Anyone who trains with the PelvicTool quickly notices that the device reacts sensitively to the slightest changes in sitting position or even to coughing and speaking. This high sensitivity of the sensor system is essential for effective biofeedback training. The question of whether cheating is possible can therefore be answered with both yes and no: Yes, because the PelvicTool registers even the smallest movements of the upper body, legs, and buttocks and displays them on the smartphone. No, because users quickly learn through the feedback method to remain still, sit quietly, not speak, and only contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles. A key element of the feedback method is that users focus on the movements displayed on the smartphone screen. They can see exactly what they are doing. Therefore, the “cheating problem” occurs—if at all—only rarely and primarily during the first training sessions.
Is it important to train with full strength?
Sometimes patients try to contract the pelvic floor muscles with maximum effort. They tense their abdominal muscles, thighs, glutes, and move their upper body. It is recommended to first sit quietly and focus solely on the sphincter muscles, such as when urinating. Men can also try to move their penis. Precisely because the device detects very small movements, it allows users to learn how to move the pelvic floor muscles in a targeted manner. Only then should more strength be applied.
Since the pelvic floor muscles are connected to the whole body and are also affected by coughing, sneezing, speaking, and body movements, these movements must also be displayed. In these cases, the muscles are indeed active. It is not possible to eliminate these influences through a support device. On the contrary, such a device would allow users to brace themselves, which would affect force transmission. For this reason, the PelvicTool seat does not have supports or backrests. Likewise, it is not advisable to hold onto a handle, as this could transfer force to the pelvic floor through the arms and torso.
For test measurements in physiotherapy, the following procedure is recommended:
- Train wearing light clothing such as jogging pants or leggings
- Quiet, stable sitting during the test program: – Buttocks still – Back straight – No movement of upper body, legs, or arms
- No talking, coughing, or laughing.
- Focus on contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles according to the test program.
- Of course, you can stop and start over if a disturbance occurs.
As mentioned above, it is physically impossible to isolate or eliminate all the “disturbing” movements or compensate for them with additional sensors (either directly or computationally). Various studies have shown that due to the complexity of the pelvic floor and the anatomical diversity of the buttocks, the apparent “interference” cannot be significantly reduced. Even fixing the user’s body in place does not help. This has fundamental implications for comparative measurements and progress tracking. The solution lies in repeated measurements and a bit of statistics. Our measurements consistently show that this approach reliably reveals and tracks training progress.
