Melanie Morin

Université de Sherbrooke | UdeS · School of Rehabilitation

Background: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a recommended treatment for female stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence. Training varies in exercise type (pelvic floor muscles contracting with and without other muscles), dose, and delivery (e.g. amount and type of supervision). Objectives: To assess the effects of alternative appro...

Introduction Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) significantly burdens both women and society, often leading to adverse cognitive, behavioral, and emotional consequences. Additionally, over 80% of women with CPP may experience sexual dysfunction. Multimodal physiotherapy is well-suited to address these challenges as it incorporates various therapies and moda...

Introduction Childbirth is a major risk factor for levator ani muscle (LAM) trauma. In 21%-36% of women, stretching of the LAM leads to an avulsion injury, which is the detachment of the LAM from its insertion points on the pubic symphysis. LAM avulsion injury has been found to be significantly associated with important consequences such as higher...

https://www.ics.org/2024/abstract/239 Hypothesis / aims of study We updated the 2011 Cochrane review comparing different approaches to pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) [1] to treat female urinary incontinence (UI) for two reasons. First, to address ongoing uncertainties as a scoping search suggested many more potentially eligible randomised con...

https://event.fourwaves.com/fr/jscientifique2024/resumes/ecf1edee-7933-4c26-9e66-9680a21e9745

Objectives This study aimed to examine the association between the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder episodes (MDEs) and obsessive and harmonious passion as well as performance anxiety throughout a dance season, which lasted 38 weeks. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods A total of 118 professional and preprofessional dancers were recruit...

Introduction The pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) have been suggested to play a key role in sexual function and response in women. However, syntheses of the evidence thus far have been limited to interventional studies in women with pelvic pain or pelvic floor disorders, and these studies have failed to fully capture the involvement of the PFMs in a bro...

Conservative management of urinary incontinence (UI) or pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is defined as any intervention not involving surgical or pharmacological approaches. These comprise lifestyle modification, pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) either alone or with the addition of biofeedback, vaginal cones, electrical stimulation (EStim), magnetic...

Introduction Lasers are commonly used for treating various vaginal/vulvar conditions. To date, there is to our knowledge no available literature review on the effects of different types of lasers for the treatment of women with vulvodynia, a condition that causes chronic pain in the vulvar area. Objectives We sought to review the literature and su...

Background: The association between pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tone in women with persistent noncancer pelvic pain (PNCPP) is unclear. Aim: To synthesize the evidence of the association between pelvic pain and PFM tone in women with PNCPP. Methods: A systematic review was conducted via MEDLINE, Emcare, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO,...

Introduction Shear wave elastography (SWE) has gained popularity for assessing skeletal muscle stiffness and could potentially overcome some limitations associated with the assessment of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). Additionally, SWE is a non-invasive and painless alternative to the current method of assessing the PFMs, which is often painful o...

Introduction The pelvic floor muscles (PFM) have been suggested to play a key role in sexual function and sexual response in women. However, current syntheses of the evidence have been limited to interventional studies investigating the effect of modalities targeting the PFM on sexual function in women with pelvic pain and pelvic floor disorders. T...

Pain during sexual intercourse, also called dyspareunia, affects most women after treatment for gynecological cancer. Previous work adopted a biomedical approach to depict dyspareunia in this population, which provided a narrow perspective of this condition. Taking into account women’s experiences of dyspareunia and the factors influencing their ca...

Background Preprofessional and professional dancers are among the athletes who sustain the most musculoskeletal disorders. In recent years, conservative treatment and preventive measures have been investigated in this population. However, no systematic review regarding their effectiveness has been conducted. Hypothesis/Purpose The aim of this syst...

Introduction and hypothesis: Women diagnosed with provoked vulvodynia frequently report a great deal of frustration in achieving symptomatic relief. Physical therapy and drug treatment are among the interventions most indicated by guidelines; however, whether those modalities are effective when combined remains unclear. The objective was to evalua...

The thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) may be a pain generator, given its rich innervation. Structural and biomechanical changes have also been documented in adults with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP). Myofascial techniques (MFTs) are commonly used in manual therapy and are hypothesized to reduce tissue stiffness and pain. However, evidence for t...

