A pubococcygeal exercise program for simple urinary stress incontinence: applicability to the female client with...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Urology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause urinary stress incontinence.
• Simple urinary stress incontinence affects women with MS, impacting quality of life.
• Intraabdominal pressure increases can lead to inadvertent urine loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of pubococcygeal exercises for stress urinary incontinence in women with MS.
• To explore the correlation between vaginal contractions during sexual climax and improved incontinence.
• To encourage nurses to implement pubococcygeal exercise programs for MS patients with incontinence.

Main Methods:

• Informal evaluation of five women with MS and stress urinary incontinence.
• Instruction in a pubococcygeal exercise program.
• Assessment of urine loss during activities increasing intraabdominal pressure.

Main Results:

• A correlation was observed between the ability to experience vaginal contractions during sexual climax and the elimination or improvement of urinary stress incontinence.
• Pubococcygeal exercises appeared to improve or eliminate incontinence in the study participants.
• The exercise program showed potential for managing stress urinary incontinence in this population.

Conclusions:

• Pubococcygeal exercises show promise for treating simple urinary stress incontinence in women with MS.
• The ability to achieve vaginal contractions during climax may predict positive outcomes with these exercises.
• Nurses can play a key role in educating and implementing this non-invasive treatment for MS patients.