ORIGINAL PAPER
A comparison of abdominal muscles fatigue in women after vaginal birth, women after caesarean section, and a control group. A pilot study
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
 
2
Department of Physiotherapy in Motor System Dysfunctions, University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2020-04-05
 
 
Acceptance date: 2020-07-09
 
 
Publication date: 2021-06-21
 
 
Physiother Quart. 2021;29(2):62-66
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
To investigate fatiguability of abdominal muscles in women after natural childbirth and caesarean section compared with a control group in the prone bridge (plank) test.

Methods:
The study involved 11 women after natural childbirth, 8 women after caesarean section, and 8 women who had not been pregnant and had not given birth. After completing a personal questionnaire and qualification in a functional examination, the participants performed the prone bridge (plank) test. A 4-lead surface electromyograph was used for the study of rectus abdominis muscles and internal oblique/transversus abdominis muscles.

Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the right and left side of the body (p < 0.05). There were no differences in muscle fatigue parameters between the groups in the prone bridge test (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:
Electromyographic parameters of abdominal muscles fatigue are similar in women after natural childbirth, women after caesarean section, and those who have not given birth. Caesarean section in asymptomatic women does not affect the deterioration of abdominal muscle strength in plank exercise.

 
REFERENCES (30)
1.
Gilleard WL, Brown JM. Structure and function of the abdominal muscles in primigravid subjects during pregnancy and the immediate postbirth period. Phys Ther. 1996;76(7):750–762; doi: 10.1093/ptj/76.7.750.
 
2.
Benjamin DR, van de Water ATM, Peiris CL. Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review. Physiotherapy. 2014;100(1):1–8; doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2013.08.005.
 
3.
Gürşen C, İnanoğlu D, Kaya S, Akbayrak T, Baltacı G. Effects of exercise and Kinesio taping on abdominal recovery in women with cesarean section: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2016;293(3):557–565; doi: 10.1007/s00404-015-3862-3.
 
4.
Kanakaris NK, Roberts CS, Giannoudis PV. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain: an update. BMC Med. 2011;9:15; doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-9-15.
 
5.
Pel JJM, Spoor CW, Goossens RHM, Pool-Goudzwaard AL. Biomechanical model study of pelvic belt influence on muscle and ligament forces. J Biomech. 2008;41(9):1878–1884; doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2008.04.002.
 
6.
Mens JMA, Pool-Goudzwaard A. The transverse abdominal muscle is excessively active during active straight leg raising in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain: an observational study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017;18(1):372; doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1732-9.
 
7.
Fast A, Shapiro D, Ducommun EJ, Friedmann LW, Bouklas T, Floman Y. Low-back pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1987;12(4):368–371; doi: 10.1097/00007632-198705000-00011.
 
8.
Kwon Y-J, Hyung E-J, Yang K-H, Lee H-O. How different modes of child delivery influence abdominal muscle activities in the active straight leg raise. J Phys Ther Sci. 2014;26(8):1271–1274; doi: 10.1589/jpts.26.1271.
 
9.
Awad E, Ahmed H, Yousef A, Saab IM. Effect of antenatal exercise on mode of delivery in gestational diabetic females: a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Physiother Quart. 2019;27(2):1–5; doi: 10.5114/pq.2019.84270.
 
10.
Cyriax JH. Cyriax: illustrated manual of orthopaedic medicine [in Polish]. Wrocław: Elsevier; 1996.
 
11.
Kristiansson P, Svärdsudd K. Discriminatory power of tests applied in back pain during pregnancy. Spine. 1996;21(20):2337–2343; doi: 10.1097/00007632-199610150-00006.
 
12.
Van der Wurff P, Hagmeijer RH, Meyne W. Clinical tests of the sacroiliac joint. A systematic methodological review. Part 1: reliability. Man Ther. 2000;5(1):30–36; doi: 10.1054/math.1999.0228.
 
13.
Workman JC, Docherty D, Parfrey KC, Behm DG. Influence of pelvis position on the activation of abdominal and hip flexor muscles. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(5):1563–1569; doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181739981.
 
