Effectiveness of telehealth pelvic-abdominal mechanics training rehabilitation program for pelvic floor rehabilitation in puerperal women: a randomized controlled study.
Ran Zhang, Yu Guo, Jiahua Zhang and 4 others
PMID 40968605WHAT IT FOUND
Pelvic floor symptom distress was similar to routine care at one week, but lower at 42 days with a multi-component telehealth pelvic-abdominal program.
Knowledge and self-efficacy were higher in the program group; pelvic floor muscle strength was not.
Key findings
01The telehealth group did not have lower pelvic floor symptom distress at one week, but had lower distress at 42 days.
02The telehealth group had higher knowledge and attitudes about pelvic floor muscle training at one week and 42 days, and higher self-efficacy at 42 days.
03The telehealth group did not have higher pelvic floor muscle strength at 42 days compared with routine care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The trial was open-label, so participants knew which group they were in, which can influence self-reported symptom scores. The sample was small: 30 women in each analysed group, recruited at one tertiary hospital. The main outcome was a questionnaire, not an objective measure of pelvic floor function. Women who did other pelvic floor rehabilitation at the same time were excluded, so the tested group may not reflect all postpartum patients. The intervention was a bundle of education, live video training, WeChat support, and practice, so it is unclear which part caused the effects.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was from a Nursing Research Project grant at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that telehealth pelvic-abdominal training strengthens pelvic floor muscles. The main symptom score was not better than routine care at one week, and pelvic floor muscle strength did not differ between groups at 42 days.