Effectiveness of two conservative modes of physical therapy in women with urinary stress incontinence

Stress incontinence is the most prevalent form of female urinary incontinence and it affects approximately 5% of younger women to nearly 50% of elderly women. Women have traditionally been treated with pelvic floor muscle exercises alone or with the use of vaginal cones. A new treatment mode, vaginal balls, has been developed. The aim of this study was to compare pelvic floor muscle training with and without vaginal balls and to collect information on women's subjective feelings about the two training modes. The study was carried out as a prospective randomized clinical trial. Thirty-seven women aged 25-65 were assigned either to a pelvic floor muscle training program or to a training program using weighted vaginal balls for 4 months. Treatment outcomes were assessed by a pad-test with a standardized bladder volume, vaginal palpation, and by women's self-reported perceptions. The sense of coherence score was compared with the score for a normal population. Ninety-three percent of the women completed the study. Both training modes were effective in reducing urinary leakage: with vaginal balls (P < 0.0001) and without (P < 0.019); and increasing pelvic floor muscle strength: with vaginal balls (P < 0.0039) and without (P < 0.0002). However, the reduction of urinary leakage after four months of exercise in the training group with vaginal balls was significantly better (P < 0.03) than the results in the group training with pelvic floor muscle exercises alone. The study found the weighted vaginal balls to be a good alternative for training pelvic floor muscles in women with stress urinary incontinence.     

Cortical magnetic stimulation in patients with genuine stress incontinence: Correlation with results of pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor training is an established conservative method of treatment in patients with genuine stress incontinence. It is not known why only a proportion of patients benefit from this form of treatment, while others with a comparable degree of incontinence do not. Since muscle awareness is of vital importance in pelvic floor training, we decided to investigate whether differences in outcome might be explained by differences in cortical control of the pelvic floor muscles. The function in the total motor pathway to the pelvic floor muscles was examined with cortical magnetic stimulation and circumvaginal EMG recording. Since lesions of the peripheral motor pathway have been demonstrated in patients with genuine stress incontinence, possible differences at this level were investigated by means of terminal pudendal motor latencies, using electrical nerve stimulation and anal recording EMG. We found that patients who succeeded with pelvic floor exercises for genuine stress incontinence had a significantly higher probability of response to cortical magnetic stimulation and significantly larger response amplitudes than the patients who did not benefit from training. The findings in the latter group did not differ from those of a healthy control group. No differences between the groups were found in the terminal pudendal motor latencies. We conclude that women with genuine stress urinary incontinence, successfully alleviated by a physiotherapeutic training program, have a higher degree of corticofugal control of their perineal muscles than women who do not succeed with the same treatment program and healthy controls. Neurourol. Urodynam. 18:437–445, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Pelvic floor training using biofeedback for muscle awareness in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: Preliminary results

Ten women with urinary stress incontinence were treated with a new method of pelvic floor rehabilitation, using biofeedback training with a surface electrode inserted in the vagina and a catheter in the rectum. The effect of the training was determined by a pad-weighing test. The training taught the patients awareness of the pelvic floor muscles and how to avoid increases in abdominal pressure. Seven patients showed improved pad-weighing tests and 5 were fully continent after the training.     

Pelvic floor reeducation and body posture correction for treatment of female urinary incontinence: Results of comprehensive pre- and post-treatment urodynamic testing

Of the conservative treatment modalities for stress urinary incontinence in females, the effectiveness of electric pelvic floor stimulation and exercise programs for reeducation of pelvic floor muscles are generally accepted and recognized. This prospective study reports on the analysis of subjective and objective pre- and post-treatment parameters in 12 selected female patients with stress incontinence who were enrolled in a physiotherapeutical training program consisting of acute intrarectal electrostimulation, pelvic floor exercises, and body posture correction (Mensendieck). Patients' symptom scores, performance status of pelvic floor muscles, body posture alterations as well as standard urodynamic parameters (maximal urethral closing pressure, functional urethral length, and maximum cystometric capacity), and telemetric ambulatory urodynamic parameters (pad-weighing test, urethral relaxations) were analyzed. This study shows the advantageous effect of pelvic floor reeducation and body posture correction for the treatment of female low-urethral-resistance urinary incontinence. A remarkable finding was the coalescence of genuine stress incontinence, proven on standard urodynamic investigation, and urethral instability on telemetric ambulatory urodynamic investigation in 10 of 12 patients (83%). This was very well treated by the training program. Pathophysiology of low-urethral-resistance urinary incontinence and the mode of action of the training program are discussed. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The role of the pelvic physical therapist

