Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on Urinary Incontinence
Millions of American women experience urinary incontinence (UI) at some point in their lives. Causes of UI can include pregnancy or childbirth. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) are exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and can treat UI. Different types of PFMT exist.
This evidence visualization presents the results from a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of PFMT for UI. Systematic reviews combine the results of many studies to help determine which treatments work best. The review had four questions:
1. Does PFMT alone provide relief from UI?
2. Do different methods of implementing of PFMT provide different levels of relief from UI?
3. Can PFMT + add-on treatments provide more relief from UI than PFMT alone?
4. Are alternative behavioral methods more effective than PFMT alone for relief of UI?
For each question, the review team looked at whether women’s UI symptoms improved or were cured and whether women’s quality of life improved.
How Do I Use this Evidence Visualization?
Click the charts and use the filters on the left-hand navigation to interact with the data. Click the tabs at the top to move from one tab to another.
50th International Continence Society Annual Meeting (2020)
Principal Investigator Jonathan R. Treadwell, PhD, spoke about this interactive evidence visualization.
For the best interactive experience, enable Full Screen mode by clicking thy symbol in the bottom right of the visualization.
Methodology (Summary Report)
View the summary report for this evidence visualization.
Suggested Citation
ECRI Institute-Penn Medicine Evidence-based Practice Center. PCORI Evidence Map: Pelvic Floor Muscle Training for Urinary Incontinence in Women. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; April 2020. Prepared by ECRI Institute under PCORI Contract No. IDIQ-TO#10-ECRI-SCI-EVIDENCEMAP. www.pcori.org/evidence-maps-UI-PFMT.
Additional Information
This evidence visualization builds upon work from a PCORI-AHRQ systematic review, Nonsurgical Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Systematic Review Update.
View more details about the project here.
Related Blog
PCORI Evidence Updates for Women and Clinicians
Treating Urinary Incontinence in Women without Surgery
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