What influences women to adhere to pelvic floor exercises after physiotherapy treatment? A qualitative study for individualized pelvic health care

Abstract

Conservative treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) includes therapeutic exercise for pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training or other complementary exercise modalities, such as hypopressive exercises. However, the long-term effectiveness of the conservative treatment depends on a patient’s adherence to the exercises and the integration of professional health advice into their daily life. The objective of this study was to establish the adherence experience of women with diagnosed PFD in home-based exercises after an intensive face-to-face physiotherapy treatment. A qualitative study from an interpretive paradigm was developed. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were performed 6 months after finishing individual physiotherapy treatment. The interviews were recorded, fully transcribed and analyzed thematically by creating categories. Thirty-one women were interviewed. The women reported that their adherence to home PFM exercises depended on the exercise program itself, its efficacy, their personal experiences with the exercises, intrinsic factors such as self-awareness or beliefs, and extrinsic factors, such as professional or instrumental feedback. Thus, therapeutic adherence could be more likely with effective physiotherapy programs that include mutually agreed home exercises and simple movements women can build into their daily lives. Improving awareness and knowledge of the pelvic region and the importance of PFM treatment as well as consideration for potential worsening of PFD will also encourage women to adhere to the exercises.