Feasibility of Multimodal Physical Therapy Intervention on Pelvic Floor Symptoms and Function in Adults With Constipation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

GOALS: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an 8-week multimodal physical therapy program for adults with constipation.

BACKGROUND

Constipation is a common multifactorial digestive disease in adults. A multimodal intervention program may better improve pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function and alleviate symptoms.

STUDY: This pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted at a Tertiary Medical Center in Taiwan. Adults with functional constipation were recruited and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG) or the control group (CG). The IG received a multimodal physical therapy intervention, including therapist-guided lifestyle modification education, twice-weekly physical exercise, and pelvic floor muscle training for 8 weeks. The CG received only 1 session of lifestyle modification education after baseline assessment. Assessments were conducted at baseline and after the 8-week program. Primary outcomes included feasibility measures. Secondary outcomes comprised symptom severity, PFM function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and physical activity levels.

RESULTS

A total of 27 participants were recruited (IG: n=14, CG: n=13). The consent rate was 65.2%, with an overall withdrawal rate of 14.8%. No adverse events were reported, and treatment satisfaction was moderate to high. After the 8-week intervention, significant improvements were observed in symptom severity (P=0.003), PFM coordination (P=0.011), PFM strength (P=0.007), HRQOL (P=0.013), and physical activity levels (P=0.037) in the IG, whereas no significant changes were observed in the CG.

CONCLUSIONS

An 8-week multimodal physical therapy intervention program appears feasible and potentially effective in improving constipation symptoms, PFM function, HRQOL, and physical activity levels in adults with constipation.