Is There an Association Between Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Running Kinetics, and Pelvic Acceleration in Postpartum Women?

The aim of this study was to explore the association between pelvic floor dysfunction and running kinetics and pelvic acceleration in a cohort of postpartum women. The Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire was used to quantify symptom severity (mean [SD]: 6 [ 4] out of 40; range: 1-14) in 25 postpartum women. Participants completed a pelvic floor muscle assessment to measure pelvic muscle strength and endurance, then completed a 7-minute treadmill running protocol at a speed of 10 km·h-1 to evaluate their running kinetics and pelvic acceleration. After the run, participants responded to a modified version of the symptom's component of the PFD-SENTINEL screening tool. Mean pelvic muscle strength and endurance were 3 (1) and 9 (2), respectively. We found no significant association between PFD symptom severity and running kinetic (P = .209-.410) or pelvic acceleration (P = .081-.947) outcome measures. Fifteen participants experienced at least one symptom during the treadmill protocol. Running kinetics and pelvic acceleration may not affect or be affected by symptoms of PFD. Given the relatively low symptom expression among study participants, further research in a cohort of women with higher levels of PFD is recommended.