Pelvic physical therapy focuses on the prevention and the treatment of all kinds of functional disorders of the abdominal, pelvic and low back region, like urinary incontinence, that is considered as a high prevalent health problem in women, men, children and the elderly. Physical therapy is often considered as the first-choice treatment, due to its non-invasive character, the results in terms of symptom relief, the possibility of combining physical therapy with other treatments, the low risk of side effects and the moderate to low costs. Important restrictions for success might be motivation and perseverance of patient and therapist and the time needed for physical therapy. The armentum of the pelvic physical therapist contains interventions such as physiotherapeutic diagnostics, education and information of patients, pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training, bladder training (BlT), training with vaginal cones, electrical stimulation, biofeedback, etc. In stress incontinence, to improve the extrinsic closing mechanism of the urethra, physical therapy is aimed on strength improvement and coordination of the peri-urethral and pelvic floor muscles. Especially, PFM training is effective. For detrusor overactivity physical therapy aims to reduce or eliminate involuntary detrusor contractions through reflexinhibition. Here, electrical therapy appears to be an effective intervention. In mixed urinary incontinence the physiotherapeutic diagnostic and therapeutic process focuses on the predominant factors. Radical prostatectomy is the most important cause of incontinence in men. An adequate program of PFM training, after radical prostatectomy, decreases the duration and the extent of incontinence and improves the quality of life. Conclusion: physical therapy is in many cases of incontinence an effective treatment option.     

Treatment of Female Urinary Incontinence with EMG-Controlled Biofeedback Home Training

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of pelvic floor training with EMG-controlled home biofeedback in the treatment of stress and mixed incontinence in women. Subjects were recruited from the urodynamic outpatient clinic and performed pelvic muscle training with an EMG-controlled biofeedback device for 20 minutes daily for 6 months. The number of pads used per day, the number of incontinence and urgency episodes, voiding frequency, maximum urethral closure pressure, functional urethral length and pressure/transmission ratio during stress were assessed before and after treatment. Thirty-three patients (13 with stress and 20 with mixed incontinence) completed the study. There was a significant decrease in the number of pads used per day, the number of incontinence and urgency episodes, and the voiding frequency. Twenty-eight patients (85%) reported that they were cured or improved. Urodynamic parameters did not change significantly. It was concluded that home pelvic floor training with EMG-controlled biofeedback is efficient in 85% of patients in alleviating the symptoms of genuine stress and mixed incontinence without causing side effects.     

Pelvic floor exercise alone or with vaginal cones for the treatment of mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence in premenopausal women

The authors compared intensive pelvic floor exercise alone (A) with intensive pelvic floor exercise plus vaginal cones (B) in premenopausal women with mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence. Forty-six patients (mean 43±6 years) were randomized into two training groups and treated for 3 months. Pre- and post-therapy urethral pressure profiles at rest and under stress and subjective results were obtained from 29 patients. The subjective improvement rate of the compliant patients after 12 weeks was 85% in group A and 84% in group B. When the dropouts (9 in group A and 8 in group B) were included in the subjective results an overall improvement rate of 48% in group A and 52% in group B was obtained. In group A one pressure transmission ratio (PTR) improved significantly at 6 weeks and the position of maximum urethral closure pressure was shifted proximally at 12 weeks. In group B one PTR in the midurethra was improved significantly at 6 weeks. The other urodynamic parameters were unchanged. There were no differences between groups A and B in subjective results or urodynamic findings. These results suggest that intensive pelvic floor exercise with or without vaginal cones improves the symptoms of mild to moderate stress incontinence in about 85% of premenopausal women, but that it has little effect on urodynamic parameters. Vaginal cones provided no additional benefit but may be useful for women for whom closely supervised pelvic floor exercise is not available.Editorial Comment: It is becoming increasingly clear from the literature that pelvic floor muscle exercises are effective in improving continence in many women with straightforward stress incontinence. An appropriate quest continues to determine how the exercises can best be taught and done. This article demonstrates that with frequent supervision, similar continence status is achieved both with and without the use of vaginal cones. It would be interesting to compare outcomes with and without cones in women who saw a health care provider only once for their initial teaching. If cones were found to be more effective in this setting, that would be a great aid to primary care physicians.The authors state that there was no correlation between the cone weight and the degree of improvement of symptoms: however, only 2 of the subjects progressed to the next heaviest cone weight. My understanding of the principles of athletic muscles training is that as one increases the resistance the muscle fibers hypertrophy and strengthen. This is the principle behind building biceps. Body-builders or power-lifters continue to increase the amount of weight (resistance) they lift in order to increase bulk and strength. I wonder if this same principle is the reason for the differences in results between this study and the one by Peattie et al. quoted by the authors. My major concern is that people begin to devalue the amount of effort required to perform effective pelvic floor exercises and make assumptions that such exercises are not as good as a permanent surgical cure. I believe that we have not yet begun to develop really effective muscle strengthening regimens for the pelvic floor, and attitudes such as the above will only serve to inhibit our progress.     

