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Objective: To analyze the results obtained in the evaluation of intra-vaginal pressure using three different brands of perineometers in nulliparous volunteers., Materials and Methods: Twenty nulliparous women with no anatomical alterations and/or dysfunction of the pelvic floor were enrolled in our study. All the women had the ability to voluntarily contract their PFM (Pelvic Floor Muscles), as assessed by digital palpation. The intra-vaginal pressure was assessed using three different brands of perineometer (Neurodyn Evolution, SensuPower and Peritron). Each volunteer was evaluated on three alternate days by a single examiner using a single brand of perineometer on each day. In the assessment, the volunteers were required to pull (contract) their PFM in and up as strongly as possible 3 times and to sustain the contraction for 5 seconds, with an interval of 30 seconds between each pull. For the statistical analysis, a concordance correlation coefficient was used to compare the values that were obtained with each brand of perineometer., Results: A moderate concordance (0.51) was found between the results from the Peritron and Neurodyn perineometers, a fair concordance (0.21) between the Peritron and SensuPower brands and a poor concordance (0.19) between the Neurodyn and SensuPower brands., Conclusion: The concordance of the measurements of the intra-vaginal pressure ranged from poor to moderate, suggesting that perineometers of different brands generate different results.

Introduction: Functional intestinal constipation (FIC) has a high prevalence worldwide. It is higher in adult and elderly women, and in those with alterations in the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) structure and function., Objective: The primary aim of this study was to characterize PFM function, including tone, of women with and without FIC. The secondary aim was to assess and compare the general and symptom-related quality of life (QoL) between participants with and without FIC and its correlation with the assessed PFM function., Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study, the outcomes were assessed using vaginal palpation, vaginal manometry and validated questionnaires: the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7), the Pelvic Floor Distress inventory (PFDI-20), and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). This study included 60 women, 30 with FIC and 30 without FIC. The mean age of women with FIC was 48.2 years (standard deviation [SD] 12.22) and 51 years (SD 13.47) for those without FIC. Both groups were overweight. There was a significant difference between groups in the bowel domain of the PFIQ-7 (p = 0.016) and in the anal dysfunction domain of the PFDI-20 (p < 0.001), being higher in those women with FIC. Women with FIC presented a significantly worse ability to voluntarily relax their PFM (38.3%) than those without FIC (11.7%; p = 0.008). participants without FIC presented higher values of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) assessed by vaginal manometry compared to participants without FIC (p = 0.008). PFM tone was not different between groups., Conclusion: Women with FIC have more difficulty in relaxing their PFM and lower MVC values than women without FIC. FIC negatively impacts women's symptom-related QoL. The main contribution of this study was to reavel the difficulty of the participants with FIC to relax their PFM. This finding is important to guide clinical decision making for an adequate treatment program direct to women with FIC., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) defines a set of symptoms associated with an estrogen deficit involving alterations in organs genitourinary and that results in several urinary, genital, and sexual alterations. Brazilian women live about a third of their life after menopause, where hormonal changes occur along with clinical manifestations, characterized by vaginal and vulvar dryness, burning sensation, discomfort, vulvovaginal irritation, lack of lubrication, dyspareunia and urinary incontinence. Fractionated photothermolysis and radiofrequency systems, alone or in combination were tested to improve GSM. Objective: The goal of this study is to elaborate a protocol to evaluate the clinical response of patients with symptoms of GSM after the application of photobiomodulation in the vulvar region. Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study protocol, women over 50 years of age who are in the postmenopausal period (amenorrhea for at least 12 months, with no pathology involved) with one or more symptoms of GSM will be randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group (n = 30) will receive four consecutive applications, weekly, using DMC laser diode (λ = 808 nm), 4J per point, 100mW of power, 1,016W/cm2, 8 sites in the vulvar region, The Placebo Group (n = 30) will be handled as treated, but with the laser turned off. The quality of life will be assessed using female sexual functioning index (FSFI-6), urinary incontinence questionnaire (ICIQ-SF), Quality of life will be analyzed using the female sexual functioning index (FSFI-6). The intensity of menopausal symptoms will be evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), the vulvo vaginal atrophy will be measured by the Vaginal Health Index (VHI). Also, the vaginal temperature will be measured using a thermal camera, the pressure of the pelvic floor force (vaginal dynamometer) and a 1-hour Pad Test will be performed to quantify the urinary loss. With this procedure, we intend to obtain an overall better life quality and diminished symptoms in women with GSM. All assessments will be performed prior to the first irradiation and after the last one. Trial registration: This protocol is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT05557799. