Exercise-Based Sensorimotor Physiotherapy for Postpartum Pelvic Health and Functional Recovery

Summary

This study evaluated whether a 12-week exercise-based sensorimotor physiotherapy program could improve pelvic health and functional recovery in postpartum women. Participants were women aged 18-40 years who were between 6 weeks and 6 months after a singleton delivery. They were randomly assigned to either a sensorimotor physiotherapy group or a control group. The physiotherapy group received supervised exercises targeting pelvic floor activation, lumbopelvic motor control, sensory re-education, proprioceptive training, functional stabilization, and biofeedback-assisted training. The control group received standard postpartum education and home advice.

The main outcomes were pelvic motor control and perineal sensory function. Other outcomes included pelvic floor muscle strength, urinary symptoms, pelvic distress, core endurance, postural stability, pain intensity, and health-related quality of life. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, week 6, week 12, and week 24. The study aimed to determine whether structured sensorimotor physiotherapy provides greater benefits than standard postpartum advice and whether recovery patterns differ according to vaginal or cesarean delivery.

Conditions

• Postpartum Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
• Postpartum Urinary Incontinence
• Postpartum Functional Recovery
• Lumbopelvic Motor Control Impairment
• Perineal Sensory Dysfunction

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise-Based Sensorimotor Physiotherapy Program

A 12-week physiotherapist-led exercise-based sensorimotor physiotherapy program delivered individually twice weekly for approximately 45 minutes per session. The program included pelvic floor activation, diaphragmatic breathing, lumbopelvic motor control training, abdominal-pelvic floor synergy exercises, proprioceptive training, tactile discrimination tasks, sensory re-education, functional stabilization, task-specific training, and surface electromyography-assisted biofeedback. Participants also completed a structured home exercise program for 15-20 minutes per day, five days per week.

OTHER

Standard Postpartum Education and Home Advice

A standard postpartum education and home advice program including information on postpartum anatomy, posture correction, bladder care, and general pelvic floor exercises. Participants received a printed home exercise leaflet and two telephone contacts at weeks 4 and 8 to encourage continuation of general advice. No supervised physiotherapy, individualized exercise progression, biofeedback, or structured sensorimotor training was provided.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Özge BAYKAN ÇOPUROĞLU

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Özge Çopuroğlu · Kayseri University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

40 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-03-01

Primary Completion

2025-12-01

Completion

2026-03-01

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations