Virtual reality: a proposal for pelvic floor muscle training.
OBJECTIVE
This video's proposal was to present one of the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training programs, used in our research, that we designed as a virtual reality intervention protocol and investigated its effects on PFM contractility.


METHODS
Two clinical, controlled and prospective studies were conducted, one with 19 nulliparous women without urinary symptoms, who were evaluated by both electromyography and digital palpation (DP) and another with 27 postmenopausal women with mixed urinary symptoms (assessed by both ICIQ UI-SF and ICIQ-OAB), evaluated by vaginal dynamometry and DP, with a total of 46 women in both studies. This protocol was designed so that the participant would play a video game, seated on a pressure base platform, while commanding it through her pelvic movements. Using a virtual reality game, five activities were performed during 30 min, twice a week, with a total of 10 sessions.


RESULTS
A significant increase in PFM strength was found in both the nulliparous (p = 0.0001) and the postmenopausal (p = 0.0001) groups of women, as ascertained by DP. A significant increase in postmenopausal women's muscle strength and endurance assessed by dynamometry (p = 0.05) and a concomitant decrease in their urinary symptoms, were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
This virtual reality program promoted an increase in PFM contractility and a decrease in postmenopausal urinary symptoms.
Course of Physiotherapy, Nursing School, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Building A, Room 107-D, Av. Jovino Fernandes Sales, 2600-Santa Clara, Alfenas, MG, CEP: 37130-000, Brazil. simone.botelho@unifal-mg.edu.br.|Department of Surgery/Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. simone.botelho@unifal-mg.edu.br.
Simone
S
Botelho
Course of Physiotherapy, Nursing School, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Building A, Room 107-D, Av. Jovino Fernandes Sales, 2600-Santa Clara, Alfenas, MG, CEP: 37130-000, Brazil.
Natalia Miguel
NM
Martinho
Course of Physiotherapy, Nursing School, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Building A, Room 107-D, Av. Jovino Fernandes Sales, 2600-Santa Clara, Alfenas, MG, CEP: 37130-000, Brazil.|Department of Surgery/Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Valéria Regina
VR
Silva
Course of Physiotherapy, Nursing School, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Building A, Room 107-D, Av. Jovino Fernandes Sales, 2600-Santa Clara, Alfenas, MG, CEP: 37130-000, Brazil.|Department of Surgery/Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Joseane
J
Marques
Course of Physiotherapy, Nursing School, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Building A, Room 107-D, Av. Jovino Fernandes Sales, 2600-Santa Clara, Alfenas, MG, CEP: 37130-000, Brazil.
Leonardo C
LC
Carvalho
Department of Surgery/Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Cássio
C
Riccetto
D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000628:therapy*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D018910:Video Games
Digital palpation; Electromyography; Muscle strength dynamometer; Pelvic floor; Urinary symptoms; Virtual reality exposure therapy