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function and quality of life (QoL) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: This study will be a randomized, controlled, parallel, and blinded clinical trial. The final sample will consist of 32 women diagnosed with SUI and cystocele (stage I and II). All volunteers will be assessed and reassessed using the same protocol: assessment form, gynecological examination, functional evaluation of PFM, and questionnaires to assess quality of life, urinary function, and sexual function. All volunteers will be evaluated for satisfaction levels post-treatment. The intervention will be PFMT, totaling 16 sessions to be conducted twice a week. Reevaluation will take place at the end of treatment and 1 month after completion of PFMT. Descriptive analysis and repeated measures ANOVA will be used for result analysis. A significance level of p<0.05 will be considered for all statistical tests. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been submitted to the Ethics in Research Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and approved under protocol number 5.826.563. It has been registered with the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry ReBec (RBR-49p6g3t). It is expected that these studies will provide a deeper understanding of the efficacy of PFMT in women with SUI and cystocele. Additionally, it aims to provide more insights into the efficacy of PFMT prior to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There had been various methods employed for the evaluation of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength. The aim of the study was to do a systemic review of these methods for a better understanding of these techniques and to find the best appropriate method. A systemic review of the literature was done using three databases that included: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords "pelvic floor anatomy" and "functional anatomy of pelvic floor muscles" from 1985 to 2022. All the studies involved were analyzed for the methodologies used by the researcher, advantages, disadvantages, and the conclusion of the study. A total of 1,876 studies were found, out of which only 64 met the criteria of inclusion. In these studies, seven methods were used for the determination of PFM strength. These methods included: clinical palpation, perineometer, electromyography, dynamometer, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and vaginal cones. The PFM cannot be calculated accurately using any one measuring technique. There is therefore no "gold standard" approach to PFM assessment. However, combining these methods will result in the best outcomes. According to the literature review, the most often employed procedures were digital palpation, perineometry, and Ultrasonography (USG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The terminology for female and male pelvic floor muscle (PFM) assessment has expanded considerably since the first PFM function and dysfunction standardization of terminology document in 2005. New terms have entered assessment reports, and new investigations to measure PFM function and dysfunction have been developed. An update of this terminology was required to comprehensively document the terms and their definitions, and to describe the assessment method and interpretation of the finding, to standardize assessment procedures and aid diagnostic decision making. Methods: This report combines the input of members of the Standardisation Committee of the International Continence Society (ICS) Working Group 16, with contributions from recognized experts in the field and external referees. A logical, sequential, clinically directed assessment framework was created against which the assessment process was mapped. Within categories and subclassifications, each term was assigned a numeric coding. A transparent process of 12 rounds of full working group and external review was undertaken to exhaustively examine each definition, plus additional extensive internal development, with decision making by collective opinion (consensus). Results: A Terminology Report for the symptoms, signs, investigations, and diagnoses associated with PFM function and dysfunction, encompassing 185 separate definitions/descriptors, has been developed. It is clinically based with the most common assessment processes defined. Clarity and user‐friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by clinicians and researchers of different disciplines. Conclusion: A consensus‐based Terminology Report for assessment of PFM function and dysfunction has been produced to aid clinical practice and be a stimulus for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the reliability and validity of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength assessment using the MizCure perineometer in healthy women.Methods: Twenty healthy women (age 20-45 years) participated in this study. The vaginal pressure measured using the MizCure and validated Peritron perineometers were repeated during PFM contraction in the supine and standing positions. All women were evaluated twice by examiners 1 and 2. Following the measurements in the first session (Test 1), they were repeated after an interval of between 2 and 6 weeks (Test 2). Within- and between-session intra- and inter-rater reliabilities in vaginal pressure were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (1, 1) and (2, 1), respectively. Validity was assessed by Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation analysis.Results: Within-session intra-rater reliabilities for both examiners 1 and 2 for all vaginal pressures in Tests 1 and 2 were 0.90-0.96 for both perineometers. Between-session intra-rater reliability for the MizCure was 0.72-0.79 for both positions for examiner 1, and 0.63 in the supine position and 0.80 in the standing position for examiner 2. Inter-rater reliability for Test 1 was 0.91 in the supine position and 0.87 in the standing position for the MizCure. The vaginal pressures using the MizCure and Peritron were significantly associated with the supine position (r = 0.68, P < .001) and the standing position (rs = 0.82, P < .001).Conclusion: MizCure perineometer is a validated tool to measure PFM strength in both supine and standing positions in healthy nulliparous women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]