Exercise programmes for women with stress urinary incontinence

Aim To compare the efficacy of a supervised pelvic floor exercise programme and conventional home-prescribed exercise programme for the treatment of mild-tomoderate stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. Method Thirty four women with SUI were randomly distributed into a group home exercise programme (HEP) or group HEP and supervised exercise programme (HEP+SEP). The HEP group performed eight to ten contractions of the pelvic floor muscles three times a day for six months. The HEP+SEP group also attended a weekly, 45-minute supervised exercise programme. Results Compared to pre- and post-training values, the strength of pelvic floor muscles increased in HEP and HEP+SEP. Similar reductions on pad test were registered in HEP and HEP+SEP. The urinary leakage episodes per week decreased in HEP and HEP+SEP. The rate of women who thought they were cured, almost cured, or feeling better was 100 per cent in HEP+SEP and 64.7 per cent in HEP. Conclusion The home exercise programme was beneficial for women with mild-to-moderate SUI; but the HEP+SEP improvement was more pronounced.