1Final MBBS Medical Students, Clinical School International Medical University, Malaysia
2Consultant, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Clinical School International Medical University, Malaysia
This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) in women with genuine stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Electronic search using databases and manual search of reference lists from systematic reviews was done. Publications of randomized controlled trials from 1999–2013 that evaluated the effects of PFME on SUI were selected and analysed.
Five articles fulfilled the criteria giving a sample size of 204 women; PFME: 115, Control: 89. The assessment methods, treatment times and protocols used were heterogeneous. Rates of cure were similar between the groups. In primary outcome measure, three studies reported > 50% improvement. Cure rate following PFME varied from 30–70%. Leakage index and social activity indices did not show significant improvement in quality of life (QOL) between experiment group and controls.
PFME is a cheap and non-invasive treatment for women with genuine SUI. Cure rates and frequency of leakage showed improvement in a proportion of women. This study adds to the widespread recommendation of PFME as first line treatment of SUI.
PFME, SUI, women, randomised controlled trials, systematic review
