Integrating Pelvic Health and Orthopedic Programs to Treat Incontinence at the Community Level for Female Runners: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: The female athlete population is at an increased risk for urinary incontinence. Few studies have investigated the use of a generalized home exercise program (HEP) at the community level to treat incontinence in sports, particularly running. Objective: This study investigated whether a 1-time pelvic health (PH) workshop with a generalizable HEP had positive changes in incontinence at 2-week and 6-month follow-ups for female runners. Study Design: Pilot study. Methods: Participants attended a workshop about PH and received a PH- and orthopedic-based HEP. A blinded assessor evaluated overall trunk strength (CoreFirst® Strategy, 0-5 scale) pre- and postworkshop. Questionnaires evaluated the frequency of leakage during activities. Time points were baseline (preworkshop) and 2-week and 6-month follow-up. Paired t tests, McNemar-Bowker tests, and Cochran Q with Dunn post hoc tests were used for comparisons. Results: Twenty-two participants enrolled in the study (age: 44 ± 11 years; body mass index: 22 ± 2 kg/m2). Trunk weakness improved after the workshop by 2 stages. Home exercise program adherence was 86% and 55% through 2 weeks and 6 months, respectively. Significant improvements in the incidence of reported incontinence were found after 2 weeks for jumping (41 to 5%, P = .006), landing from jumping (46 to 9%, P = .003), coughing (64 to 14%, P = .001), sneezing (59 to 14%, P < .001), and walking to bathroom (59 to 32%, P = .016), and after 6 months for coughing (64 to 14%, P = .001) and sneezing (59 to 23%, P = .006). Conclusions: Educating female runners and providing a generalized HEP focused on PH had immediate positive significant changes in overall trunk strength and incontinence at 2 weeks and generally maintained through 6 months. See Video Abstract, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JWHPT/A91.