BACKGROUND: Low back and pelvic pain in pregnant women is a clinical condition of which the etiology is multifactorial. Thus, various variables can influence the low back and pelvic pain’s intensity.OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the gestational trimester, practice of physical activity and weight gain on the intensity of low back and pelvic pain in low risk pregnant women.METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-seven pregnant women participated in this study. The gestational age, body mass index, weight gain, physical activity practice and the low back and pelvic pain were evaluated.RESULTS: We found a significant difference (P= 0.02) in pain intensity, when comparing active and sedentary pregnant women. No significant differences were found when comparing pain intensity between the gestational trimesters (2ndversus 3rd; P= 0.60). There was no significant relation between the weight gain and pain intensity (r= 0.03 false|P= 0.28). The multivariate analysis indicated that sedentary pregnant women have a higher risk (P= 0.001) of intense pain and the pain is not influenced by the weight gain (P= 0.08) and the gestational trimester (P= 0.98).CONCLUSIONS: Sedentary pregnant women have 30% more chances to have higher pain intensities when compared to the active women, regardless of the gestational trimester and weight gain.

Introduction: Pregnancy is characterized by several changes in her body. These changes contribute to the emergence of low back pain, which may influence the quality of sleep during pregnancy. Objective: To compare the quality of sleep among pregnant women with and without low back pain during pregnancy, examining the relationship between two variables. Materials methods: Thirty volunteers aged between 19 and 36 years, divided into control group (CG -n = 16) and Study Group (SG -n = 14), residents in the cities of Natal, were evaluated in the second trimester of pregnancy. To sleep evaluation were used to index the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Low back pain was evaluated using the pressure algometer, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index. Statistical analysis used the Shapiro Wilk test, Student's T test for independent samples and Pearson correlation test. Results: The mean gestational and chronological ages were 28.2 ± 3.4 years and 19.9 ± 3.7 weeks, respectively. Sleep quality was lower in SG (8.21 ± 4.8) when compared to CG (5.94 ± 1.7) and was statistically significant (P = 0.021). Analyzing the relationship between sleep quality and pain intensity, it was observed that the variables have a positive correlation between them

ObjectivePrevious studies show that multiparity and a number of chronic conditions are correlated among women. Also, low respiratory muscle strength has been associated to adverse health outcomes such as chronic lung disease and early mortality. This study aimed to investigate associations between the number of lifetime pregnancies and maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressures.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, 204 women ages 41–80 years-old, from the rural community of Santa Cruz, Brazil, provided data regarding demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, and number of lifetime pregnancies (≤3, 4–6 or ≥7). Maximal respiratory pressures were measured with a digital manometer. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association of multiple childbearing on maximal respiratory pressures.ResultsOf the participants, 44.1% had ≤3 pregnancies, 30.4% had 4–6 pregnancies and 25.5% had >7 pregnancies. In the unadjusted analyses, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures varied significantly according to multiple childbearing categories. After adjustment, the values remained statistically significant only for maximal expiratory pressure. Compared to women with ≤3 lifetime pregnancies, those who had ≥7 pregnancies had significantly lower maximal expiratory pressure values (β = -18.07, p = 0.01)ConclusionMultiple childbearing appears to be negatively associated with maximal respiratory pressures; women with a higher number of lifetime pregnancies had lower values of maximal respiratory pressures when compared to those with fewer pregnancies. This association may be due to biomechanical changes in the respiratory muscles promoted by multiple lifetime pregnancies. This finding indicates a need to motivate women, from the prenatal to postpartum period, to safely exercise their respiratory muscles, including abdominal muscle exercises as well as respiratory muscle training.

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of parity, type of delivery, and physical activity level on pelvic floor muscles in postmenopausal women. [Subjects and Methods] This was an observational analytic cross-sectional study with a sample of 100 postmenopausal women, aged between 45 and 65 years, divided into three groups according to menopausal stage: hysterectomized and early and late postmenopause. Patients were assessed for sociodemographic and gyneco-obstetric factors and subjected to a muscle strength test and perineometry. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and multiple regression were applied. [Results] The results showed homogeneity in sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics. There was no difference in pelvic floor muscle function among the three groups. Type of delivery, parity and physical activity level showed no influence on muscle function. [Conclusion] The findings demonstrate that parity, type of delivery, and physical activity level had no influence on pelvic floor muscle pressure in postmenopausal women. One hypothesis to explain these results is the fact that the decline in muscle function in postmenopausal women is related to the female aging process.

-Aims:Changes resulting from the gestational period may lead to changes in the biomechanics of women, which can alter the performance of functional activities such as sit-to-stand. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of a virtual reality-based exercise protocol on the kinematic variables of the sit-to-stand movement in women in their second and third gestational trimesters. Methods: The sample consisted of 44 women selected according to the eligibility criteria, allocated into 4 groups: control group, 2 nd trimester (CG2T); experimental group, 2 nd trimester (EG2T); control group, 3 rd trimester (CG3T); and experimental group, 3 rd trimester (EG3T). All the volunteers answered the identification and evaluation form and were sent to the kinematic evaluation through the Qualisys Motion Capture System®. An intervention with game therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 30 minutes each, three times a week. Results: No statistically significant differences were found intra-(P> 0.54) and inter-groups (P> 0.059) for kinematic variables. However, there was a tendency for improvement in the analyzed variables after the proposed protocol. Conclusions: The data obtained suggest that the use of the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus® was not able to influence sit-to-stand kinematic variables in the analyzed women.