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Effects of vaginal tampon training added to pelvic floor muscle training in women with stress urinary incontinence: randomized controlled trial

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

We evaluated whether vaginal tampon training (VTT) combined with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) results in better outcomes than PFMT alone for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods

This was a randomized, controlled study. Patients were allocated to either the combined program, consisting of PFMT and VTT over 12 weeks [PFMT and VTT group (n = 24)] or to PFMT alone [PFMT group (n = 24)]. The primary outcome measure was self-reported improvement, while secondary outcome measures were severity of incontinence, quality of life (QoL), urinary parameters, and pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) and endurance (PFME). Values were analyzed with Friedman, Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon, and chi-square tests.

Results

Between-group analysis showed no statistically significant differences in self-reported improvement, severity of incontinence, symptom distress score, PFMS, PFME, urinary parameters, and all domains of QoL scores, except social limitations, at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p > 0.05). However, the increase in PFMS and PFME between baseline and week 12 and earlier improvement was significantly greater in the PFMT and VTT than in the PFMT group (both p < 0.05)

Conclusion

Short-term results demonstrated that PFMT with and without VT exercises had similar effectiveness on the symptoms of SUI and QoL.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

ICS:

International Continence Society

KHQ:

King’s Health Questionnaire

MESA:

Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging

PFME:

Pelvic floor muscle endurance

PFMS:

Pelvic floor muscle strength

PFMT:

Pelvic floor muscle training

RCT:

Randomized controlled trial

SUI:

Stress urinary incontinence

UI:

Urinary incontinence

V10s :

Value at the end of 10 s

Vmax :

Maximum value

Vrest :

Rest value

VAS:

Visual analog scale

VTT:

Vaginal tampon training

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincere thanks to Deniz Yüce, MD for his assistance with the statistical analyses.

Funding

The first author received a scholarship from The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey during her PhD education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Hacettepe University, 06100, Samanpazari, Ankara, Turkey

    Ceren Orhan, Türkan Akbayrak, Serap Özgül, Emine Baran, Esra Üzelpasaci & Gülbala Nakip

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Nejat Özgül & Mehmet Sinan Beksaç

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  1. Ceren Orhan
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Orhan, C., Akbayrak, T., Özgül, S. et al. Effects of vaginal tampon training added to pelvic floor muscle training in women with stress urinary incontinence: randomized controlled trial. Int Urogynecol J 30, 219–229 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-018-3585-7

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