Clinical value of vaginal cones for the management of female stress incontinence

In women with mild stress incontinence (mean urine loss of 3.7 g/h), pelvic floor training using vaginal cones resulted in a subjective success rate of 70% (19/27), that is complete cure or reduction by >50% of the original severity. However, in women with severe stress incontinence (mean urine loss of 20.7 g/h) cone therapy was successful in only 14% (7/50). The predictive value of six parameters (age, parity, urine loss by pad test, frequency of incontinence, contractile strength of the vagina, and perceived problems) was analyzed and two showed significant prognostic values: a smaller amount of urine loss and less frequent incontinence. It is concluded that vaginal cone therapy is one physical treatment option for stress incontinence but is of no clinical effect for those with severe incontinence.     

The effect of training with vaginal weighted cones and pelvic floor exercises on the strength of the pelvic floor muscles: A pilot study

A pretest-post-test design (n=14) was used to investigate pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength over a 2-month training period using vaginal cones with pelvic floor exercises in the treatment of female stress incontinence, and to correlate any changes in muscle strength with objective and subjective measures of stress incontinence. PFM strength was assessed by vaginal examination and the ability to retain the cones. The symptom of stress incontinence was assessed using rating scales, and measured objectively by the extended pad test. The results showed a significant increase in muscle strength (P<0.05). An unexpected finding was that most of the improvement in PFM function occurred in a 1-week baseline assessment period before training was commenced. It is therefore suggested that the increase in force generation occurred due to a process of neural adaptation rather than muscle hypertrophy. No significant correlations were found between muscle strength and objective or subjective measures of stress incontinence.Editorial Comment: Vaginal cones are gaining in popularity as a method of therapy for stress incontinence. As in this study, the symptom of stress incontinence was enough to begin treatment and objective documentation of the diagnosis was not undertaken. The therapy has no side-effects and only requires that the patient is motivated enough to put the cone in the vagina and take it out after a prescribed time period. Everything else is automatic. Biofeedback from the perception of the cone falling out provides the stimulus for pelvic floor contraction. Success rates are high, with 21% cured and 29% improved for an overall improvement rate of 50%. Such therapies may be tried before diagnosis, and certainly before expensive surgical treatment.     

