Showing papers by "Kari Bø published in 2001"

Vaginal palpation of pelvic floor muscle strength: inter-test reproducibility and comparison between palpation and vaginal squeeze pressure

Abstract: Background Vaginal palpation is commonly used in clinical practice to teach and evaluate pelvic floor muscle strength, and several grading systems have been developed. The aim of the present study was to test inter-rater reproducibility of the modified Oxford grading system and compare results from vaginal palpation with squeeze pressure measurement. Methods Twenty female physical therapy students, mean age 25.1 years (range 21-38) participated in the study. Two experienced physical therapists conducted the palpation test in random order. Muscle strength was classified according to a 6-point scale (modified Oxford grading system). Results from the palpation test were compared with measurement of vaginal squeeze pressure using a vaginal balloon connected to a fiberoptic microtransducer (Camtech AS, Sandvika, Norway). To ensure validity of pressure measurement only contractions with simultaneous observation of inward movement of the perineum were registered. Results The inter-rater reliability for vaginal palpation was 0.70 measured by Spearman's rho (p Conclusions Vaginal palpation is mandatory when teaching correct pelvic floor muscle contraction. However, the present results indicate that the method is not reproducible, sensitive and valid to measure PFM strength for scientific purposes.

Prevalence of stress and urge urinary incontinence in elite athletes and controls.

Abstract: BO, K., and J. S. BORGEN. Prevalence of stress and urge urinary incontinence in elite athletes and controls. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 11, 2001, pp. 1797–1802. Purpose:The purposes of the present study were to examine the prevalence of stress and urge incontinence in female elite athlete

Dynamic MRI of the pelvic floor muscles in an upright sitting position.

Abstract: Since the pelvic floor muscles are situated inside the pelvis, the actual function is difficult to observe. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new method that may prove to give additional information about pelvic floor muscle function during contraction. The purpose of the present study was to assess pelvic floor muscle function during contraction and straining in an upright sitting position by use of MRI. Sixteen women, nine continent and seven with urodynamically and clinically proven genuine stress incontinence participated in the study. MRI was performed in an open-configured GE Signa SP, 0.5 T Tesla magnet. With the participants sitting in an upright position on a pelvic RF-coil, sagittal, coronal and axial T1 weighted spin echo images of the pelvic floor were obtained. During contraction and straining a scan time of 2 seconds per image for 150-250 images, was performed in a mid-sagittal plane. The results showed that the mean inward lift during contraction was 10.8 mm (SD 6.0) for all women. During straining the mean downward movement was 19.1 mm (SD 7.4). The coccyx moved in a ventral, cranial direction during contraction and was pressed in a caudal, dorsal direction during straining. It is concluded that contraction of the pelvic floor muscles is concentric, moving the coccyx in a ventral, cranial direction. The movement measured by MRI in upright sitting position is less than that concluded after clinical observation in supine position. The coccyx is pressed dorsally during straining.

"Active back school", prophylactic management for low back pain: three-year follow-up of a randomized, controlled trial.

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the long-term effect of the Active Back School programme on minimizing recurrences of episodes of low back pain. Forty-three subjects were randomly allocated to the Active Back School group and 38 to the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to baseline characteristics. The Active Back School programme comprised 20 lessons each divided into a 20-min theoretical and a 40-min exercise part during a 13-week period. Nine participants (11%) dropped out during the study period. Recurrence of new low back pain episodes was significantly less (p = 0.04), and the time from inclusion to the first new low back pain episode was significantly on the side of the Active Back School group (p < 0.01). The duration of sick leave was found to be significantly shorter (p < 0.01) in the Active Back School group compared to the control group. The Active Back School reduced the recurrence and severity of new low back pain episodes at 36 months' follow-up.

Exercises and education as secondary prevention for recurrent low back pain.

Abstract: Background and Purpose Exercise and education is a common physiotherapy approach in the prevention of low back pain. A Mensendieck exercise programme consisting of exercises and ergonomical education has, in a previous study, been shown to be effective in preventing recurrent low back pain during one-year follow-up. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effect of the Mensendieck exercise programme on people with recurrent episodes of low back pain who, when entering the study, had finished treatment for their last episode of low back pain. Method A randomized controlled clinical trial in which 41 women and 36 men were allocated to either a Mensendieck or control group. The Mensendieck subjects received 20 group sessions of exercises and ergonomical education over 13 weeks. The control subjects were not offered any prophylactic therapy, but were free to receive treatment or exercises. Outcome measures were the number of recurrences of low back pain, sick leave, low back function and general functional status. Results At three-year follow-up, 11 subjects had been lost to the study. Survival analysis showed a significant reduction (p=0.02) in subjects experiencing recurrent low back pain in the Mensendieck group compared to the control group. Significant improvements in pain and function scores were reported in both groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in pain, function or sick leave. Conclusion A Mensendieck exercise programme seems efficient in reducing recurrent episodes of low back pain at three-year follow-up, but it did not influence sick leave, pain or function scores. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

The clinical value of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in normal and incontinent women--a preliminary study on micturition.

Abstract: In this preliminary study in nine volunteers and nine women with genuine stress incontinence (GSI) dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study the voiding phase in the sitting position after physiological filling of the bladder by urine. The MRI technique has been documented as being useful for this purpose, but in this small group of women it was not possible to determine any specific difference in the voiding pattern between the volunteers and the G