14.
Callahan M. Comparison of muscle activation in the active straight leg raise and double straight leg lowering test. A thesis presented to the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. Department of Applied Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana State University; 2011.
 
15.
Oleksy Ł, Czarny W, Bajorek W, Król P, Mika A, Kielnar R. The evaluation of shoulder muscle fatigue in volleyball players. J Nov Physiother. 2018;8(2):388; doi: 10.4172/2165-7025.1000388.
 
16.
Tong TK, Wu S, Nie J. Sport-specific endurance plank test for evaluation of global core muscle function. Phys Ther Sport. 2014;15(1):58–63; doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2013.03.003.
 
17.
De Blaiser C, De Ridder R, Willems T, Danneels L, Vanden Bossche L, Palmans T, et al. Evaluating abdominal core muscle fatigue: assessment of the validity and reliability of the prone bridging test. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018;28(2):391–399; doi: 10.1111/sms.12919.
 
18.
Pereira LC, Botelho S, Marques J, Amorim CF, Lanza AH, Palma P, et al. Are transversus abdominis/oblique internal and pelvic floor muscles coactivated during pregnancy and postpartum? Neurourol Urodyn. 2013;32(5):416–419; doi: 10.1002/nau.22315.
 
19.
Norman E, Sherburn M, Osborne RH, Galea MP. An exercise and education program improves well-being of new mothers: a randomized controlled trial. Phys Ther. 2010;90(3):348–355; doi: 10.2522/ptj.20090139.
 
20.
Morgen IM. Does caesarean section negatively influence the post-partum prognosis of low back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy? Eur Spine J. 2007;16(1):115–121; doi: 10.1007/s00586-006-0098-8.
 
21.
Parker MA, Millar LA, Dugan SA. Diastasis rectus abdominis and lumbo-pelvic pain and dysfunction – are they related? J Womens Health Phys Ther. 2009;33(2):15–22; doi: 10.1097/01274882-200933020-00003.
 
22.
Boerma T, Ronsmans C, Melesse DY, Barros AJD, Barros FC, Juan L, et al. Global epidemiology of use of and disparities in caesarean sections. Lancet. 2018;392(10155):1341–1348; doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31928-7.
 
23.
Koroukian SM. Relative risk of postpartum complications in the Ohio Medicaid population: vaginal versus cesarean delivery. Med Care Res Rev. 2004;61(2):203–224; doi: 10.1177/1077558703260123.
 
24.
Blondeel N, Boeckx WD, Vanderstraeten GG, Lysens R, Van Landuyt K, Tonnard P, et al. The fate of the oblique abdominal muscles after free TRAM flap surgery. Br J Plast Surg. 1997;50(5):315–321; doi: 10.1016/s0007-1226(97)90539-7.
 
25.
Davies GAL, Wolfe LA, Mottola MF, MacKinnon C. Joint SOGC/CSEP clinical practice guideline: exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Can J Appl Physiol. 2003;28(3):330–341; doi: 10.1139/h03-024.
 
26.
Guszkowska M. Antenatal anxiety and its determinants – a literature review [in Polish]. Perinatol Neonatol Ginekol. 2012;5(3):154–161.
 
27.
Konopka J, Suchocki S, Puskarz R, Obst M. Caesarean section on demand without medical indications in patients’ opinion [in Polish]. Perinatol Neonatol Ginekol. 2008;1(1):35–37.
 
28.
Toporska A. The knowledge of women on healthy behaviours in the period of pregnancy and confinement [in Polish]. Chowanna. 2008;2:79–94.
 
29.
Torbé D, Stolarek A, Lubkowska A, Torbé A. Physical activity recommended in the early postpartum period [in Polish]. Pomeranian J Life Sci. 2016;62(3):53–56; doi: 10.21164/pomjlifesci.182.
 
30.
Mottola MF. Exercise in the postpartum period: practical applications. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2002;1(6):362–368; doi: 10.1249/00149619-200212000-00010.
 
eISSN:2544-4395
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top