Physiotherapy Exercise Programme for Pelvic Floor Function in Healthy Young Women

Participants assigned to this group completed a 12-week physiotherapy exercise programme focused on postural organization, breathing coordination, and lumbopelvic-abdominal muscle control, combining supervised sessions with home-based exercise.

Participants completed a 12-week exercise programme combining postural organization, breathing coordination, and lumbopelvic-abdominal motor control. The programme included a 20-minute supervised session once weekly, complemented by home-based exercise.

Participants assigned to this group continued their usual activities and did not receive the study exercise programme during the 12-week study period.

Qualitative assessment of abdominal wall response during coughing. The outcome was categorized as no bulging or bulging of the abdominal wall. Bulging was defined as caudal bulging of the umbilicopubic region during the cough maneuver, indicating insufficient abdominal muscle activation.

Pelvic floor muscle strength was assessed by digital vaginal palpation using the Modified Oxford Scale, scored from 0 to 5, where 0 indicates no perceptible muscle contraction and 5 indicates a strong contraction.

Pelvic floor muscle endurance was assessed by vaginal perineometry. Participants performed three maximal pelvic floor muscle contractions, each maintained for as long as possible. Endurance was recorded as the duration of the sustained contraction, expressed in seconds.

Pelvic floor muscle contraction pressure was assessed by vaginal perineometry using a pressure probe. Participants performed three maximal pelvic floor muscle contractions, and contraction pressure was recorded in cmH2O.

Abdominal wall function was assessed by palpation of the linea alba in the supraumbilical and infraumbilical regions, at rest and during trunk elevation. The test evaluated the presence or absence and location of abdominal diastasis and the response of the linea alba during abdominal muscle activation.

Abdominal wall response was assessed during maximal inspiration and expiration. During maximal expiration, the outcome was categorized according to whether the abdomen protruded ("pushes") or did not protrude ("does not push"), reflecting the activation response of the transversus abdominis.

Forced vital capacity was assessed by forced spirometry using a DATOSPIR-120 spirometer. Three measurements were performed and the best measurement was recorded. FVC was expressed in liters.

Forced expiratory volume in one second was assessed by forced spirometry using a DATOSPIR-120 spirometer. Three measurements were performed and the best measurement was recorded. FEV1 was expressed in liters.

Peak expiratory flow was assessed by forced spirometry using a DATOSPIR-120 spirometer. Three measurements were performed and the best measurement was recorded. PEF was expressed in liters per second (L/s).

Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Physical and mental health component scores were calculated, with higher scores indicating better perceived health-related quality of life.