Aim
of Study:
To
compare pelvic floor muscle
training (PFMT) based on FemiScanä Home Trainer with PFMT alone in female stress urinary incontinence
(SUI). Preliminary results
are presented.
Methods:
During the years 1998-1999 thirty
urodynamically tested SUI
women without previous incontinence
operations were sent from
gynecological outpatient
clinic to a physiotherapist
for PFMT. Patients were
randomised either to FemiScanä or to control group. All the patients
visited the physiotherapist
five times and PFM forces
were measured at each visit
during the twelwe weeks’
treatment period. All patients
were advised to practice
20 minutes per day five
times a week.
FemiScanä is a device based on surface electromyography
(EMG) for clinical and home
use. FemiScanä Home Trainer monitors exercises
and is supplied with headphones
and recorded instructions.
The
outcome measures were pad
test, leakage index, sosial
activity and pelvic floor
muscle activity.
All patients were
asked to keep a training
diary.
Results:
The characteries of the patients
are seen in table 1.There
were 15 patients in both
groups. One patient interrupted
the use of FemiScanä and continued training without
it. In FemiScanä group
Home Trainer recorded from
10 to 131 training sessions,
mean 69. In the training
diaries
24 out of 30 patients
marked 54 training days
(min 6, max 93).
Significant
changes could be seen in
the pad test (p=0.01), muscle
activities (p=0.003)
and the leakage index
(=0.025) with all patients.
In the FemiScanä group the leakage index (p=0.015)
was significantly better
than in the control group.
Muscle forces (fig 1.) increased
in both groups and the increase
seemed greater in the FemiScanä group but the difference is not statistically
significant.
The
mean follow-up time after
the treatment period was
12 months (min 1, max 19)
and during that time seven
patients were operated on,
two from the FemiScanä group and five from the control
group.
Conclusion:
PFMT done at home can be monitored
with the FemiScanä Home Trainer system. These premilinary
results show a light but
not a significant improvement
in PFMT outcome measures
in the FemiScanä group compared with the control
group. The study is ongoing.
Table
1. Participants
N = 30
|
|
Mean
|
Min
|
Max
|
|
Age
|
51,3
|
31
|
69
|
|
BMI
|
25,8
|
21
|
36
|
|
Number
of vaginal deliveries
|
2,7
|
0
|
7
|
Fig. 1. The progress of pelvic floor muscle activities.
