Impact of a physical therapy intervention on the quantity of urine loss among elderly women with urinary incontinence

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common health problem among elderly women that may affect body structure, functions, activities and social participation. Conservative treatments are advocated as an alternative
to improve UI symptoms. This pre-post-one-group experimental study assessed the impact onto urine loss of a protocol of pelvic floor exercises and vaginal electrical stimulation. Thirty elderly women (70.10±8.628 years old) with diagnosis of overactive bladder and mixed UI (confirmed by urodynamic exam) were submitted first to the 24-hour pad test and bladder diary, and subsequently to 12 therapeutic exercise sessions for pelvic floor muscles, associated to electrical stimulation. There were statistically significant differences between the quantity of urine loss as measured by the 24-hour pad test (p=0.001), as well as in loss episodes (p=0.004) and in mictional frequency (p=0.000). The protocol of therapeutic exercises and pelvic floor muscle electric stimulation had thus a positive impact over symptoms of urine loss, number of loss episodes, and mictional frequency, assuring patients‘ clinical improvement.