Verbal instructions are used clinically to encourage activation of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM). Whether separate layers of PFM activate differently in response to instructions remains unknown.
AIM To test the hypotheses that (i) instructions that aimed to bias activity of a specific muscle layer would increase activation of the targeted layer to a greater extent than the other layer, (ii) activity of individual PFM layers would differ between instructions, and (iii) PFM activity would be symmetrical for all instructions.
METHODPFM electromyography (EMG) was recorded using custom-designed surface electrodes in 12 women without PFM dysfunction. The electrode included 4 pairs of recording surfaces orientated to measure EMG from deep and superficial PFM on each side. 3 submaximal contractions were performed for 5 seconds in response to 7 verbal instructions. Root-mean-squared EMG amplitude was calculated for 1 second during the period when participants most closely matched the target activation level. A repeated-measures anova was used to test whether PFM EMG differed between instructions and between regions. The EMG increase of individual muscles relative to that of the reference muscle [deep/right PFM] was compared to no change with t-tests for single samples.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE PFM EMGamplitude.
RESULTSSuperficial PFM EMG was greater than deep PFM for all instructions (P＝ .039). 2 instructions induced the greatest amplitude of EMG for the superficial PFM: "squeeze the muscles around the vaginal opening as if to purse lips of your mouth" and "draw the clitoris in a posterior direction" (P＝ .036). Asymmetry was found in the deeper PFM in 3 instructions designed to bias the superficial PFM.
STRENGTH & LIMITATIONSThis preliminary study recorded activation of deep and superficial PFM layers in females with a custom-designed novel electrode. Some cross-talk of recording between muscle layers is possible but unlikely to impact the major findings.
CONCLUSIONVerbal instructions used to teach PFM contractions can influence their pattern of activity. This study provides preliminary evidence that, in a selection of verbal instructions, the superficial PFM activates more than the deep PFM, and that the deep PFM can have asymmetrical activation.