Adherence to Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Pelvic Floor Disorders

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with adults who have urinary incontinence or other pelvic floor disorders, including clinicians in women’s and men’s pelvic health, postpartum care, post-prostatectomy rehabilitation, and general outpatient orthopedics who prescribe or reinforce home pelvic floor exercise programs.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in outpatient, pelvic health, obstetric, and post-surgical settings. Physical therapist assistants deliver and reinforce pelvic floor exercise programs under the direction of a physical therapist; evaluation, diagnosis, and plan-of-care decisions remain with the physical therapist.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course reports on a single source: a systematic review with meta-analysis examining compliance and adherence to exercise-based physiotherapy for pelvic floor disorders, and how those adherence rates relate to symptom severity and quality of life. The reviewers searched nine electronic databases for randomized clinical trials published in English or Spanish up to 15 October 2024, with no limit on publication date, and also searched the gray literature and clinical trial registries. Seven randomized trials with 2,190 participants met the eligibility criteria.

Everything stated in this course — every count, every percentage, every conclusion — comes from that review. Where the review itself was uncertain, this course says so rather than filling the gap.

A note on scope

The review looked at what published trials measured and reported. It did not test a new treatment protocol, and it does not issue practice mandates. Statements about what clinicians or researchers should do are the review authors’ own, and are attributed as such throughout.

Source: Systematic review and meta-analysis of compliance and adherence to exercise-based physiotherapy treatment in people with pelvic floor disorders, and its relationship with quality of life and symptomatic severity. Registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022349487) on 14 October 2024 and conducted according to PRISMA guidance. Databases searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Medes, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, PEDro, The Cochrane Library, and TRIP.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe what the review reported about short-term adherence to pelvic floor muscle training and about short-term quality of life in people with pelvic floor disorders.
2. Name the populations and the pelvic floor condition that dominated the seven included trials, and state which conditions were not represented.
3. Explain why the review authors concluded that a clear relationship between adherence rates and treatment effectiveness could not be established from the available trials.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Podcast: Adherence to Pelvic Floor Exercise, in Plain Language (about nine minutes)
3. Why Adherence Became the Question: The Review's Aim and Its Population
4. Building the Evidence Base: Searching, Selecting and Grading the Trials
5. Sticking With It: Adherence Rates, Symptom Severity and Quality of Life
6. Small Sample, Loose Estimates: Where the Evidence Falls Short
7. From Findings to the Clinic: What the Authors Say This Could Mean
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course reports on a single source: a systematic review with meta-analysis examining compliance and adherence to exercise-based physiotherapy for pelvic floor disorders, and how those adherence rates relate to symptom severity and quality of life. The reviewers searched nine electronic databases for randomized clinical trials published in English or Spanish up to 15 October 2024, with no limit on publication date, and also searched the gray literature and clinical trial registries. Seven randomized trials with 2,190 participants met the eligibility criteria.
2. Everything stated in this course — every count, every percentage, every conclusion — comes from that review. Where the review itself was uncertain, this course says so rather than filling the gap.
3. A note on scope
4. The review looked at what published trials measured and reported. It did not test a new treatment protocol, and it does not issue practice mandates. Statements about what clinicians or researchers should do are the review authors' own, and are attributed as such throughout.
5. Source: Systematic review and meta-analysis of compliance and adherence to exercise-based physiotherapy treatment in people with pelvic floor disorders, and its relationship with quality of life and symptomatic severity. Registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022349487) on 14 October 2024 and conducted according to PRISMA guidance. Databases searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Medes, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, PEDro, The Cochrane Library, and TRIP.