1. LONG TERM EFFECTS OF PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE EXERCISES IN WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE: ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY.
- Author
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Orhan, Ceren and Akbayrak, Türkan
- Subjects
URINARY incontinence ,KEGEL exercises ,PELVIC floor physiology ,WOMEN'S health ,BODY mass index ,QUALITY of life - Abstract
Introduction and Aim: Pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) are recommended as a first-line treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) (Grade A evidence). The aim of PFME is to improve the support of the proximal urethra and bladder neck in order to prevent urinary leakage. The long-term effects of PFME have not been clearly revealed yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate long-term effects of the PFME in patients with UI. Method: Based on symptomatic evaluations, 12 patients (mean age: 50.08±7.57 years, mean Body Mass Index: 27.33±3.44 kg/m2, and mean duration of UI: 5.66±3.22 years) diagnosed with UI were participated. Demographic and physical characteristics and detailed medical histories of patients were recorded. Fast and sustained contractions suggested by physiotherapists were performed for one-year period. Severity of UI by Incontinence Symptom Index, symptom distress by Urogenital Distress Inventory, quality of life by Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, and pelvic floor muscle function by vaginal perineometer were evaluated at baseline, month 6 and month 12. Friedman and Wilcoxontests were used to conduct statistical analysis. p <0.05 was set as a statistical significant level. Results: It was found statistically significant improvements in the severity UI, symptom distress, quality of life, pelvic floor muscle function over time (p <0.05). There were statistically significant differences in symptom distress, quality of life, and pelvic floor muscle function at all pairwise comparisons (baseline and month 6; baseline and month 12) (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results of the present study provided evidence on long-term effects of PFME. Long-term application of PFME is essential to sustain improvements obtained at the short-term period. Patients should be encouraged to continue PFME after the completion of active treatment program. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to reveal long-term effects of PFME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018