What is the body mass index of women with pelvic floor muscles dysfunctions that seek for physiotherapy treatment?

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are reported as important risk factors for developing of female pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction. Thus, the objective was to verify the body mass index (BMI) of women with PF dysfunctions who sought physiotherapy treatment, and comparing it with national statistics. This is an observational study. There were evaluated the records of women with PF dysfunctions served by the Physiotherapy Service from 2004 to 2010, and included all women with the presence of any symptom of PF dysfunction. It was calculated the BMI of 312 women with PF dysfunction. The BMI mean was 28.1 kg/m². Approximately 70% of these women were overweight or obese, a value higher than the national rate of 59%. The pathophysiological basis of the relationship between obesity and PF dysfunction is the correlation between BMI and intra-abdominal pressure. The identification of overweight and obesity should be part of the rehabilitation programs of the PF, since the reduction in body weight can contribute by reducing the severity of the disorder. With the present study it was observed that women seeking physiotherapy treatment for PF dysfunction have higher rates of obesity than the national female population.