Physical therapy in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

Introduction Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an involuntary release of urine through the urethra during the increase of abdominal pressure in the absence of m. detrusor contraction. The exercise of pelvic floor muscles is recommended as the first line of cure. It is the least invasive and the only method without any undesirable side effects, which leads to either improvement or complete cure of SUI in 80-85% of cases. Objective The aim of this study was to establish whether the strengthening of pelvic floor muscles using proprioceptive neural facilitation (PNF) spiral dynamic technique was more efficient in comparison to classical Kegel exercise. Methods The research was carried out at the Centre for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clinical Centre Kragujevac. Sixtysix female patients with the symptoms of SUI were monitored in the period of two years. Thirty-four patients did pelvic floor muscle exercises twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, with 15-20 contractions. Thirty-two patients used PNF spiral dynamic technique for strengthening pelvic floor muscles. The patients who used the spiral dynamic technique also did some exercises from the program; they exercised twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, following the prescribed schedule. Treatment outcome was assessed by measuring the pelvic floor muscles by a vaginal dynamometer. Results The values of the pelvic floor muscle force that were measured using the vaginal dynamometer in both examined groups (PNF spiral dynamic technique or Kegel exercise) were statistically significantly higher after the implemented exercise program (t-test; p=0.000). No statistically significant difference in pelvic floor muscle values was found between the patients who applied PNF spiral dynamic technique and those who did Kegel exercise either before or after the exercise (two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements, factor of exercise type; p=0.899). Conclusion Strengthening of pelvic floor muscles by exercises results in a significant increase of pelvic floor muscle strength and reduction of SUI symptoms, regardless of the used exercise program, PNF spiral dynamic technique or Kegel exercise program.