Results of the conservative treatment of urinary incontinence in women

We reviewed 115 incontinent women undergoing conservative treatment. Urinary incontinence was caused by pelvic floor weakness (genuine stress incontinence) in 54 patients, by involuntary detrusor contraction (detrusor instability) in 38 and by both (mixed type) in 23. Tricyclic antidepressants or alpha-adrenergic stimulators were given to 30 patients with pelvic floor weakness; Incontinence disappeared in 4 patients (13%) and was improved in other 3 patients (10%). Twenty-two patients with pelvic floor weakness underwent pelvic floor exercise with or without medication; Incontinence disappeared in 8 patients (36%) and was improved in other 11 patients (50%). The presence or absence of medication did not affect the results. Twenty-eight patients with involuntary detrusor contraction underwent bladder training combined with medication of detrusor relaxants. Incontinence disappeared in 4 patients (14%) and was improved in other 13 patients (46%); There was no significant difference in the results between smooth muscle relaxants and tricyclic antidepressants. Of the 23 patients with mixed type, 11 underwent bladder training with medication; Incontinence disappeared in 2 patients (18%) and was improved in 3 patients (27%). The remaining 11 patients received medication, pelvic floor exercise or urethral dilatation, and only 2 patients were cured or improved of incontinence. Follow-up of the patients with involuntary detrusor contraction or mixed type showed that urinary incontinence tended to recur after discontinuation of medication. These results indicate that incontinent women with pelvic floor weakness should be treated first with pelvic floor exercise, and then with bladder training with medication. Although it has only a limited effect, it is an acceptable treatment of urinary incontinence caused by involuntary detrusor contraction.     

Magnetic stimulation of the pelvic floor in older patients. Results of a prospective analysis

Since 2001 magnetic stimulation therapy has been available in Germany for treating urinary incontinence as an alternative to traditional electrical stimulation therapy. The results of 83 patients who underwent magnetic stimulation therapy for stress incontinence, OAB, and pelvic pain syndrome were evaluated. The results differed depending on the underlying disease. Patients with stress incontinence who could not properly contract pelvic floor muscles before could do so in 74% when clinically evaluated and patients with OAB symptoms improved in 54% as assessed by objective and subjective criteria, whereas patients with pelvic pain syndrome only benefited in 23%. Comparison of the results according to age revealed no significant difference between patients >65 years and younger patients.     

Neurophysiological findings in women with recurrent urinary incontinence after Burch colposuspension

The aim of this prospective observational study was to analyze the occurrence of neurogenic damage in the pelvic floor muscles in women with recurrent stress urinary incontinence, and to analyze whether a peripheral neuropathy in general covariates with possible neurogenic damage to the pelvic floor muscles. Seventeen women with recurrent stress urinary incontinence and 16 healthy continent women underwent a concentric needle electromyography (EMG) of the pubococcygeal muscles bilaterally and the external anal sphincter muscle, and a neurography of eight peripheral nerves. Seventy-five per cent of the healthy continent women displayed a deviant neurogenic pattern of the EMG in at least one of the pubococcygeal muscles, compared to 76% of the women with recurrent incontinence. Neurogenic patterns in all three investigated muscles were found significantly more often among the women with recurrent incontinence than in the healthy continent women. The age of all the women with neurogenic EMG patterns in all three muscles investigated was significantly higher than that of the women with neurogenic EMG patterns in two or less of the investigated muscles. The neurographic measurements showed no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusions showed that a neurogenic EMG pattern was frequently observed in the pubococcygeal muscles. Women with recurrent stress urinary incontinence were found to exhibit deviant EMG patterns in more pelvic floor muscles than did continent women.EDITORIAL COMMENT: The influence of neurophysical factors in the genesis of incontinence in women is still poorly understood. Each paper addressing this issue makes things a little clearer, but we still have a long way to go. This study shows that even though there are no statistically significant differences between groups, women with recurrent incontinence have more abnormal EMG patterns in more muscles than do continent women. We look forward to these authors pursuing their studies further and to others studying women with recurrent incontinence.     

Conservative Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: Who will Benefit?

The aim of the study was to find out which factors can predict the outcome of conservative treatment of urinary stress incontinence in women. One hundred and four women with stress urinary incontinence were evaluated by recall, and by clinical and urodynamic investigation and were given pelvic floor muscle exercises with or without the use of biphasic low-frequency electrostimulation and visual biofeedback. Two groups could be distinguished. The first consisted of 37 patients in whom conservative therapy proved successful; the second consisted of 67 patients in whom incontinence continued. The study investigated whether there was a significant difference in patients’ characteristics between the two groups. The number of conservative treatment sessions was not different between the two groups. The presence of a high body mass index, previous pelvic surgery, strong levator muscles and urethral hypermobility appeared to be poor prognostic features. More research is required to evaluate which patients can benefit from conservative treatment and which criteria can predict the outcome of pelvic floor physiotherapy in women with stress incontinence. This way, patients selection is possible and excessive costs can be saved.     

