The effect of ankle position on pelvic floor muscle contraction activity in women.
OBJECTIVE
Stress urinary incontinence is extremely common in women. Conservative management includes pelvic floor muscle exercises to increase strength and muscular contraction forces to improve incontinence. We examined the effects of passive and active ankle flexion on pelvic floor muscle activity during exercises.


METHODS
A total of 31 married women performed random pelvic floor muscle contractions while standing, and in 8 passive and active positions while pelvic floor muscle activity was simultaneously measured by electromyography.


RESULTS
All ankle positions resulted in greater pelvic floor muscle activity than the horizontal foot position. Significantly greater muscle activity was seen with ankles in the plantar position with raised arms (p = 0.0051).


CONCLUSIONS
Pelvic floor muscle exercises performed with active ankle positions may increase the effectiveness of these exercises. Further studies are required to elucidate mechanisms for this finding.
Chen
Hsiao-Lien
HL
Graduate Institute of Medical Science, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Lin
Yin-Chou
YC
Chien
Wen-Jen
WJ
Huang
Wen-Chen
WC
Lin
Hsiao-Yu
HY
Chen
Ping-Ling
PL
D000328:Adult; D000842:Ankle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture