Bladder training compared to bladder training associated with pelvic floor muscle training for overactive bladder...

To compare the effects of bladder training (BT) versus BT with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in women with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.

Randomized controlled clinical trial including women with OAB symptoms, randomized into two groups: BT versus BT + PFMT. For 12 consecutive weeks, the women received home BT. The BT + PFMT performed supervised PFMT, once/week, associated at home PFMT protocol. Primary outcomes were urinary urgency, daytime voiding frequency, nocturia and urgency urinary incontinence assisted by both 3-day bladder diary and International Consultation on Incontinence OAB (ICIQ-OAB) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were 24-h pad test and Patient Global Impression of Improvement. T-test, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney (SPSS 20.0) and power/effect size (G-power) were applied in data analyses.

Sixty-three women were included (B = 31; BT + PFMT = 32). There was no significant statistical difference between groups in terms of urinary symptoms: daytime frequency (BT: pre: 11.59 [±5.80], post: 9.10 [±4.05]; BT + PFMT: pre: 10.67 [±3.73], post: 8.08 [±3.38]) p = 0.75; nocturia: (BT: pre: 1.46 [±0.91], post: 0.82 [±0.82]; BT + PFMT: pre: 1.80 [±2.26], post: 0.82 [±1.15]) p = 0.70; urinary urgency (BT: pre: 3.22 [±4.70], post: 4.49 [±4.32]; BT + PFMT: pre: 6.87 [±5.60], post: 6.15 [±4.52]) p = 0.10; ICIQ-OAB total score: (BT: pre: 9.16 [±2.55], post: 6.32 [±3.77]; (BT + PFMT: pre: 9.75 [±2.06], post: 5.06 [±3.44] p = 0.30.

Supervised PFMT added to BT did not provide further improvements than isolated BT in women with OAB symptoms.