Magnetstimulation des Beckenbodens beim älteren Menschen

Since 2001 magnetic stimulation therapy has been available in Germany for treating urinary incontinence as an alternative to traditional electrical stimulation therapy. The results of 83 patients who underwent magnetic stimulation therapy for stress incontinence, OAB, and pelvic pain syndrome were evaluated. The results differed depending on the underlying disease. Patients with stress incontinence who could not properly contract pelvic floor muscles before could do so in 74% when clinically evaluated and patients with OAB symptoms improved in 54% as assessed by objective and subjective criteria, whereas patients with pelvic pain syndrome only benefited in 23%. Comparison of the results according to age revealed no significant difference between patients >65 years and younger patients.     

Are fatigue and disturbances in pre‐programmed activity of pelvic floor muscles associated with female stress urinary incontinence?

AIMS: To investigate whether there is a difference between a continent versus a stress urinary incontinent group of women regarding: (i) fatigue in pelvic floor muscles, and (ii) pre-activation times between pelvic floor and abdominal muscles during coughing. METHODS: Twenty-six continent and 20 stress urinary incontinent parous women were examined. Fatigue was measured with an intravaginal device. Time to 10% decline of the initial reference force (RF) was defined as time-to-fatigue. Simultaneous recordings of force developed in levator ani muscle and electromyographic activity in the external oblique abdominal muscle were performed to determine whether contraction of pelvic floor muscles precedes activity in abdominal muscles during coughing. RESULTS: Time-to-fatigue was identical in the two groups (10.5 sec in the continent and 11.5 sec in the incontinent group, median values). Normalized force was significantly reduced in the incontinent group. The pelvic floor muscles contracted 160 msec before the abdominal muscles in both groups. In 24% of the continent and in 30% of the incontinent women, however, abdominal muscle activity preceded activity of pelvic floor muscles. CONCLUSIONS: Muscular fatigue, defined as rate of force loss, does not seem to be associated with urinary stress incontinence. Moreover, muscular activity recruitment patterns were equal in both groups suggesting that other factors than disturbances of ordered muscle recruitment, that is, pelvic floor followed by abdominal muscles, may be responsible for stress urinary incontinence. It is likely that reduced normalized force, as found in the incontinent group, is an important contributing factor.     

The conservative management of genuine stress incontinence

All conservative methods of treating genuine stress incontinence (GSI) aim to increase the urethral closure pressure, either by increasing pelvic floor or urethral muscular tone (pelvic floor physiotherapy, electrostimulation, alpha-adrenergic agents), increasing tissue occlusive forces (hormone replacement) or by mechanical means. Simple pelvic floor exercises should suffice for motivated patients who are able to isolate the correct muscles. In the remainder the choice seems to lie between interferential therapy and treatment using weighted cones. Both are equally effective, but it would seem that the cones require less supervision by a trained therapist, treatment therefore being less timeconsuming for both patient and therapist.Drug therapy may be useful in cases of GSI when used as an adjunctive therapy, and may effect a cure where there has been an improvement in symptoms resulting from an enhanced pelvic floor tone. Surgery is required if these methods fail, but in those patients who are not suitable for such an approach, mechanical devices or a combination of methods may be tried.     

Efficacy of biofeedback in the treatment of urinary stress incontinence

Thirty-seven women with stress incontinence were given biofeedback instruction on how to perform pelvic floor exercises correctly. After 3 months with home exercises 31 patients performed a new standardized pad-weighing test: 39% were objectively cured and 42% improved. After a mean of 2 years 15 patients were evaluated with another pad-weighing test: 27% were now objectively cured and 47% improved. A questionnaire showed that 78% had an exact knowledge about the location of the pelvic floor muscles and 47% were satisfied with their present situation, but only 58% performed daily exercises.Editorial Comment: Treatment modalities for female urinary incontinence, as for any other medical condition, need to be validated prior to widespread use. The methods chosen to assess treatment also need to be acknowledged and deemed acceptable outcome measures. The study presents an objective assessment of biofeedback in the treatment of genuine stress incontinence. The authors report a 39% cure rate and a 42% improvement rate at 2 years, suggesting that biofeedback is a viable means of conservative management of genuine stress incontinence. Unfortunately, the study design lacks significant power on which to draw significant conclusions, as only 15 of 37 patients continued treatment for as long as 2 years. Compliance with treatment, however, is a factor found with any form of conservative (medical therapy) and, as such, the dropout rate experienced in this cohort of patients is not unexpected.     

