Functional training versus conventional physiotherapy for postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Women's Health

Background:

• Postpartum pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a common debilitating condition affecting women after childbirth.
• Standard pelvic floor physical therapy may not fully address the complex biomechanical issues contributing to PGP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of functional training as an adjunct to standard pelvic floor physical therapy for alleviating postpartum PGP.
• To assess the impact of functional training on pain reduction, functional improvement, and pelvic floor muscle activation in postpartum women.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 40 patients with postpartum PGP.
• Participants were assigned to a control group (standard pelvic floor physical therapy) or an experimental group (standard therapy plus functional training).
• Outcomes measured included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire (PGQ) for function, surface electromyography (sEMG) for pelvic floor muscle activity, and Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) test.

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed significant improvements in VAS, PGQ, and ASLR angle compared to the control group (P<0.05).
• Functional training led to significant enhancements in pelvic floor muscle sEMG activity across contraction phases (P<0.001).
• The control group demonstrated improvements only in resting sEMG phases, with no significant changes in contraction phases.

Conclusions:

• Functional training is an effective intervention for reducing postpartum PGP and improving pelvic floor muscle function.
• Adding functional training to standard pelvic floor physical therapy offers superior clinical benefits for postpartum women with PGP.
• Further research should explore long-term effects and optimal protocols for functional training in this population.