Peripheral neuromodulation in women with overactive bladder syndrome: a systematic review

Overactive bladder syndrome (OBS) is a urological disorder characterized by urinary urgency, increased frequency, nocturia, and may be associated with urge urinary incontinence. Posterior tibial nerve peripheral neuromodulation (PTNS) is globally recognized within the treatment options available, although an optimal protocol has not been tested. The objective of this review is to collect the evidence available on the most widely used protocol of the PTNS technique in obtaining good results in the treatment for women with OBS.

A systematic review of the scientific literature was carried out in PubMed, Embase, WoS and Scopus databases. A total of 222 results were obtained, with 58 duplicates, of which 8 studies met the established inclusion criteria, all of them randomized clinical trials.

The included works show that the most widely used PTNS technique with beneficial results in women with OBS is the percutaneous route with a needle placed 5-6cm proximal to the tibial malleolus, posterior to the edge of the tibia, with the following parameters: 1 weekly session of 30minutes duration for 12 weeks, the use of pulse widths of 200μs with frequency of 20Hz.

PTNS may have beneficial and safe short-term effects in women with OBS. Despite showing statistically significant improvements in clinical symptoms, further research is needed to obtain clear scientific evidence on the optimal protocol for treating women with OBS.