Physiotherapy and pelvic floor health within a contemporary biopsychosocial model of care: From research to education and clinical practice.
Corlia Brandt
PMID 34192209WHAT IT FOUND
Pelvic floor muscle training can improve or cure urinary incontinence in women.
Most pelvic health research still focuses on physical function, not mood, work, communication or tailored care.
Key findings
01Pelvic floor muscle training can improve or cure urinary incontinence symptoms in women.
02Most reviewed research concentrated on biomedical impairments, while psychological, social, occupational, communication and individualised care were under-investigated.
03In men after prostate removal, pelvic floor muscle training improved continence symptoms in a trial, but that trial did not report other biopsychosocial outcomes, and programme results remain inconsistent.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so it does not show how studies were selected, appraised or combined. It does not test a treatment in patients, so it cannot establish how effective a biopsychosocial programme is. It summarises evidence mainly from women, and it notes that evidence for men after prostatectomy is limited and inconsistent. It says the holistic biopsychosocial approach is proposed but not yet evidence-based.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a fully biopsychosocial pelvic floor programme has been shown to work for all pelvic floor disorders. This review says those factors are under-investigated and that holistic approaches need more research.