Pelvic compression garments alter running biomechanics, perceived support, and fear of symptoms in postpartum women with pelvic floor dysfunction: preliminary observations from an exploratory, randomised, repeated-measures crossover design

Wearing a pelvic compression garment appears to alter running biomechanics in postpartum women with PFD in a way that produces a smoother running gait and restricts transverse pelvis motion, promoting trunk-pelvis coordination similar to that of healthy runners. In addition, wearing a pelvic compression garment increases perceived core and pelvic floor support and decreases fear of experiencing PFD symptoms compared to a control condition. Levator hiatus distensibility does not appear to interact with how symptomatic postpartum women respond to wearing a pelvic compression garment and therefore offers limited predictive value. Future studies with higher statistical power are needed to further investigate the biopsychosocial effect of pelvic compression garments.