Physical therapy Versus Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Introduction: 

                        Stress urinary incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine during physical activity like sneezing, coughing, laughing, singing, dancing etc, and many more.it is a common health problem among women that negatively affects quality of life.

Urinary incontinence is a medical condition where an individual loses control over their bladder. It can range from occasional leaks when coughing or sneezing to sudden and strong urges to urinate that cannot be controlled. The severity of the condition varies from person to person and can be caused by everyday habits, underlying medical conditions, or physical problems.

Facts About Incontinence:

1. Urinary incontinence affects up to 33% of adults in the United States.
2. It is twice as common in women compared to men .
3. Urinary incontinence is not a normal part of aging, but the prevalence of urinary incontinence increases with age .
4. Pregnancy and vaginal childbirth put tremendous pressure on pelvic tissues, including the bladder, urethra, nerves, and pelvic floor muscles. It’s common for women to leak urine during pregnancy and for a short time after delivery .
5. Urinary incontinence is a symptom of another problem. Leaking urine is a sign there’s a problem somewhere along the urinary tract, such as nerve damage, muscle weakness, blockages, or infection.

If you are experiencing urinary incontinence, it is important to seek medical advice as it can negatively impact your quality of life and indicate a more serious underlying condition. Treatment options include simple lifestyle and dietary changes, along with physical therapy.

Please note that this response is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you are experiencing urinary incontinence, please consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Related article- how do you know when you need physical therapy?

Test:

We performed a multicenter, randomized trial to compare physiotherapy and  surgery in women with stress urinary incontinence. Crossover between groups was allowed. The primary outcome was subjective improvement, measured by means of the Patient Global Impression of Improvement at 12 months.

→ A successful outcome between surgery and physical therapy raises the question of whether all women with moderate-to-severe stress-predominant urinary incontinence should initially be treated with physical therapy or should immediately undergo surgery as initial treatment.

→ The diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence was based on a demonstration of leakage of urine on straining or coughing at a bladder volume of at least 300 ml. 

→ Do you experience urine leakage related to physical activity, coughing, or sneezing?  was observed during a cough stress test at a bladder volume of at least 300 ml.

Result:

→ Pelvic-floor muscle training (physical therapy) is generally regarded as first-line management for the condition.

 → Physical therapy was performed by certified pelvic physical therapists and pelvic muscle floor training for stress urinary incontinence was performed.

→ Women were educated about the function of the pelvic-floor muscles, bladder function, and how to perform a correct pelvic-floor muscle contraction. They were also taught to perform a short muscle contraction before an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, such as that associated with sneezing.

→ If a woman was unable to contract her pelvic-floor muscles, touch, tapping, and massage were applied to increase awareness of these muscles. Biofeedback-assisted or functional electro-stimulation could be used as we use in electrotherapy which is a part of physical therapy.

Pelvic floor exercises and physical therapy can help alleviate incontinence issues. According to a source, pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and improve bladder control. The exercises are designed to help both men and women with incontinence issues. The most common types of urinary incontinence are stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence is caused by increased pressure in the abdomen, while urge incontinence is caused by a muscle spasm or dysfunction in the bladder. Mixed incontinence is when both stressors and urges cause leakage. Physical therapy can help with all types of incontinence.

 physical therapists can help with incontinence by designing treatment programs to improve pelvic floor muscle strength and help people gain control over the condition.

Incontinence Products for Women :

There are many incontinence products available for women. Some of the popular products include:

1. Tena Incontinence Underwear For Women: These are super absorbent and come in a pack of 16. They are priced at $23.50 .
2. Because Premium Incontinence Pads For Women: These are individually wrapped liners that come in a pack of 20. They are priced at $16.99 
3. TENA Proskin Incontinence Underwear For Women: These come with maximum absorbency and are priced at $14.49 .
4. Depend FIT-FLEX Incontinence Underwear For Women: These come with maximum absorbency and are priced at $32.24 .

Please note that these are just a few examples of the many products available. It’s important to choose a product that meets your specific needs. You may want to consult with your Physical therapist or a healthcare professional to determine which product is best for you.

Conclusion:

After performing all the test and under supervision for a period of 12 months it came to a conclusion that physical therapy should be the first line of treatment for incontinence. Because it has no side effects as compare to surgery in which there are complications in body after surgery.

physical therapy is a non invasive technique which has zero side effects on our body so if a patient doesn't improve her condition by physical therapy she should go for surgery as a second option.

Was this article helpful and informative, please let me know in the comment section.