Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Improves Pelvic Floor Symptoms in Women With Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury

Abstract

Background: Following obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASISs), women commonly report symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction such as fecal incontinence. Few studies have looked at pelvic health physical therapy (PHPT) as a treatment for women with OASIS and its associated symptoms. Objectives: To assess the outcomes of early PHPT on the presence and severity of symptoms in women with OASIS. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We assessed the records of 70 subjects with third- or fourth-degree OASIS who had undergone clinical evaluation and PHPT in the institution's pelvic health clinic between 2017 and 2019. PHPT assessment focused on pelvic and abdominal muscle strength, neuromuscular control, soft and connective tissue/scar mobility, and functional movement. Outcome measures assessed changes in the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), subjective symptom reports of pelvic floor dysfunction, and manual muscle testing of pelvic floor muscle strength. These changes were calculated using the t test, McNemar's test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test, respectively. Results: PHPT started within an average of 6.2 weeks resulted in a reduction across all subjective complaints. Pelvic floor muscle strength improved from an initial Modified Oxford Grading system (MOS) score of 1 (1-2) to 2 (1-3), (P < .01). Subjects who received PHPT within 2 months postpartum had a greater reduction in subjective symptoms than those who started after 2 months (2.4 ±1.7 vs 1.1 ± 1.3, P = .02). Conclusion: PHPT intervention is associated with a reduction in subjective complaints reported by women who experienced OASIS in a single tertiary center. Earlier initiation of PHPT may lead to a greater improvement in symptoms.