Grant: Project Grant

Over 80% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are unable to effectively control their bladder. Similarly, the majority of individuals with SCI experience impairments to their sexual health (e.g. erectile dysfunction, poor vaginal lubrication, reduced sexual desire). Both bladder and sexual health problems have severe negative effects on quality of life. Current strategies used by clinicians to improve bladder and sexual health in people with SCI focus on patient education, pharmaceuticals, and the use of medical devices (e.g. catheters for urination, or genital prosthetics for erectile dysfunction). However, pharmaceuticals for bladder and sexual health problems come with negative side effects, including some so severe that many people cannot tolerate taking these medications. Medical devices like catheters and prosthetics may help manage symptoms of bladder and sexual health problems, but do not help treat these conditions. New strategies for improving bladder and sexual health after SCI are desperately needed. In able-bodied people, a common strategy to tackle bladder and sexual health problems is to exercise and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These specialized muscles in the pelvis are key to bladder and sexual health as they control the flow of urine, and also play a role the sexual responses of both men and women. In this research project, we will explore how we can prescribe pelvic floor muscle exercises to people with SCI, and get an idea of what effect this type of training could have on bladder and sexual health. If our results show that doing pelvic floor muscle exercises is possible and perhaps effective for people with SCI, it will open exciting new areas of research to use exercise-based strategies for improving bladder and sexual health after SCI.