KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The interventional study aimed to investigate the impact of external NMES on urinary symptoms, PFMS, QoL, sexual function, PSI, and satisfaction in women with UUI.
- Researchers noticed that external NMES effectively reduced urinary symptoms.
The present study aims to investigate the effects of external neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on urinary symptoms, pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), quality of life (QoL), sexual function, perception of subjective improvement (PSI), and satisfaction in urgency urinary incontinence (UUI).
Tugba Birben Kurt and the team aimed to assess the impact of external NMES on these parameters to determine its potential as a complementary therapy for women with UUI.
They performed an inclusive analysis using a randomized sham-controlled study design. Women aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with UUI, were randomly allocated into the NMES group (external NMES + lifestyle advice, n = 15) and the sham group (sham NMES + lifestyle advice, n = 15).
Patients in both groups performed the application for 30 minutes, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks. Urinary symptoms were evaluated using the International Incontinence Consultation Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and a 3-day bladder diary.
The PFMS was assessed using the Modified Oxford Scale (MOS), QoL using the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ), and sexual function using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ-12). The PSI and satisfaction were also evaluated.
There was a higher level of decrease in the ICIQ-SF score, the mean number of voids/night, and urinary incontinence (UI) in the NMES group compared to the sham group (P < 0.05). Additionally, all scores related to the KHQ, excluding interpersonal relationships, showed greater improvement in the NMES group (P < 0.05).
The NMES group also exhibited a higher level of increase in maximum voiding volume, MOS scores, PISQ-12-emotional, PISQ-12-physical, and PISQ-12-total scores compared to the sham group (P < 0.05). PSI and satisfaction levels were significantly higher in the NMES group than in the sham group (P < 0.05).
The study concluded that external NMES was an effective and complementary method for reducing urinary symptoms and improving PFMS, QoL, sexual function, PSI, and satisfaction levels in women with UUI.
The study was sponsored by the Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Training and Research Hospital and received open-access funding from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39033475/
Clinical Trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04727983
Kurt TB, Yilmaz B, Celenay ST, (2024). “Effects of external neuromuscular electrical stimulation in women with urgency urinary incontinence: a randomized sham-controlled study.” World J Urol. 2024 Jul 21;42(1):423. doi: 10.1007/s00345-024-05126-7. PMID: 39033475.
