Urinary continence is a urinary tract disorder characterized by the involuntary leakage of urine. The control over the urinary sphincter is lost, and the affected person urinates even if he or she doesn’t want to. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is expected to be an effective therapy for urinary continence. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PFMT in women with urinary continence with or without electromyographic feedback.
This parallel, randomized controlled trial included a total of 600 women aged 18 and older with stress or mixed urinary continence. The participants were randomized in a 1:1 ration to receive PMFT with (n=300) or without (n=300) electromyographic feedback. The primary outcome of the study was the severity of urinary continence (self-reported) measured by ICIQ-UI SF scores (0-21; 21 is the most severe).
At a follow-up of 24 months, the ICIQ-UI SF scores were 8.2 for women in the PMFT-feedback group, compared with 8.5 in the PMFT-only group. The quality-adjusted life years and the cost of therapy were almost the same in the two groups.
The research concluded that in women with urinary continence, no significant difference was reported in the ICIQ-UI SF scores of PMFT-feedback and PMFT-only groups.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3719