Purpose We present the development and the key elements of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) in physiotherapy aiming to address sexuality, more specifically impairments and limitations that can interfere with sexual activity in adults with a neuromuscular disorder (NMD). Method The CPG was based on the Rare Knowledge Mining Methodological Framew...

Background Alterations in pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function have been observed in women with persistent noncancer pelvic pain (PNCPP) as compared with women without PNCPP; however, the literature presents conflicting findings regarding differences in PFM tone between women with and without PNCPP. Aim To systematically review the literature compar...

HYPOTHESIS / AIMS OF STUDY Alterations in the function of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) were shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of various pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, and pelvic organ prolapse. Yet, the assessment of the PFM remains an ongoing challenge. Although various methods are currently available...

Après 65 ans, une femme sur trois présente de l’incontinence urinaire (IU) et de celles-ci, jusqu’à 25 % souffrent de symptômes sévères (>10 épisodes/semaine)[1,2]. L’IU avec une composante d’urgenturie, soit l’IU d’urgence (IUU), et l’IU mixte (IUM) ont été associées à un risque accru de chutes chez les personnes âgées[3-5]. Cependant, malgré l’im...

Background: Dancers are at high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. There has been a growing interest in the last few years in pre-season screening using tools to evaluate movement competency, among which is the Movement Competency Screen (MCS). It is currently scored using a categorical 3-level rating system, but this method does not seem to take...

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a neuromuscular disease that can affect the pelvic floor muscles but few studies have investigated pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence. The main purpose of this study was to document the prevalence, characteristics, and impacts of urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders in women wi...

Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is the first-line treatment for women of all ages with urinary incontinence (UI), but evidence supporting its effects on the functional anatomy of the pelvic floor is scarce in older women. We aimed to evaluate the long-term (one-year) effects of PFM training on the shape of the levator hiatus (LH) in older women...

Introduction and hypothesis Multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is recommended after gynecological malignancies to treat dyspareunia. However, data to strongly support its implementation in the cancer care continuum are lacking. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of gynecological cancer survivors with dyspare...

Introduction Dyspareunia frequently affects women after gynecological cancer treatment. The focus of previous studies has been on the biomedical factors contributing to dyspareunia in this population. To our knowledge, no study has yet examined the biopsychosocial factors associated with women's experiences of dyspareunia after gynecological cancer...

Introduction Laser therapy and more specifically, High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT), is an emerging non-invasive and non-ablative treatment modality, that appears promising for treating provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). However, evidence supporting this treatment remains limited so far as no prospective study has examined the feasibility, acceptabil...

Introduction Physical therapists are part of the rehabilitation team following individuals with neuromuscular disorders (NMD). Due to their impairments, people with NMD can have difficulties engaging in sexual activities. One study reported that 70% of people living with chronic disorders present difficulties related to sexuality and only 18% can o...

BACKGROUND Children with disability face long wait times for rehabilitation services. Prior to the pandemic, telehealth adoption was low across most rehabilitation settings, including pediatrics. As a result of the pandemic restrictions, pediatric therapists were asked to rapidly shift to using telehealth without previous experience and often minim...

Background: Children with disability face long wait times for rehabilitation services. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth adoption was low across pediatric rehabilitation. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, pediatric therapists were asked to rapidly shift to telehealth, often with minimal training. To facilitate the behavior change...

Objectives: To investigate the validity of shear wave elastography (SWE) as a measure of stiffness of the puborectalis muscle by examining: (1) the relationship between puborectalis muscle stiffness and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) activation at different intensities; and (2) the relationship between puborectalis stiffness and pelvic floor morphometr...

High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) has been gaining popularity in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, including vulvodynia. The objective of this study was to critically appraise and synthesize the available evidence on the efficacy of HILT for reducing pain and improving function in vulvodynia and other chronic primary musculoskeletal...

Purpose: This article investigates the immediate effects of a dry needling (DN) puncture on the viscoelastic properties (tone, stiffness, elasticity) of a trigger point (TP) in the infraspinatus muscle in non-traumatic chronic shoulder pain. Method: Forty-eight individuals with non-traumatic chronic shoulder pain were recruited. The presence of a T...

Question(s) How cost-effective is group-based pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) for treating urinary incontinence in older women? Design Economic evaluation conducted alongside an assessor-blinded, multicentre randomised non-inferiority trial with 1-year follow-up. Participants: A total of 362 women aged ≥ 60 years with stress or mixed urinary i...

