The pelvic floor muscles are a group of specialized muscles in the pelvis that are important for both urinary, bowel, and sexual function. In able-bodied people, physiotherapy programs that strengthen these muscles are a common treatment for symptoms of urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction (e.g. incontinence, erectile dysfunction).
However, even though the majority of people with SCI experience urinary, bowel, and/or sexual health problems after their injury, this type of therapy is rarely prescribed to people with SCI. While there is some preliminary evidence from other research studies that pelvic floor physiotherapy may help urinary and sexual function, more research is need to understand the potential benefits for people with SCI, as well as their perspectives on this type of physiotherapy.
The purpose of this study is 1) to explore the feasibility of prescribing a pelvic floor physical therapy program to people with motor-incomplete SCI and 2) to explore the effects of a 12-week pelvic floor physical therapy program on pelvic floor function and urinary/bowel/sexual health outcomes in people with motor-incomplete SCI.
Why should you participate?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a common approach to improving pelvic health symptoms in other populations (e.g. post-partum women, men after prostate surgery, people with non-neurogenic overactive bladder symptoms). In people with SCI, current management strategies for pelvic health symptoms rely on education, medical devices (e.g. catheters), and pharmaceuticals. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a conservative, low-risk approach to improving urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction, but more research is needed to understand if this therapy can also benefit people with SCI. The results from this study will help clinicians and researchers decided if, when, and how pelvic floor physiotherapy should be prescribed to people with SCI.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:
- Are age 19 or older.
- Have a chronic, motor-incomplete spinal cord injury (AIS C or D) that occurred at least 12 months ago and is at or above T12.
- Have symptoms of urinary, bowel, and/or sexual dysfunction as a result of your spinal cord injury.
- Can speak and understand English.
You may not be eligible to participate if you:
- Are currently pregnant, or have been pregnant in the past 6 months.
- Have had urogential surgery in the past 6 months.
- Have received botox bladder injections in the past 4 weeks, or anticipate receiving a bladder botox injection in the next 6 months.
Time commitment: This study involves 12-weeks of pelvic floor physiotherapy. The physiotherapy program will involve five 30-minute sessions per week, which includes sessions completed in our laboratory with a pelvic floor physiotherapist and sessions that you would complete at home on your own. We will ask you to complete some assessments during this 12-week intervention, as well as other assessments before the intervention (up to 4 weeks in advance) and after the intervention (up to 2 weeks after). Finally, 3 and 6 months after finishing the study, we will contact you to complete a few follow-up questionnaires to assess how any changes you experience from the study persist over time.
Compensation for participation: The decision to participate is up to you. If you decide to participate, you will receive an honourarium.
For more information or to sign up to participate, please contact study coordinator Alison Williams by email or at (604) 675-8815.
