Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is associated with situations which bladder pressure exceeds the pressure at which the urethra has the capacity to remain closed, such as physical exertion, coughing, and sneezing. SUI is more predominant in women worldwide, with a prevalence ranging from 10% in young women to 45% in the elderly. Physiotherapy interventions in SUI include patient education including recommendations for bladder and/or bowel training, fluid management, and diet modification; modalities for decrease pain; pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with or without biofeedback and/or electrical stimulation to improve strength and coordination of the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and stabilization exercises to improve strength of abdominal and/or lumbar stabilizer muscles.~PFMT includes repetitive contraction of the PFM, which increases perineal support and improves the muscle tone of the PFM. Modified pilates exercises (MPE) is a mind-body approach that includes slow, controlled movements that focus on posture and breathing.~The aim of the study was to compare the effects of PFMT and MPE on SUI frequency and explosure from symptoms, PFM activation response and strength of lumbar stabilizing muscle in elderly women with SUI. In this study, thirty-four elderly women who were diagnosed with SUI were randomized into Group 1: PFMT (n=17) or Group 2: MPE (n=17). Both groups performed their exercises twice a week for 12 weeks and accompanied by a physiotherapist. Incontinence Severity Index (ISI), Urogenital Distress Inventory-Short Form (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7) were used to assess SUI frequency and explosure from symptoms, electromyography (EMG) device was used to assess PFM activation response and a stabilizer was used to assess strength of lumbar stabilizing muscle. The assessments were performed at baseline and after 12 week treatment. The effect size was calculated for the assessments used in the study.
The aim of the study was to compare the effects of PFMT and MPE on SUI frequency and explosure from symptoms, PFM activation response and strength of lumbar stabilizing muscle in elderly women with SUI.