Objective: To investigate whether pretreatment pain characteristics, psychological variables and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function predict the response to physical therapy (PT) in women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). Methods: One hundred-five women diagnosed with PVD underwent 10 weekly sessions of individual PT comprising education, PFM e...

Introduction and hypothesis: To compare blood flow of the dorsal clitoral artery in women diagnosed with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) and in healthy controls using color Doppler ultrasonography. We hypothesized that women with PVD would have a restricted blood flow compared to controls. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the function...

Background A large proportion of gynecological cancer survivors suffer from pain during sexual intercourse, also known as dyspareunia. Following a multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) treatment, a reduction in pain and improvement in psychosexual outcomes were found in the short term, but no study thus far has examined whether these chan...

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a progressive neuromuscular disease affecting both smooth and striated muscles. It has been suggested that this multisystemic disease also impairs the genitourinary and lower gastrointestinal systems, but information is scattered and no systematic review has been conducted. The objectives of this systematic review...

There is growing evidence that provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a frequent and debilitating condition, is characterized by central sensitization. This study aimed to examine predictive factors of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) efficacy in this chronic pain population. Exploratory analysis derived from a randomized controlled trial was...

Background: Dry needling (DN) is increasingly used for treating myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) and has shown significant effects on pain and function. This study aimed to assess feasibility of conducting a randomized sham-controlled trial and to collect preliminary data on the effects of infraspinatus DN on corticospinal excitability and mechan...

Context: No meta-analysis has comprehensively addressed both benefits and harms, or the certainty of evidence of the implantable continence devices used in men to treat postprostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI). Objective: To evaluate the benefits and harms of surgical treatments for patients suffering from PPI and assess the certainty of evi...

Objective To investigate the changes in pelvic floor morphometry and muscle function after multimodal pelvic floor physiotherapy treatment in gynaecological cancer survivors suffering from painful intercourse (dyspareunia). Design Prospective interventional study. Setting Three university hospitals. Participants Thirty-one gynaecological cancer...

The female pelvis is a complex anatomical region comprising the pelvic organs, muscles, neurovascular supplies, and fasciae. The anatomy of the pelvic floor and its fascial components are currently poorly described and misunderstood. This systematic search and review aimed to explore and summarize the current state of knowledge on the fascial anato...

Introduction Mild motor difficulties in children are underdiagnosed despite being highly prevalent, leaving such children often underserved and at higher risk for secondary consequences such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety. Evidence suggests that early patient-oriented interventions, coaching parents and providing children with early stimulat...

Introduction The terminology for female and male pelvic floor muscle (PFM) assessment has expanded considerably since the first PFM function and dysfunction standardization of terminology document in 2005. New terms have entered assessment reports, and new investigations to measure PFM function and dysfunction have been developed. An update of this...

Background Dyspareunia affects most women after treatment for gynecologic malignancies. However, to date, evidence-based interventions remain limited and no study has examined the effects of multimodal physical therapy on psychosexual outcomes in these patients. Aim To assess the effects of multimodal physical therapy on psychosexual outcomes incl...

Background: Dancers are a unique category of athletes who are frequently injured and experience pain. The primary cause of dance injuries is overuse, which could potentially be prevented. However, literature is scarce regarding validated methods of evaluating the risk of injury in dancers. The Movement Competency Screen (MCS) could potentially fil...

Objective More than half of gynecological cancer survivors are affected by pain during sexual intercourse, also known as dyspareunia. Oncological treatments may result in pelvic floor muscle (PFM) alterations, which are suspected to play a key role in dyspareunia. However, to date, no study has investigated PFM function and morphometry in this popu...

Les femmes âgées incontinentes semblent être plus à risque de chuter. Ainsi, le taux de chute chez les femmes âgées ayant de l'incontinence urinaire mixte est de 29 % contre 20 % chez les femmes âgées continentes [1]. Cependant, la relation entre les chutes et l'incontinence urinaire n'est pas encore bien comprise et très peu d'études l'ont analysé...

Purpose: The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of autologous muscle-derived cell (AMDC) injections on the urethral sphincter morphometry compared to placebo injections. Secondary aims were to explore the reduction of stress incontinence episode frequency (IEF) and factors associated with the efficacy of AMDC. Methods: This prospective...