The effect of postpartum pelvic floor muscle exercise in the prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of postpartum pelvic floor muscle exercise in the prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence. A prospective comparison design of 99 matched pairs (n=198) of mothers, a training group and a control group, was used. Eight weeks postpartum the training group attended an 8-week intensive pelvic floor muscle exercise course, training in groups led by a physical therapist for 45 minutes once a week. In addition they were asked to exercise at home at least three times per week. The control group followed the ordinary written postpartum instructions from the hospital. Pelvic floor muscle strength was measured pretreatment at the eighth, and post-treatment at the 16th week after delivery, using a vaginal balloon catheter connected to a pressure transducer. Vaginal palpation and observation of inward movement of the balloon catheter during contraction were used to test the ability to perform correct the pelvic floor muscle contraction. Urinary leakage was registered by interview, specially designed instruments to measure how women perceive SUI, and a standardized pad test. At baseline (8 weeks postpartum) there was no significant difference in the number of women with urinary incontinence in the training group compared to the control group. At 16 weeks postpartum, after the 8-week treatment period, there was a significant (P<0.01) difference in favor of the training group. In addition, a significantly greater improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength between test 1 and test 2 was found in the training group compared to the control group. The results show that a specially designed postpartum pelvic floor muscle exercise course is effective in increasing pelvic floor muscle strength and reducing urinary incontinence in the immediate postpartum period. EDITORIAL COMMENT: This paper is one of only a few looking at the efficacy of a rigorous pelvic floor muscle exercise training regime to help women with incontinence in the postpartum period. Whether or not these results will translate long-term into a lower incidence of urinary incontinence as these women age, is unknown, and may never be known. However, this paper points out that there is a definite benefit from pelvic floor muscle exercise for the treatment of postpartum incontinence, and we can use this information to more strongly counsel our patients in the use of these exercises.     

盆底生物反馈联合电刺激治疗女性压力性尿失禁

目的探讨盆底生物反馈联合电刺激治疗女性压力性尿失禁（stress urinary incontincnce,SUI）和压力/急迫混合性尿失禁（mixed urinary incontinence,MUI）的临床效果。方法2006年5月-2007年6月对40例轻中度女性尿失禁患者（SUI 22例,MUI 18例）,采用生物反馈治疗仪进行盆底生物反馈联合电刺激的训练治疗,治疗时间20-30 min,3次/周,疗程2个月。结果40例均获随访,平均8.9（3-14）个月。治愈14例（35.0%）,改善16例（40.0%）,无效10例（25.0%）,总有效率为75.0%;其中SUI有效率为77.3%（17/22）,MUI有效率为72.2%（13/18）。除少数患者插入探头时有轻微不适感外,无其他明显不适,无阴道感染等不良反应发生。但有5例治疗有效的患者症状复发。结论盆底生物反馈联合电刺激治疗女性轻中度SUI或MUI安全有效、治愈率较高。治疗后如能继续坚持Kegel操盆底肌锻炼有助于预防尿失禁的复发。     

Long-term effect of pelvic floor exercises on female urinary incontinence

In order to assess the permanent effect of pelvic floor exercises on female stress incontinence, 76 incontinent women, referred for incontinence surgery, underwent a 3-month exercise programme conducted by an experienced physiotherapist. The patients were followed up for 1 year. At the last assessment 30% were cured and 17% improved. Altogether 47% avoided surgery. No relapses were seen during the follow-up period. Patients with mild incontinence benefited from intensified training, since 72% could expect to be cured, while patients with severe incontinence and no immediate effect did not benefit from further exercises. Patients with a positive hormone status and those with normal weight had a significantly higher cure rate. The subjective results were confirmed by the 24-h pad test. Anal pressure profilometry was a valid method for instruction and objective control of pelvic floor function. It was concluded that pelvic floor exercises should precede surgery, since exercises had a permanent effect in half of the patients.