Effects of a facilitating device on pelvic floor muscle contraction during breathing exercises.
Atsushi Kubota, Keishoku Sakuraba, Kazutaka Araki and 3 others
PMID 30568336WHAT IT FOUND
Ten healthy men sat on a small foam roller and did seven breathing exercises, focusing on pelvic floor contraction.
Bladder movement measured by ultrasound increased after exercise and remained higher one month later.
Key findings
01In the exercise condition, bladder movement distance was 5.6 ± 2.5 mm before the experiment and 13.7 ± 5.2 mm after the experiment, and the authors report it increased.
02At 1 month after the experiment, bladder movement distance was 9.6 ± 3.7 mm, still higher than before the experiment.
03Self-rated pelvic floor contraction on a 0 to 10 scale was 3.6 ± 1.8 before the experiment and 8.2 ± 1.5 after the experiment, and the feeling was stronger immediately after the experiment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 10 healthy young men were measured, so the result cannot be generalised to women, older adults, or people with symptoms. The authors report that females did not show contraction promotion, so the positive male result should not be extended to females. The exercise condition included sitting on a small foam roller, seven breathing exercises, and attention to pelvic floor contraction, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The outcomes were ultrasound-measured bladder movement and self-rated contraction feeling, not pain, function, or incontinence. The effect was smaller at 1 month than immediately after exercise.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the increased bladder movement as proof that the roller alone treats pelvic floor problems. The intervention combined a small foam roller, seven breathing exercises, and attention to pelvic floor contraction, and the study measured healthy young men rather than patients. The authors also report no contraction promotion in females.