Exercise adherence to pelvic floor muscle strengthening is not a significant predictor of symptom reduction for women with urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictors of treatment effectiveness for women with urinary incontinence (UI) receiving pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strengthening. DESIGN: Four-month cohort study. SETTING: Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteers (N=68; mean age ± SD, 50.5±6.0y) with UI. INTERVENTION: Four-month daily PFM strengthening exercise program at home. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included self-reported improvement, Severity Index score, 3-days diary, strength of PFM, and quality of life. The participants' recall of the amount of exercise after the 4-month exercise period was used to assess the exercise adherence. RESULTS: Fifty-one (75%) of 68 women reported that their condition improved after 4 months of exercise. There were significant reductions in Severity Index score, number of voidings per day, number of leakages per day, and impact on quality of life (P<.05). In addition, the score of PFM strength was significantly improved (P=.001). There were no significant correlations between the change score of the Severity Index and age, body mass index, parity, type of UI, duration of UI, menopausal status, and amount of exercise (all P>.10). Multiple regression analysis revealed that initial severity of symptoms and improvement of PFM strength predicted 51.3% of variance in 4-month exercise effectiveness (change score of the Severity Index). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the 4-month PFM strengthening program was influenced by the severity of symptoms and the improvement score of PFM strength instead of exercise adherence. Women who had more significant symptoms of leakage (higher score on the Severity Index at baseline) and who had more improvement of PFM strength showed more improvement of symptoms after PFM strengthening.

Effect of pelvic-floor muscle strengthening on bladder neck mobility: a clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic-floor muscle (PFM) strengthening has been widely used to treat people with urinary incontinence (UI). However, its effect on bladder neck position and stiffness is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of PFM strengthening on bladder neck mobility for women with stress UI (SUI) or mixed UI (MUI). DESIGN: This study was conducted as a single-group pretest-posttest design. SETTING: This study was conducted mainly at the Life Quality & Health Promotion Laboratory at National Taiwan University and partly in the Ultrasonography Room of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at National Taiwan University Hospital. Patients Twenty-three patients (mean age=51.9 years, SD=6.1) participated in the study. INTERVENTION AND MEASUREMENTS: Each participant underwent a PFM strengthening program for 4 months. Bladder neck position at rest and during a cough, the Valsalva maneuver, and a PFM contraction was assessed by transperineal ultrasonography before and after the intervention. Severity Index score, self-reported improvement, PFM strength (force-generating capacity), and vaginal squeeze pressure were assessed for treatment effect. RESULTS: The position of the bladder neck at PFM contraction and bladder neck mobility for maximal incursion from rest to PFM contraction were elevated, with effect sizes of 0.48 and 0.84, respectively. Bladder neck position and bladder neck mobility were not changed during a cough and the Valsalva maneuver. All participants reported diminution of incontinence, and PFM strength and maximal vaginal squeeze pressure were improved after the intervention. Limitations The limitations of the present trial included the pretest-posttest design and the absence of intra-abdominal pressure measuring and exercise adherence recording. CONCLUSIONS: Four months of daily PFM strengthening can significantly improve the ability of the PFM to elevate the bladder neck voluntarily, but may not improve its stiffness during a cough and the Valsalva maneuver for women with SUI and MUI.

An alternative intervention for urinary incontinence: retraining diaphragmatic, deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle coordinated function.

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.

Comparison of electric stimulation and oxybutynin chloride in management of overactive bladder with special reference to urinary urgency: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of electric stimulation (ES), oxybutynin, and placebo in managing the symptom complex of overactive bladder (OAB), particularly urgency. METHODS: A randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted for 68 patients with OAB, placing emphasis on urinary urgency. The interventions for the 12-week treatment period, conducted by the physiotherapist, who was unaware of the progress and outcome, included a vaginal ES program using biphasic symmetric, pulsed current with a 10-Hz frequency, 400-micros pulse width, 10/5 duty cycle, and varying intensity; and oxybutynin (2.5 mg) or placebo three times per day. Identical preintervention and postintervention assessments included the measurement of warning time, urodynamics, voiding diaries, and King's Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 68 women who completed this study, 24 were in the ES, 23 in the oxybutynin, and 21 in the placebo group. The between-group comparison showed that significant improvements in daily voided volume, pad count, number of urgency and nocturia episodes, and the domain 2 score and total score of the King's Health Questionnaire existed between the ES and the other groups (all P < or = 0.050). The changes in warning time, maximal voided volume, number of urgency episodes, and frequency were significantly improved between oxybutynin and placebo (all P < 0.013). Additionally, a comparison of the voided volume in uroflowmetry between the ES and placebo groups revealed a greater difference after treatment (P = 0.013). The reduction rate of OAB was 58.4% for the ES, 39.1% for the oxybutynin, and 9.5% for the placebo group (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: ES had the greatest subjective outcome for OAB and was the most effective of the three treatments. Oxybutynin was more effective than placebo.

Prospective randomized comparison of transobturator suburethral sling (Monarc) vs suprapubic arc (Sparc) sling procedures for female urodynamic stress incontinence.

The aims of this trial were to compare the attendant complications and postoperative voiding function of the Monarc and suprapubic arc (Sparc) suburethral sling procedures. This is the first article in English literature to compare different suburethral sling procedures using prosthesis of the same material and the same weave. Sixty women with urodynamic stress incontinence alone or combined with pelvic prolapse less than International Continence Society stage II were randomly allocated to either the Monarc or Sparc group. A comparison of the peri- and postoperative results comprising complications and symptoms of voiding function revealed no significant differences between the two groups in a follow-up ranged from 6 to 14 months (median, 9 months). However, the nonsignificant increase in tendency of inadvertent vaginal perforation and disability/pain of thigh (Monarc 12.9 vs Sparc 0.0%, p=0.112 and Monarc 12.9 vs Sparc 0.0%, p=0.112, respectively) has clinical significance. Based on the analyses of the comparison of Blaivas obstruction nomograms, postoperative voiding function was not significantly different between the two surgical groups. We concluded that Monarc and Sparc suburethral taping proved to be equally safe and posed no remarkable impact on voiding function in a short term postoperative follow up. However, intraoperative urethrocystoscopy is recommended for safety in both the Monarc and Sparc procedures.