Pelvic floor muscle exercises utilizing trunk stabilization for treating postpartum urinary incontinence: randomized controlled pilot trial of supervised versus unsupervised training.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of supervised and unsupervised pelvic floor muscle exercises utilizing trunk stabilization for treating postpartum urinary incontinence and to compare the outcomes.

DESIGN

Randomized, single-blind controlled study.

SETTING

Outpatient rehabilitation hospital.

SUBJECTS

Eighteen subjects with postpartum urinary incontinence.

INTERVENTIONS

Subjects were randomized to either a supervised training group with verbal instruction from a physiotherapist, or an unsupervised training group after undergoing a supervised demonstration session.

MAIN MEASURES

Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptom questionnaire (urinary symptoms and quality of life) and vaginal function test (maximal vaginal squeeze pressure and holding time) using a perineometer.

RESULTS

The change values for urinary symptoms (-27.22 ± 6.20 versus -18.22 ± 5.49), quality of life (-5.33 ± 2.96 versus -1.78 ± 3.93), total score (-32.56 ± 8.17 versus -20.00 ± 6.67), maximal vaginal squeeze pressure (18.96 ± 9.08 versus 2.67 ± 3.64 mmHg), and holding time (11.32 ± 3.17 versus 5.72 ± 2.29 seconds) were more improved in the supervised group than in the unsupervised group (P < 0.05). In the supervised group, significant differences were found for all variables between pre- and post-test values (P < 0.01), whereas the unsupervised group showed significant differences for urinary symptom score, total score and holding time between the pre- and post-test results (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that exercising the pelvic floor muscles by utilizing trunk stabilization under physiotherapist supervision may be beneficial for the management of postpartum urinary incontinence.