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Pelvic Floor Health Group

The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is clearly underestimated by public opinion, mainly because it is a taboo subject. Even young women are affected, often in sports, but especially after delivery or in old age. From a scientific point of view, physiotherapy is the first line treatment in this field, as its effectiveness has been thoroughly evaluated. In our «Pelvic Floor Health Group» we want to improve and optimize physiotherapy related to SUI and further pelvic floor disorders. We investigate diagnostic techniques, interventions and therapy plans regarding patient information, perception and movement as well as strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) in isolated contractions and complex whole-body movements. Specifically, we focus on the neuromechanical aspects of PFMs, i.e., the activation and contraction behavior during voluntary and involuntary, reflexive contractions, which are essentially important to guarantee continence.

People

Group head

Dr. Helena Luginbühl

  • Dozentin
  • +41 31 848 35 30
  • Show e-mail

Members

Alumni

  • Bettina Oberli-Peter, PT, BSc
  • Regula Corina Christen, PT, BSc
  • Rebecca Naeff, PT, BSc
  • Anna Zahnd, PT, BSc
  • Cecile Greter, PT, BSc
  • Doris Grünenfelder, PT, BSc
  • Adrian Kiener, BSc Micro- and Medical Technology
  • Silvan Rudaij, BSc Micro- and Medical Technology
  • Lisa Bachmann, PT, BSc
  • Angéline Bardill, PT, BSc
  • Katja Schenk, PT, BSc
  • Karin Minder, PT, BSc
  • Silvie Hügli, PT, BSc
  • Sabrina Thomann, PT, BSc
  • Nadine Christen, PT, BSc
  • Livia Schwertfeger, PT, BSc
  • Valerie Colijn, PT, BSc
  • Lea Spörri Lea, PT, BSc
  • Silvia Graber, PT, MAS
  • Damien Maurer, MSc BioMedEng
  • Noémie Flury, PT, MSc
  • Stefanie Gass, PT, MSc
  • Manuel Kuhn, PT, MSc
  • Anja Schraknepper, PT, MSc
  • Patricia Wassmer, PT, MSc
  • Claudia Balmer, PT, MSc

  • Céline Mötteli, PT, MSc

  • Patrizia Spagnuolo, PT, MSc

Opportunities

Master's thesis

For current master thesis opportunities, please contact the group head directly.

Ongoing collaborations

National

  • Foot Biomechanics and Technology Group, Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Sciences (Patric Eichelberger, PhD)
  • Department of Physiotherapy, University and University Hospital Bern, Switzerland (Martin Verra, PT, PhD)
  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University and University Hospital Bern, Switzerland (Annette Kuhn, MD)
  • University of Bern, Institute of Psychology, Department of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine (Jennifer Inauen, PhD)

International

  • Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany (Birgit Schulte-Frei, PhD)
  • Universität Hildesheim, Germany (Peter Frei, PhD; Nico Kurpiers, PhD)
  • BeBo Österreich, Tarrenz, Austria (Julia Wachter, MSc)
  • University of Utah, USA (Janet Shaw, PhD; Robert Hitchcock, PhD)
  • Free University of Brussels, Belgium (Jean-Pierre Baeyens, PhD)

Projects

Current projects

  • WakeUp pelvic: Pelvic floor muscle trainings app development.
    PI: Ieva Paludneviciute, Irene Koenig
  • Pelvic floor muscle fatigue and its impact on female continent and stress urinary incontinent volleyball players. PhD-Project Pascale Brand, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Nicolas Kurpiers, Co-advisor: Prof. Dr. Lorenz Radlinger

Completed projects

  • Enhanced neuromuscular assessment of the pelvic floor muscle with a flexible high-density surface EMG probe and electroanatomical mapping - A modelling and simulation study.
    PI: Patric Eichelberger
    Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant no. 190213)
  • Stress Urinary Incontinence Physiotherapy - A Randomized Controlled Trial with 6-Months Follow-up
    PI: Lorenz Radlinger, Annette Kuhn (Co-Investigator)
    Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant no. 320030_153424
  • Pelvic floor muscle activity during impact activities in continent and incontinent women
    PI: Lorenz Radlinger, Kenneth Hunt (Co-Leader)
    Sponsor: BFH Call for Proposal (Grant no 15166DPT-WGS)
  • Development of vaginal sensors measuring active and passive tone.
    PI: Volker Koch, Lorenz Radlinger. (Co-Investigator)
    Sponsor: BFH Call for Proposal (Grant no 1015SDPT-TI)
  • Stochastic Resonance Training in Women with Pelvic Floor Muscle Insufficiency
    PI: Lorenz Radlinger
    Sponsor: BFH Call for Proposal (Grant no 8154PT_WGS)

Publications

    Awards

    • Best presentation award in the field of urogynecology, Science Award of AUG (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Urogynäkologie und Beckenbodenpathologie), St. Gallen, Switzerland, 2019
    • Best poster award: Pelvisuisse Symposium, Winterthur, Switzerland, 2017
    • Outstanding presentation award: lnternational Organization of Physical Therapists in Women's Health (IOPTWH), World Confederation for Physical Therapy, World Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
    • Outstanding presentation award: lnternational Organization of Physical Therapists in Women's Health (IOPTWH), World Confederation for Physical Therapy, World Congress, Singapore, Republic of Singapore, 2015
    • Best poster award: Pelvisuisse Symposium, Winterthur, Switzerland, 2015
    • Best poster award: Pelvisuisse Symposium, Winterthur, Switzerland, 2014
    • Best poster award: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Hamburg, Germany, 2008
    • Best presentation award: PhysioSwiss Congress, St. Gallen, Switzerland, 2008