Women with greater pelvic floor muscle strength have better sexual function.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function among women with higher and lower pelvic floor muscle strength. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed among employees and students of the University. SETTING: Urogynecology department, Federal University of Pampa, Brazil, carried out between January and July of 2012. POPULATION: Forty women, aged 20-28 years. METHODS: Forty-nine women were screened and nine were excluded. Baseline information of the participants was obtained. The Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire was applied and pelvic floor muscle strength was randomly measured by transvaginal palpation according to the Ortiz scale, and by perineometry. Women were allocated into two groups according to muscle strength. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Index of sexual function and pelvic floor muscle strength RESULTS: Women with stronger pelvic floor muscles scored higher in the following domains: desire, excitement, orgasm and general score of the questionnaire (4.9 ± 0.73 vs. 3.8 ± 0.58; 5.0 ± 0.35 vs. 4.3 ± 0.82; 5.8 ± 0.21 vs. 4.0 ± 1.00 and 32.4 ± 0.77 vs. 27.6 ± 3.29, p < 0.001). There was a moderate correlation between pelvic floor muscle pressure and both sexual satisfaction (r = 0.47, p = 0.03) and lubrication (r = -0.69, p = 0.001) as well as the manual evaluation of pelvic floor muscle strength, graded by the Ortiz and perineometry, which were interrelated (r = 0.65, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that women with stronger pelvic floor muscles have better sexual function.

Abdominal myofascial pain syndrome must be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain.

Chronic pelvic pain is lower abdominal pain lasting at least 6 months, occurring continuously or intermittently and not associated exclusively with menstruation or intercourse. The involvement of the musculoskeletal system in chronic pelvic pain has been increasingly demonstrated. However, few studies exclusively examining abdominal myofascial pain syndrome as a cause of chronic pelvic pain in women are available. Therefore the objective of this manuscript is to describe the association between abdominal myofascial pain syndrome and chronic pelvic pain in women, and comment on methods for diagnosis and therapeutic options. There is evidence that the musculoskeletal system is compromised in some way in most women with chronic pelvic pain and that in 15% of these cases chronic pelvic pain is associated with abdominal myofascial pain syndrome but the scarcity of published data impairs the definition of protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Abdominal myofascial pain syndrome is a highly prevalent disease associated with CPP, and because of this physicians should get used to make a precise and early diagnosis in order to avoid additional and unnecessary investigation.

Atuação da fisioterapia respiratória em pacientes com fibrose cística: uma revisão da literatura: [revisão] / Respiratory physiotherapy in patients with cystic fibrosis: a literature review: [revision]

Introdução: A fibrose cística é uma doença genética letal, crônica e progressiva, que compromete o funcionamento de quase todos os órgãos e sistemas do organismo, sendo as complicações pulmonares as principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade. Nesse sentido, torna-se fundamental a compreensão das complicações respiratórias provocadas e das ações de reabilitação, possibilitando intervenções que reduzam o impacto dessa doença nas atividades diárias. Objetivo: Este trabalho teve por objetivo realizar uma revisão bibliográfica discutindo os principais recursos utilizados pelo fisioterapeuta para remoção de secreção em pacientes com fibrose cística. Metodologia: Para tanto, as bases eletrônicas de dados Medline, Lilacs, PEDro e Scielo foram pesquisadas utilizando as palavras-chave: cystic fibrosis, respiratory physical therapy,chest physiotherapy, airway clearance technique, fisioterapia respiratória e fibrose cística. Foram selecionados artigos a partir da década de 80 até o ano de 2007. Resultados: Foi observado que as manobras para higiene brônquica auxiliam a eliminação de secreções reduzindo a obstrução de vias aéreas e suas conseqüências,como atelectasias e hiperinsuflação. Os principais recursos utilizados em pacientes fibrocísticos são: drenagem postural, percussão, vibração manual e mecânica, técnica de expiração forçada, máscara de pressão positiva expiratória, ciclo ativo da respiração, flutter, shaker, acapella e drenagem autógena. Conclusão: É imprescindível a realização de mais estudos, especialmente em longo prazo, com realização das técnicas de forma padronizada, para se apontar os recursos fisioterapêuticos mais eficazes no tratamento desses pacientes. Além disso, é importante que o paciente mantenha contato com o fisioterapeuta que irá orientá-lo quanto às técnicas mais adequadas às necessidades e condições de cada paciente...

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis is a genetic, chronic, progressive, and lethal disease that affects almost all theorgans and systems of the body. Respiratory complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality.Then, it is fundamental to understand the root causes of respiratory complications and the rehabilitationactions, allowing interventions that reduce the impact of this disease in the activities of daily living. Objective:The objective of the present study was to make a bibliographic review discussing the effectiveness of themain resources used by the physical therapist for airway clearance in patients with Cystic Fibrosis.Methodology: Medline, Lilacs, PEDro and Scielo databases have been searched using the following keywords:cystic fibrosis, respiratory physical therapy, chest physiotherapy, airway clearance technique, fisioterapiarespiratória e fibrose cística. The articles were selected from the 1980s up to 2007. Results: It was observedthat the maneuvers of airway clearance help in the removal of secretion reducing the bronchial obstructionand its consequences, such as atelectasis and hyperinflation. The main resources used in cystic fibrosis are:postural drainage, clapping, percussion, and manual and mechanics vibration, forced expiration technique,positive expiratory pressure mask, active cycle of breathing techniques, flutter, shaker, acapella and autogenicdrainage. Conclusions: Further studies must be done, especially long-term ones using standardized techniquesto point more efficient physiotherapeutic maneuvers in the treatment of these patients. Moreover, thecontact with the physical therapist is important because he/she could guide the appropriate techniquesaccording to the need and conditions of each patient, giving him/her the opportunity to know and to chooseamong a number of modalities of therapy, because, no method of airway clearance will be successful if it isabandoned by the patient.