Physical Therapy Exercises for Pelvic Floor Reduce Risk for C-Section in Pregnant Women

100 pregnant women were instructed on how to perform pelvic floor physical therapy exercises during the final 3 months of their pregnancy.

Only 19% of these women ended up requiring a C-section delivery, compared to 36% of the control group who did not perform these exercises.

Conclusions

Pregnant women can benefit from attending physical therapy in order to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor prior to delivery.

Reference

Huang, S., Mao, X., Li, Y., Chen, A., & Qiu, J. (2024). Are pelvic-abdominal mechanics exercise effective for cesarean delivery rate and postpartum pelvic floor function: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.