Stress Urinary IncontinencePhysiotherapy

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is often found in women and affects their physical, psychosocial, and economic well-being. Two thirds of women suffering from urinary incontinence reported a negative impact on quality of life.

Factsheet

Situation

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of two different therapy training programs in female patients suffering from SUI in a randomized controlled trial with six months follow-up.

Course of action

This trial focusses on involuntary power or rate of force development training (experimental group, n=48) against a commonly applied training program aiming at voluntary power or rate of force development training (control group, n=48). Primary outcome is urine loss and quality of life assessed by the ICIQ-UI short form questionnaire of those 16 weeks standardized physiotherapy programs.

Result

The ICIQ-UIsf score decreased significantly over time for both groups with no group differences at any point in time and showed a clinically relevant effect on SUI of two PT protocols.

Looking ahead

The investigation of function-oriented pelvic floor muscle training methods for hypertrophy, intramuscular coordination, power, and power endurance training, which are comparable with “common” skeletal muscle training, i.e., performed with higher intensities than in “common” pelvic floor muscle training, should be further investigated.

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 3: Good health and well-being