Overactive bladder (OAB) is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a limited number of treatment options.
To investigate the effect of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with biofeedback on OAB symptoms in female MS patients.
This study was conducted at the outpatient MS clinic in Istanbul. At baseline bladder diary, post-voiding residue (PVR), OAB, and Qualiveen Scales (QoL: Quality of Life; Siup: Specific Impact of Urinary Problems on QoL) were assessed. Patients were allocated to receive TTNS or PFMT daily for 6 weeks and reevaluated using the same tests.
Fifty-five patients (TTNS = 28, PFMT = 27) were included. Compared with baseline, both TTNS and PFMT groups improved in terms of OAB (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001), Qualiveen-siup (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001), Qualiveen-QoL (p = 0.002, p = 0.006), PVR (p = 0.0001, p = 0.21), frequency (p = 0.0001, p = 0.69), nocturia (p = 0.0001, p = 0.19), urgency (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001), and urge incontinence (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001). Between-group comparisons showed significant differences in 24-hour frequency (p = 0.002) in favor of TTNS.
Our study demonstrates the efficacy of both TTNS and PFMT for managing OAB symptoms in MS, associated with a significant impact on QoL, but did not show superiority of the methods. Further studies are needed to explore differences between these two non-invasive treatments.
Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England). 2020 Jun 09 [Epub ahead of print]
Cansu Polat Dunya, Zeliha Tulek, Murat Kürtüncü, Jalesh N Panicker, Mefkure Eraksoy
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey., Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey., Department of Uro-Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.