Development of a pelvic floor muscle strength evaluation device

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Physical Therapy
• Women's Health

Background:

• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) affects many women, impacting quality of life.
• Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a primary treatment, but adherence and correct execution can be challenging.
• Objective assessment of pelvic floor muscle strength and activity is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a novel device for measuring vaginal pressure and abdominal muscle activity.
• To investigate the effect of biofeedback-assisted PFMT on SUI symptoms, quality of life, and muscle function.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 61 women with SUI.
• Validation of the device against a sphygmomanometer and a standard biofeedback machine.
• Comparison of PFMT with and without a single biofeedback session, assessing outcomes at baseline and 8/16 weeks.

Main Results:

• The device demonstrated high accuracy (98%) for vaginal pressure measurement.
• While both groups showed improved muscle strength, the biofeedback group had significantly higher correct exercise performance (72.41% vs. 21.88%) at 16 weeks.
• The device effectively detected abdominal muscle activity at various frequencies.

Conclusions:

• The validated device is accurate for assessing pelvic floor muscle strength and activity.
• Biofeedback enhances the effectiveness of PFMT by improving correct exercise performance.
• This simple device shows potential for pelvic floor muscle training in resource-limited settings.