title: Effect of postpartum pelvic floor muscle training on vaginal symptoms and sexual dysfunction-secondary analysis of a randomised trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate effect of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on vaginal symptoms and sexual matters, dyspareunia and coital incontinence in primiparous women stratified by major or no defects of the levator ani muscle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trial (RCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Akershus University Hospital, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  About 175 primiparous women with a singleton vaginal delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-armed assessor blinded parallel group RCT from 6 weeks to 6 months postpartum comparing effect of PFMT versus control.
  
  
  METHODS
  International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire-vaginal symptoms questionnaire (ICIQ-VS) and ICIQ sexual matters module (ICIQ-FLUTSsex).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, analysis (n = 175) showed no difference between training and control groups in women having vaginal symptoms or symptoms related to sexual dysfunction 6 months postpartum. The majority of women (88%) had intercourse and there was no difference between groups. Unadjusted subgroup analysis of women with a major defect of the levator ani muscle (n = 55) showed that women in the training group had 45% less risk of having the symptom 'vagina feels loose or lax' compared with the control group (relative risk 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.31, 0.95; P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unadjusted analysis showed that in women with major defect of the levator ani muscle, significantly fewer in the training group had the symptom 'vagina feels loose or lax' compared with the control group. No difference was found between groups for symptoms related to sexual dysfunction. More studies are needed to explore effect of PFMT on vaginal symptoms and sexual dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unadjusted analysis shows that PFMT might prevent symptoms of 'vagina feels loose or lax'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolberg Tennfjord
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hilde
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Staer-Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Siafarikas
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: M Ellström
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Engh
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bø
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009664:Norway; D010298:Parity; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Pelvic floor muscle function; pelvic floor muscle training; postpartum; sexual dysfunction; vaginal symptoms