Open AccessThe importance of physiotherapy in the puerperium
Author(s) -
Karen de Carvalho Teixeira,
Manoela Motta Pontes,
Maria Luiza Lopes de Nogueira Alberto,
Thayane dos Anjos Rodrigues,
Luciano Matos Chicayban
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.25242/8868113820212397
Subject(s) - medicine , pelvic floor , physical therapy , urinary incontinence , randomized controlled trial , diastasis , postpartum period , perineum , pelvic floor muscle , pregnancy , surgery , genetics , biology
The gestational period promotes changes in the woman's body, so that the baby can develop in a healthy way in the uterus. These transformations can interfere in a woman's daily life. Physiotherapy promotes re-education of the abdominal muscles, analgesia in the perineum region, restoration of gastrointestinal function, in addition to helping them with psychological changes. To verify the benefits of physiotherapy in the puerperium. A non-systematic review of the literature was carried out, through randomized clinical trials, published between 1999 and 2018. The search involved the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS and PEDro. The following keywords were used: postpartum physiotherapy. 6 RCTs were included. There was a significant decrease in pain in the treatment group in four studies, increase in strength of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and decrease in urinary incontinence in two studies, but 3 postpartum women presented voiding symptoms; in another study, there was a decrease in the score related to anal incontinence; in another study, immediate physiotherapy after delivery reduced abdominal diastasis. Postpartum physiotherapy, through an exercise program, contributes to pain reduction, increase in pelvic floor strength, decrease in urinary incontinence, anal incontinence and abdominal diastasis.