Stress urinary incontinence: effect of pelvic muscle exercise. Cues to action: pelvic floor muscle exercise compliance in women with stress urinary incontinence. Effects of a submaximal exercise protocol to recondition the pelvic floor musculature. Pelvic floor muscle training in female stress urinary incontinence: comparison between group training and individual treatment using PERFECT assessment scheme. Intensive supervised versus unsupervised pelvic floor muscle training for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: a randomized comparative trial. Nursing intervention to enhance efficacy of home practice of pelvic floor muscle exercises in treating mixed urinary incontinence. An alternative intervention for urinary incontinence: retraining diaphragmatic, deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle coordinated function. Effect of pelvic-floor muscle exercise position on continence and quality-of-life outcomes in women with stress urinary incontinence. Impact of supervised physiotherapeutic pelvic floor exercises for treating female stress urinary incontinence. A randomized controlled trial of duloxetine alone, pelvic floor muscle training alone, combined treatment and no active treatment in women with stress urinary incontinence. Short-term efficacy of group pelvic floor training under intensive supervision versus unsupervised home training for female stress urinary incontinence: a randomized pilot study. Device to promote pelvic floor muscle training for stress incontinence. Paula method of circular muscle exercises for urinary stress incontinence--a clinical trial. Randomized trial of circular muscle versus pelvic floor training for stress urinary incontinence in women. Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in incontinent women at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital: a randomized controlled trial.
Twenty women with stress urinary incontinence diagnosed by urodynamic testing participated in a 6-week pelvic muscle exercise program. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercise program, with or without an intravaginal balloon, on urinary leakage as determined by a 30-minute and a 24-hour pad test. Relative strength of the pelvic muscles was evaluated using an intravaginal device that measures the pressure generated during a muscle contraction. After completion of the exercise program, 18 of the 20 subjects had an increase in strength of the pelvic floor muscles, as demonstrated by increased intravaginal pressure or a decrease in urinary loss on the 24-hour pad test. The use of an intravaginal balloon did not improve performance of the pelvic muscles or decrease urinary loss as compared with the subjects who exercised without an intravaginal balloon. Twelve months after the completion of the exercise program, 19 of the participants responded to a questionnaire about their urinary loss and performance of pelvic muscle exercises. None of the subjects stated that her urinary loss was worse, three had undergone surgical intervention, and ten had not continued to exercise. Seven subjects still exercised, with subjective improvement of urinary loss. It appears that pelvic muscle exercises may be successful in improving the condition of stress urinary incontinence; however, half of the subjects did not continue to exercise independently. Pelvic floor muscle exercises are recommended as an initial treatment to women with stress urinary incontinence. This treatment is often unsuccessful because of patient noncompliance. A post-test, experimental control group design was used to examine Pender's (1992) concept of an external cue to action, an audiocassette tape, to enhance patient compliance to pelvic floor exercises. Eighty-six women with urodynamically evaluated stress urinary incontinence participated through a Pelvic Floor Exercise Unit at a large teaching hospital. Patients received biofeedback training and written information to reinforce pelvic floor muscle exercises during a 45-min appointment with a nurse. Patients were instructed to perform the exercises for 10 min twice daily. Forty-three women randomly assigned to an experimental group received an audiocassette tape. Four to 6 weeks later all patients completed a researcher-developed questionnaire that was validity and reliability tested assessing pelvic floor exercise compliance. The 43 patients (100%) who received the audiocassette tape reported compliance with "routine" exercises. Twenty-two of 34 patients (65%) who did not receive the tape were compliant (P = 0.0003). Thirty-four of 41 patients (83%) who received the tape reported exercise compliance twice a day, while 4 of 34 patients (12%) in the control group were similarly compliant (P = 0.0000). The findings suggest adding an audiocassette tape to a pelvic floor exercise program enhances patient compliance for incontinent women compared to verbal and written instruction combined with biofeedback. Although research has documented the efficacy of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) exercise for improved pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength, the efficacy of submaximal voluntary contraction (SVC) exercise for treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence (GSUI) has not been described.
                To compare the training-induced changes in endurance, strength, and muscle activity recruitment, and continence control in groups of women with GSUI who exercised the PFM using either near-maximal voluntary contraction (NMVC) or SVC effort.
