Effect of an abdominal hypopressive technique programme on pelvic floor muscle tone and urinary incontinence in women: a randomised crossover trial.

OBJECTIVES

To test the effect of a structured abdominal hypopressive technique (AHT) programme on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tone and urinary incontinence (UI) in women.

DESIGN

Crossover trial with random assignment of women to one of two groups: Group 1 (AHT followed by rest) and Group 2 (rest followed by AHT).

SETTING

Two cultural centres in Madrid, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

Women aged 20-65 years.

INTERVENTIONS

Two months of supervised AHT exercises compared with 2 months of rest.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Variation in PFM tone and score on the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF)].

RESULTS

Forty-two women were randomised to two groups (both n=21). No sequence or period effect was noted. The mean difference in PFM tone after the 2-month AHT programme was 59g/cm² [95% confidence interval (CI) 37 to 82]; the between-group difference was 83g/cm² (95% CI 50 to 116; P<0.001). After 2 months, the between-group difference in the ICIQ-SF score was 3.3 points (P<0.001). The majority of participants reported improved body image and sense of well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

A structured 2-month AHT programme for women showed short-term benefits in PFM tone and UI. In addition, study participants reported improved body image and sense of well-being, and programme satisfaction, as demonstrated by questionnaire at the end of the intervention period. Further research is needed to test the long-term effects and effectiveness of AHT compared with other PFM exercises. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT0221241.