sexual abuse history.

Introduction: The relationship between sexual abuse and urinary tract symptoms, sexual abuse and gastrointestinal symptoms, or sexual abuse and sexual dysfunction has been described before. A correlation between all these symptoms and sexual abuse has not yet been reported.

Aims: The first aim of this study was to document the prevalence rates of reported sexual abuse in a large sample of female patients with complaints of the pelvic floor.

"Diagnostic investigation of the pelvic floor": a helpful tool in the approach in patients with complaints of micturition, defecation, and/or sexual dysfunction.

Introduction: Pelvic floor dysfunction is recognized to be related to lower urinary tract dysfunction and to lower gastrointestinal symptoms, and is an influential factor in dysfunction and subsequent behavior of the genital system in both men and women. Caregivers should be informed regarding normal pelvic floor function in general and should be able to identify specific aspects of pelvic floor dysfunction in patients with related symptoms. In our hospital, this diagnostic consultation is indicated as Diagnostic Investigation of Pelvic Floor Function (DIPFF).

Development and validation of the pelvic floor inventories Leiden (PelFIs).

Aims: To evaluate the validity and reliability in Dutch of the Pelvic Floor Inventories Leiden (PelFIs) for men and women, an administered questionnaire, developed to create a condition-specific pelvic floor questionnaire addressing all symptoms of micturition, defecation and sexual dysfunction related to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Methods: The PelFIs is an 83-item instrument for women and 76-item instrument for men measuring the degree of pelvic floor dysfunction, containing nine different domains. Questions have been selected which, from a clinical point of view, should configure a domain.

How reliable is a self-administered questionnaire in detecting sexual abuse: a retrospective study in patients with pelvic-floor complaints and a review of literature.

Introduction: Sexual abuse and sexual functioning are topics that health professionals find difficult to discuss. Women who present with pelvic-floor complaints often experience sexual difficulties; therefore, questions regarding sexual function should be a routine part of screening. Furthermore, pelvic-floor complaints are correlated with sexual abuse and asking about abuse should be a routine part of screening as well.

Placement of probes in electrostimulation and biofeedback training in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Background: We examined the positioning of five commonly used probes in electrostimulation and biofeedback training.

Materials And Methods: Ultrasound and MRI were used to evaluate the position of these probes in two multiparous women, in reference to pelvic floor anatomy.

Results: From caudal to cranial we identified the anal external sphincter, puborectal muscle, and levator group.

Effects of magnetic stimulation in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Objective: To correlate, in a pilot study, the clinical results of extracorporeal magnetic innervation therapy (ExMI) of the pelvic floor muscles with functional changes in the pelvic floor musculature, urodynamics and quality of life.

Patients And Methods: In all, 74 patients (65 women and nine men) with urge incontinence, urgency/frequency, stress incontinence, mixed incontinence and defecation problems were included in a prospective study of ExMI using a 'electromagnetic chair'. All patients were treated twice weekly for 8 weeks.