                Training-induced changes in PFM response to exercise were tested by using a quasi-experimental design. Thirty-two women, randomly assigned to either the SVC or NMVC exercise protocol group, were tested before and after training on endurance, muscle contraction strength, muscle activity recruitment, 10-hour weighed pad test for grams of urine loss, and subject-rated severity and frequency of leakage episodes. Repeated measures of specific study variables were retrieved and analyzed from home-training device computer memory and diary records. Changes in muscle activity recruitment, measured as microvolts of electromyogram (EMG) amplitude, were correlated with changes in muscle contraction strength and endurance.
                Increases in muscle contraction strength (t = 1.75; p = 0.045) and decreases in grams of urine leakage (t = -1.86; p = 0.036) were significant for the SVC group. No significant differences were found between the groups for changes in endurance, muscle activity recruitment, frequency of leakage episodes, or subject-rated severity of urine loss based on a 7-point Likert scale.
                Study findings suggest that SVC exercise designed with specificity for gain in neuromuscular control may be beneficial for strengthening the PFM and increasing endurance of contractions to attain and maintain continence in women with GSUI. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) that can be done individually or in a group. The aim of this study was to compare these two types of treatment.
                Sixty women 30 to 75 years old with SUI were randomly assigned to participate in the two groups. They were evaluated before and after the treatment with the Oxford grading system, pad test, voiding diary, and the King's Health Questionnaire.
                Both groups experienced significant reductions in urinary leakage as measured by the pad test and bladder diary. A negative pad test was observed in about 50% of patients in both groups. There were statistically significant improvements in both muscle strength and quality of life. When the groups were compared, there were no differences in the results between them.
                Individual treatment and group PFMT appear to be equally effective for improving SUI. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is considered to be the first-line treatment for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). There are few studies that have tested the efficacy of unsupervised PFMT. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of intensive supervised PFMT to unsupervised PFMT in the treatment of female SUI.
                Sixty-two women with SUI were randomized to either supervised or unsupervised PFMT after undergoing supervised training sessions. They were evaluated before and after the treatment with the Oxford grading system, pad test, quality of life questionnaire, subjective evaluation, and exercise compliance.
                After treatment, there were no differences between the two groups regarding PFM strength (p = 0.20), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score (p = 0.76), pad test (p = 0.78), weekly exercise compliance (p = 0.079), and subjective evaluation of urinary loss (p = 0.145).
                Both intensive supervised PFMT and unsupervised PFMT are effective to treat female SUI if training session is provided. This study was conducted to evaluate nursing intervention to enhance the efficacy of a home-based pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) in treating mixed urinary incontinence among a community-based population. Eighty-eight women with mixed incontinence were recruited for this study and were asked to practice PFME at home as instructed. A registered nurse monitored the study group via telephone checkups twice a week. The Symptoms (LUTS) Questionnaire and a disease-specific questionnaire of impact index were used for repeat measurements before intervention, at 3 and 6 months after PFME. Symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, urge incontinence, and urinary stress incontinence improved significantly in the study group at 6 months. Quality of life with regard to worry about pads/towels leakage and getting wet also improved in the study group at 6 months. Nursing intervention can significantly improve the efficacy of a home-based PFME program in community women with mixed storage symptoms. This study was a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of treating women with stress or mixed urinary incontinence (SUI or MUI) by diaphragmatic, deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) retraining. Seventy women were randomly allocated to the training (n = 35) or control group (n = 35). Women in the training group received 8 individual clinical visits and followed a specific exercise program. Women in the control group performed self-monitored PFM exercises at home. The primary outcome measure was self-reported improvement. Secondary outcome measures were 20-min pad test, 3-day voiding diary, maximal vaginal squeeze pressure, holding time and quality of life. After a 4-month intervention period, more participants in the training group reported that they were cured or improved (p < 0.01). The cure/improved rate was above 90%. Both amount of leakage and number of leaks were significantly lower in the training group (p < 0.05) but not in the control group. More aspects of quality of life improved significantly in the training group than in the control group. Maximal vaginal squeeze pressure, however, decreased slightly in both groups. Coordinated retraining diaphragmatic, deep abdominal and PFM function could improve symptoms and quality of life. It may be an alternative management for women with SUI or MUI. Pelvic-floor muscle (PFM) exercises are effective in reducing stress urinary incontinence (SUI), but few studies have investigated the effect of specific exercise variables on treatment outcomes. This study explored the effect of exercise position on treatment outcomes in women with SUI.
