Functional Interaction of Pelvic Floor, Diaphragm and Trunk Muscles among Men with Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Research background and hypothesis. The absolute dominance of the isolated muscle presentation as the first
and  last  word  in  muscular  anatomy  leaves  the  current  generation  of  therapists  unlikely  to  think  any  other  way
(Myers,  2009).  Hypothesis:  functional  relationships  could  be  found  between  pelvic  floor,  diaphragm,  and  trunk
muscles in men with prostate cancer.
Research aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate functional associations between pelvic floor, diaphragm,
and trunk muscles among men with prostate cancer.
Research methods. The study included 81 male volunteers diagnosed with prostate cancer with measurements
conducted one day before radical prostatectomy. Pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance were measured using
“Peritron  9300”  device,  the  strength  of  diaphragm  –  with  “MicroRPM”,  the  strength  of  transversus  abdominis
muscle – with “Stabilizer”. Trunk muscles were tested using tests for static postural endurance of abdominal and
back muscles. Associations were estimated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r).
Research results. Analysis of functional indicators of muscles demonstrated high linear associations between
strength of pelvic floor and diaphragm (r = 0.79), between strength of diaphragm and exhalation muscles (r = 0.78),
and between static endurance of abdominal and back muscles (r = 0.72). We determined moderate correlations
between endurance of pelvic floor and strength of transversus abdominis muscle (r = 0.59), between strength of
transversus abdominis and static endurance of abdominal muscles (r = 0.69), between strength of diaphragm and
static endurance of abdominal (r = 0.56) and back muscles (r = 0.51), between the strength of exhalation muscles and
static endurance of abdominal muscles (r = 0.57) and strength of pelvic floor (r = 0.65), between strength of pelvic
floor and static endurance of back muscles (r = 0.50). Low correlations were found between strength of pelvic floor
and transversus abdominis (r = 0.31) and static endurance of abdominal muscles (r = 0.44), between endurance of
pelvic floor and exhalation muscles (r = 0.37), and finally between transversus abdominis and static strength of back
muscles (r = 0.39). All correlations were statistically significant (p  < 0.01).
Discussion and conclusions. The findings showed positive associations among different functional indicators
of muscles: strength of pelvic floor correlates with endurance of pelvic floor muscles, static abdominal and back
muscles, strength of diaphragm, and transversus abdominis muscles. The results of this study confirm that functional
associations between pelvic floor, diaphragm, and trunk muscles exist.

Keywords: abdominal muscles, static postural endurance, respiration, core stability.