A pilot study of combined pelvic floor and abdominal muscle training for urinary incontinence: Home-based program.
Havva Sumeyye Eroglu, Emine Ipek Halatci, Ilker Sen et al.
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In 30 seconds
This pilot clinical trial assessed a 6-week home-based program combining pelvic floor muscle training and abdominal muscle training in 16 women with stress or mixed urinary incontinence. Participants were grouped by baseline 24-hour pad-test severity: mild (n = 9) and moderate-severe (n = 7). After training, both groups had significant reductions in incontinence severity and improvements in pelvic floor muscle strength, quality of life, and symptom scores. The reduction in incontinence severity was greater in the moderate-to-severe group (p < 0.05), while between-group differences in muscle strength and quality of life were not significant.
Key findings
- Both severity groups had significant reductions in urinary incontinence severity after the 6-week program.
- The decrease in incontinence severity was more pronounced in the moderate-to-severe group (p < 0.05).
- Pelvic floor muscle strength, quality of life, and symptom scores improved in both groups; between-group differences in strength and quality of life were not significant.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that a home-based program combining pelvic floor and abdominal muscle exercises may improve incontinence-related outcomes across different baseline severity levels. This is relevant to conservative management, but the results are preliminary and do not establish the added benefit of abdominal training over pelvic floor training alone.
What to keep in mind
The study was a small pilot involving 16 women, with outcomes assessed before and after intervention and no comparison group receiving pelvic floor training alone. The authors call for larger studies to confirm the findings.