Effectiveness Of Pelvic Floor Exercises, Digital Vaginal Palpation And Interpersonal Support On Stress Urinary Incontinence

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Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 04 Aug 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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UroToday.com - Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is most appropriate for patients with mild-to-moderate stress urinary incontinence (SUI). To obtain therapeutic efficacy, it is crucial that PFME be performed correctly and consistently. Without appropriate training; however, up to 30% of patients are not aware of how to perform PFME.

This was a randomized clinical trial, Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. The subjects totaled 108. Half were randomly assigned to the experimental group, and the other half were randomized to the control group. The objective of this study is to investigate the relative effects of interpersonal support and digital vaginal palpation (DVP) as part of PFME training as compared to PFME with a printed handout instruction, in a 12-week, individualized training program. To reflect the efficacy of DVP, a 1-h pad test was employed as the primary outcome measure. The decrease in the weight of the 1-h pad test from baseline was significant (p < 0.001) in the experimental group but not in the control group (p = 0.514).

The results serve to support the notion that modification of PFME techniques may lead to significant improvements in outcome. Interpersonal support and PFME, performed correctly, increase the effectiveness of PFME in reducing urine leakage, even in patients who have very few symptoms of SUI. This study was performed by a very skilled physician who had good rapport with his patients. But if the doctor is busy or his female patient with mild SUI is shy, her condition may go undiagnosed. If the nurse, however, is familiar with DVP as part of the PFME training technique, and can provide interpersonal support, more female patients with mild to moderate SUI will be helped and progression of this disease will be prevented.

Written by Chieh-Hsing Liu as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com

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