Title: Northeast District - Running Foundations: Exploring the Relationship Between Pelvic Floor Muscle Function and Running Kinematics

Speakers: Dr. Michael Steimling PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

Course Description: The pelvic floor muscle group is responsible for regulating intrabdominal pressure and assists in maintaining continence during dynamic activities. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is a form of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and is the involuntary loss of urine during activities that increase intrabdominal pressure, like coughing, sneezing, standing from a chair, jumping, or running. SUI affects 20% of postpartum females and 35% of female athletes. With approximately 39% of women reporting that urinary symptoms hinder their ability to exercise, particularly in high-impact activities like running, it is crucial to explore the implication of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction on female exercise participation. This presentation will delve into the role of pelvic floor muscles during running and how a better understanding of this function could lead to improved treatments for stress urinary incontinence and related conditions. This presentation will detail normal pelvic floor muscle function, including regulation of intraabdominal pressure, postural stability, and maintaining continence. This course will also review running kinematics and their relationship with pelvic floor muscle function in individuals with and without pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Lastly, this presentation will review running gait restraining, which uses motor learning principles to change aspects of a runner's gait retraining, which uses motor learning principles to change aspects of a runner's gait to reduce stress on injured or less load-tolerant tissues, including the pelvic floor, in cases of SUI. 

Location: Zoom

Contact Hour: Approved for 1 General and 1 Evaluative Contact Hour

Register Here