                Forty-four women were randomly assigned to exercise in the supine position only or in both supine and upright positions. Bladder diary, pad test, urodynamic test, quality-of-life (Incontinence Impact Questionnaire [IIQ]), and PFM strength outcomes were obtained at baseline and after treatment.
                Exercise position did not affect outcomes. After data from both groups were collapsed, statistically significant improvements with treatment were observed in bladder diary, IIQ, PFM strength, and urodynamic test results.
                Exercise position did not differentially affect treatment outcomes. However, women in this study achieved a mean 67.9% reduction in the frequency of SUI episodes and improvements in other study outcomes. Urinary incontinence is a public health problem that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Stress incontinence is the most prevalent type. Pelvic floor muscle exercises have been used for treating it, although there is no consensus regarding their application. The aim of this study was to compare the results from treating female stress urinary incontinence with pelvic floor muscle exercises with or without physiotherapist supervision.
                This was a randomized, prospective, controlled trial in the Urogynecology and Vaginal Surgery Sector, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
                Forty-four women were randomized to be treated for stress urinary incontinence with pelvic floor exercises for three consecutive months, into two groups: one with and the other without physiotherapist supervision. They were evaluated before and after treatment using a quality-of-life questionnaire, pad test, micturition diary and subjective evaluation. Descriptive analysis was used to evaluate the population. The homogeneity of the two groups was evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-squared tests. The success of the two groups after treatment was evaluated using the Wilcoxon test.
                The supervised group showed statistically greater improvement in the pad test, micturition diary and quality of life than did the control group. In the subjective evaluation, only 23.8% of the control group patients were satised with their treatment. In the supervised group, 66.8% of patients did not want any other treatment.
                Supervised pelvic floor muscle exercises presented better results in objective and subjective evaluations than did unsupervised exercises. We primarily compared the effectiveness of combined pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and duloxetine with imitation PFMT and placebo for 12 weeks in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). In addition, we compared the effectiveness of combined treatment with single treatments, single treatments with each other and single treatments with no treatment.
                This blinded, doubly controlled, randomized trial enrolled 201 women 18 to 75 years old with SUI at 17 incontinence centers in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States. Women averaged 2 or more incontinence episodes daily and were randomized to 1 of 4 combinations of 80 mg duloxetine daily, placebo, PFMT and imitation PFMT, including combined treatment (in 52), no active treatment (in 47), PFMT only (in 50) and duloxetine only (in 52). The primary efficacy measure was incontinence episode frequency. Other efficacy variables included the number of continence pads used and the Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire score.
                The intent to treat population incontinence episode frequency analysis demonstrated the superiority of duloxetine with or without PFMT compared with no treatment or with PFMT alone. However, pad and Incontinence Quality of Life analyses suggested greater improvement with combined treatment than single treatment. A completer population analysis demonstrated the efficacy of duloxetine with or without PFMT and suggested combined treatment was more effective than either treatment alone.
                The data support significant efficacy of combined PFMT and duloxetine in the treatment of women with SUI. We hypothesize that complementary modes of action of duloxetine and PFMT may result in an additive effect of combined treatment. Current management guidelines propose pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) as first line treatment for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of group PFMT under intensive supervision to that of individual home therapy in women with SUI.
                Thirty women with clinical and urodynamic diagnosis of SUI were randomized in two equal-number groups. Following a common demonstration course, Group A women received a detailed schedule for home training, while Group B in addition attended a weekly hospital group visit. At 12 weeks both groups were assessed for changes in subjective and objective outcomes.
                Twenty-two women, (10 Group A, 12 Group B) with a mean age of 47.3 years completed the study. Although significant (P<0.05) improvements were noted in both groups in quality of life scores, number of incontinence episodes/week, 24-hr frequency, and endurance, repetitions and fast contractions upon vaginal assessment of the PFMs, comparative analysis at the end of the study demonstrated significantly better results for women in Group B, who also improved in daily pad usage, underwear wetting, modified Oxford grading of the PFMs and hold with cough. Consequently, significantly more women in Group B reported improvement in their continence (100% vs. 20% in Group A).
                Group PFMT under intensive supervision produced significantly better improvements in primary and secondary outcomes in the short-term compared to individual, unsupervised home application of PFMT.
                Copyright (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Many patients with stress urinary incontinence do not have enough motivation to continue pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) by themselves. Therefore, a device was created to support PFMT, and its effect was examined.
