Acupuncture combined with pelvic floor muscle training for treating postpartum stress urinary incontinence

To explore the clinical application of acupuncture combined with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in treating postpartum stress urinary incontinence (PSUI) based on patient data.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 97 PSUI patients treated at the Second People's Hospital of Nantong from July 2021 to June 2023. Patients voluntarily chose between the two treatment groups: PFMT alone or the combination of acupuncture and PFMT. Multiple indicators, including pad test positive rate, urinary scores, leakage volume, incontinence degree, treatment effectiveness, pelvic floor muscle strength, and sexual quality of life, were compared between the two groups.

The pad test positive rate was significantly lower in the combined treatment group (7.69%) than in the PFMT group (28.89%) (P = 0.013). The combined treatment group had lower urinary scores (t = 9.288-16.020, all P < 0.001) and higher overall efficacy (92.31% vs. 68.89%, P < 0.05). Both groups demonstrated improved pelvic floor muscle strength, with the combined intervention group showing greater enhancement compared to PFMT alone (P < 0.05). Urinary leakage volume and incontinence degree scores decreased more in the combined treatment group (P < 0.001) than in the PFMT group (P < 0.001 between groups). The combined treatment group had better sexual quality of life and greater reductions in SAS and SDS scores (P < 0.05).

Acupuncture combined with PFMT demonstrated significantly superior outcomes to PFMT alone for PSUI treatment, with significant improvements in incontinence symptoms, psychological status, muscle strength, and quality of sexual life. Findings support the clinical adoption of this combined strategy for PSUI.