Pelvic floor muscle training is commonly used for urine loss. However, research studies have not determined which training load is the most effective for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Moreover, none of the previous reviews or studies have described the total effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with an objective test such as the pad test. The objectives were to analyze the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in women with SUI and to determine which training load produces the greatest adaptations for decreasing urine loss. The search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane), for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of PFMT. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: participants were women; were older than 18; had SUI; were treated with PFMT; and the assessments of the effects were measured with a pad test. Finally, 10 articles (293 women) analyzed the pad test in women with SUI who performed PFMT. The meta-analysis showed that PFMT, independent of the protocol used in the study, resulted in decreased urine loss in women suffering from SUI. However, for large effects, the program should last 6-12 weeks, with >3 sessions/week and a length of session <45 min.
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2019 Nov 08*** epublish ***
Esther García-Sánchez, Vicente Ávila-Gandía, Javier López-Román, Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez, Jacobo Á Rubio-Arias
Department of Exercise Physiology, Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain., Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Alicante University, 03690 Alicante, Spain., Faculty of Sports, UCAM, Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.