                Forty-six women with stress urinary incontinence were assigned to a control group or a device group in order of presentation. A pamphlet on PFMT was given to control patients, while the same pamphlet plus the device and instructions on its use were given to patients in the device group. The device had a chime that was set to sound three times a day when exercise sessions were scheduled. PFMT consisted of fast and slow pelvic floor muscle contraction exercises that were performed for 2 min and followed a rhythm set by the device.
                After 8 weeks, 20 patients from the control group and 21 patients from the device group could be evaluated. In the control group, only the quality of life (QOL) index improved significantly. In the device group, however, the daily number of incontinence episodes, the number of pads used daily, the QOL index, and the pad weight in the pad test improved significantly. Patients in the device group said that they felt obligated to perform PFMT when the chime sounded. Forty-eight percent of patients from the device group were satisfied with the outcome of PFMT, while only 15% were satisfied in the control group.
                This device may be useful to support the management of stress urinary incontinence. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the Paula method of circular muscle training in the management of stress incontinence (SI). The theory behind this method states that activity of distant sphincters affects other muscles. In a pilot study, 59 women, mainly hospital employees, were randomly assigned to participate in exercises according to the Paula method or pelvic floor training. Efficacy was measured by reports of incontinence, quality of life (I-QOL), pad test, and pelvic floor muscle strength (assessed by perineometer and digital examination). Both the Paula exercises and pelvic floor training produced significant changes in urinary leakage compared to baseline as measured by the pad test [mean decrease of 5.4 g (p=0.002) and 9.5 g (p=0.003), respectively]. Women randomized to the Paula method reported improvement in I-QOL scores. The Paula method was found to be efficacious for SI in a population of Israeli women. Larger community-based studies will be required to confirm these results and enable evaluation of between-group differences. Conservative management, such as pelvic floor muscle training (PMFT), is commonly recommended as first-line therapy for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
                We randomly assigned 245 women with SUI to 12 weeks of circular muscle exercises (Paula method) or PMFT in order to assess whether these approaches are equivalent. End points after 12 weeks included urinary leak as measured by a 1-hour pad test, subjective assessment of incontinence, and quality of life (QOL). Cure was defined as urinary leakage of <1 g.
                The mean decrease in urinary leakage was 7.9 g (SD 12.1) among women in the Paula group and 8.9 g (SD 18.2) in the PFMT group (90% confidence interval [CI] of between-group difference was -4.68 g to 3.0 g). This did not meet the prespecified criterion for equivalence. There were 15.2% (p = 0.04) more cures in those randomized to the Paula method. Improvement in subjective urinary complaints and QOL was observed in both groups. The study was limited by a dropout rate of 26.6%.
                Both methods are efficacious in women with SUI. The results suggest superiority of the Paula method in terms of cure rate. To compare the effects ofthree different pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in stress urinary incontinence (SUI) women.
                Sixty-eight eligible SUI women who could perform pelvic floor muscle contraction correctly were randomly allocated to the three diferent PFMT protocols, exercise every day (GJ), exercise three days per week (G2), and exercise plus abdominal training three days per week (G3). The primary outcome was pad test. The secondary outcomes were pelvic floor muscle strength, and treatment satisfaction. The outcomes were evaluated before and after a 12-week of exercise.
                The weights ofpad were decreased by 2.6 +/- 0.8, 2.3 +/- 1.3, and 3.1 +/- 1.3 grams for group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was no statistical significant difference among the three groups. The pelvic floor muscle strength was increased by 18.4 +/- 2.7, 13.9 +/- 2.9, and 17.3 +/- 3.0 cmH2O for group 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with statistical significant difference among groups (p < 0.00). The increased muscle strength in group 2 was significant less than the other two groups (p < 0.00). Treatment Satisfaction showed the leakage was improved with non-significant difference between groups (p > 0.05). No complications were seen in any of the groups.
                Even though the results showed non-significant decrease in pad's weight among the three training groups, the pelvic floor muscle strength were increased in all groups.
This review found that the existing evidence was insufficient to make any strong recommendations about the best approach to pelvic floor muscle training. We suggest that women are offered reasonably frequent appointments during the training period, because the few data consistently showed that women receiving regular (e.g. weekly) supervision were more likely to report improvement than women doing pelvic floor muscle training with little or no supervision.