Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study
Despite the high prevalence of pelvic floor (PF) dysfunctions in female athletes, help-seeking is low due to embarrassment and disinformation. This study evaluated the effects of a 6-week exercise program guided by a specific app, with and without intravaginal biofeedback on the PF symptoms, strengt...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/24/11927 |
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| author | Natalia Romero-Franco Elisa Bosch-Donate Elena Vico-Moreno Ángel Oliva-Pascual Vaca Pau Martínez-Bueso Jesús Molina-Mula Juan Carlos Fernández-Domínguez |
| author_facet | Natalia Romero-Franco Elisa Bosch-Donate Elena Vico-Moreno Ángel Oliva-Pascual Vaca Pau Martínez-Bueso Jesús Molina-Mula Juan Carlos Fernández-Domínguez |
| author_sort | Natalia Romero-Franco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the high prevalence of pelvic floor (PF) dysfunctions in female athletes, help-seeking is low due to embarrassment and disinformation. This study evaluated the effects of a 6-week exercise program guided by a specific app, with and without intravaginal biofeedback on the PF symptoms, strength, and sonographic measures of female athletes. Compliance with the program was evaluated. Thirty-nine athletes with PF symptoms used the app with different functionalities: experimental group 1 (<i>n</i> = 13) (EG1: exercises, PF information, and physiotherapists contact); experimental group 2 (<i>n</i> = 14) (EG2: exercises with biofeedback, PF information, and physiotherapists contact); and the control group (<i>n</i> = 12) (CG: PF information, and physiotherapists contact). Before and after the 6 weeks, PF symptoms, strength with the Oxford scale, and sonographic measures were evaluated. EG1 and EG2 improved strength (<i>p</i> = 0.028 and <i>p</i> = 0.001, respectively) and incontinence urinary symptoms (<i>p</i> = 0.041 and <i>p</i> = 0.002, respectively) over the baseline, without between-group differences (<i>p</i> > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in sonography (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Regarding compliance, 84.6 and 71.4% of athletes from EG1 and EG2 completed the program twice per week or more. A 6-week PF exercise program guided by the app improved PF symptoms and strength of female athletes and ensured high compliance with the program but was insufficient to improve sonography. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-01abf4663fcb467b96a562f54b6d5e90 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-01abf4663fcb467b96a562f54b6d5e902025-08-20T02:43:28ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-12-0114241192710.3390/app142411927Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled StudyNatalia Romero-Franco0Elisa Bosch-Donate1Elena Vico-Moreno2Ángel Oliva-Pascual Vaca3Pau Martínez-Bueso4Jesús Molina-Mula5Juan Carlos Fernández-Domínguez6Nursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainNursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainNursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainInstituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, SpainNursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainNursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainNursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, SpainDespite the high prevalence of pelvic floor (PF) dysfunctions in female athletes, help-seeking is low due to embarrassment and disinformation. This study evaluated the effects of a 6-week exercise program guided by a specific app, with and without intravaginal biofeedback on the PF symptoms, strength, and sonographic measures of female athletes. Compliance with the program was evaluated. Thirty-nine athletes with PF symptoms used the app with different functionalities: experimental group 1 (<i>n</i> = 13) (EG1: exercises, PF information, and physiotherapists contact); experimental group 2 (<i>n</i> = 14) (EG2: exercises with biofeedback, PF information, and physiotherapists contact); and the control group (<i>n</i> = 12) (CG: PF information, and physiotherapists contact). Before and after the 6 weeks, PF symptoms, strength with the Oxford scale, and sonographic measures were evaluated. EG1 and EG2 improved strength (<i>p</i> = 0.028 and <i>p</i> = 0.001, respectively) and incontinence urinary symptoms (<i>p</i> = 0.041 and <i>p</i> = 0.002, respectively) over the baseline, without between-group differences (<i>p</i> > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in sonography (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Regarding compliance, 84.6 and 71.4% of athletes from EG1 and EG2 completed the program twice per week or more. A 6-week PF exercise program guided by the app improved PF symptoms and strength of female athletes and ensured high compliance with the program but was insufficient to improve sonography.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/24/11927pelvic floor disordersexercise therapysportstelerehabilitation |
| spellingShingle | Natalia Romero-Franco Elisa Bosch-Donate Elena Vico-Moreno Ángel Oliva-Pascual Vaca Pau Martínez-Bueso Jesús Molina-Mula Juan Carlos Fernández-Domínguez Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study Applied Sciences pelvic floor disorders exercise therapy sports telerehabilitation |
| title | Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study |
| title_full | Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study |
| title_fullStr | Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study |
| title_short | Using a Smartphone Application to Strengthen Pelvic Floor and Manage Symptomatology of Female Track and Field Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study |
| title_sort | using a smartphone application to strengthen pelvic floor and manage symptomatology of female track and field athletes a randomized controlled study |
| topic | pelvic floor disorders exercise therapy sports telerehabilitation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/24/11927 |
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