What is MAPLe and how can it help me?

You may have seen MAPLe advertised on this website as an option for your pelvic floor muscle training. MAPLe is a new device from the Netherlands and is unique in the way it works for pelvic floor muscle training.

The MAPLe treatments are completed in clinic with your physiotherapist and are ideally booked at weekly or fortnightly intervals. The device is set up and handled by your physiotherapist and you are provided with your own probe which can be inserted vaginally or rectally (depending on your symptoms and treatment needs).

The finger-sized probe contains 24 gold electrodes that can do 2 things. Firstly, each electrode can measure the electrical activity in your pelvic floor muscles. Secondly, each electrode can provide electrical stimulation to the pelvic floor muscles. Due to the small size and number of electrodes, it is possible to assess and treat individual muscles within the pelvic floor. For example, if you have delivered a baby vaginally with an episiotomy (cut) and/or forceps or ventouse, one side of your pelvic floor may be thinner and less active than the other muscles. It is possible with MAPLe to rehabilitate the injured muscle to a more symmetrical and functional state, therefore reducing symptoms of prolapse, incontinence and pain.

The measurement of electrical activity can also identify areas of increased activity within the pelvic floor. For example, in cases of pelvic floor or tail-bone pain, there is often evidence of overactivity in one or more of the pelvic floor muscles. This can be identified and treated as necessary in order, once again, to restore symmetry within the pelvic floor.

It is possible to train your pelvic floor with feedback from the device via an iPad screen. In the image below, you can see the line graph demonstrating the overall activity of the pelvic floor muscles during an exercise training session:

The higher the blue line reaches, the more active the pelvic floor muscles are. During this exercise, you will be asked to squeeze the pelvic floor when the blue line enters the grey box and then relax when the line is in the white section.

Below you can see the image of the MAPLe grid. This is a depiction of the feedback from each individual electrode. This is useful for the physiotherapist to diagnose which muscles are under or overactive.

MAPLe works in a very different way to other stimulation and biofeedback machines on the market. Due to it's unipolar mechnism, smallness of electrodes and nu,ber of electrodes, assessment & treatment of your pelvic floor can be tailor-made to your needs. The feedback you receive is objective and helps to guide both you and your physiotherapist on the journey to achieving your pelvic health goals!

To find out more about MAPLe, please see the 'Services' page on this website. If you have any questions, let me know [email protected]. You can book your MAPLe assessment today at the 'Appointments' page.