Aims To compare the effects of group‐based and individual physiotherapy for stress or mixed urinary incontinence (UI) on pelvic floor morphometry, pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function, and related self‐efficacy, immediately after treatment and at 1 year. Methods This is a planned secondary analysis of the group rehabilitation or individual physiothe...

Objectives: Painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) is a distressing condition affecting a large proportion of gynecological cancer survivors, yet treatments remain limited and poorly studied. This multicenter prospective interventional study examined the feasibility, acceptability and effects of multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy in gyneco...

Importance Urinary incontinence is one of the most prevalent health concerns experienced by older women (aged ≥60 years). Individual pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the recommended first-line treatment for stress or mixed urinary incontinence in women, but human and financial resources limit its delivery. Whether group-based PFMT performs as...

Background Provoked vestibulodynia is the most common subtype of chronic vulvar pain. This highly prevalent and debilitating condition is characterized by acute recurrent pain located at the entry of the vagina in response to pressure application or attempted vaginal penetration. Physical therapy is advocated as a first-line treatment for provoked...

Introduction The assessment of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) overactivity is part of a comprehensive evaluation including a detailed history (medical, gynecological history/antecedent), appraisal of the psychosocial contexts of the patient, as well as a musculoskeletal and a neurological examination. Objectives The aims of this article are to review (...

Introduction Clinicians rely on palpation for locating and diagnosing trigger points in muscles. Measuring a trigger point with clinical palpation remains a challenge. There are currently no validated tools available in clinical practice to objectively measure a trigger point. Method The presence of a trigger point within the infraspinatus muscle...

Background Recruitment of participants is crucial to the success of any trial as it can have a major impact on study costs, the duration of the study itself, and, more critically, trial failure. Given that vulvodynia particularly affects young women, the use of social media and e-recruitment could prove efficient for enrollment. Aim To compare the...

Starzec M, Fradette J, Bardin M, Tu LM, Bérubé-Lauzière Y, Paré J, Carroll MS, Morin M. A systematic review evaluating the efficacy of high intensity laser therapy (HILT) for vulvodynia and musculoskeletal pain Lamvu G. Abstracts from the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS) Annual Scientific Meeting on Pelvic Pain 2019. PAIN Reports. 2020;5(2...

Aims The purpose of this scoping review was to map out the existing literature on caffeine intake and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in adults. Methods In this scoping review, we searched for all studies available until June 2019 in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register, PsycINFO, LILACS, LiSSa, Web of Science, and Joanna Briggs...

Introduction Overactive pelvic floor (OPF) muscles are defined as muscles that do not relax, or may even contract, when relaxation is needed, for example, during micturition or defecation. Conditions associated with OPF are multifactorial and include multiple possible etiologies and symptom complexes. The complex interplay between biological and ps...

Objective: This study aims to investigate the mechanism of action of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) for the improvement of the signs and symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in postmenopausal women with GSM and urinary incontinence (UI). Methods: Twenty-nine women were included in the secondary analysis of a single-arm feasibi...

Aims: The fall rate in urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) and mixed UI (MUI) older women is higher when compared with that of continent women. One hypothesis is that a strong desire to void (SDV) could alter gait parameters and therefore increase the risk of falls. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of SDV on gait para...

Work presented in the poster session during the conference organized by International Pelvic Pain Society, Toronto, ON, October 2019

Objectives. To determine the feasibility of recruiting families of children with suspected or diagnosed developmental coordination disorder (sdDCD) and explore their satisfaction with a web-based intervention Design. A feasibility randomized trial was conducted. Participants were the parents of 5–12-year-old children with sdDCD. The intervention gr...

Objective: To explore the effects of a web platform, aiming to support parents of children 5–12 years old with suspected or diagnosed developmental coordination disorder (DCD), on parental knowledge and skills. Method: A randomized pilot trial was undertaken (Clinical trial NCT03141333). Parents of the intervention group (n = 15) had access to a we...

Background : Post-radical prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI) is a frequent and feared complication that can affect approximately 25% of patients. Between 1 and 10% of patients suffering from PPI will require surgery. The effectiveness of the available surgical interventions has only been compared in a few randomized controlled trials and the...