Effect of Weight Training with Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Elderly Women with Urinary Incontinence

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To determine if weight training combined with pelvic floor muscle training is more efficient than pelvic floor muscle training alone for the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms in elderly women. Method: This was a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-six women with stress UI participated in the study. The intervention group (IG) underwent training with moderate intensity weights combined with pelvic floor muscle training, whereas the control group (CG) only underwent pelvic floor muscle training. Intervention occurred twice a week over 12 weeks. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Short Form was used as the main measure. Scores of zero defined the absence of symptoms. The absence of symptoms was evaluated at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 month after the end of treatment. Moreover, activities related to UI and the use and change of daily protection were investigated. Results: The rate of absence of symptoms was significantly higher in IG after 4 weeks (58.3%) compared to CG (14.8%). The relative risk was 4.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] [1.08, 16.06]). Although no intention-to-treat analysis was performed, there was no difference in the evaluations after the interventions. Conclusion: Compared to pelvic floor muscle training alone, the combination of weight training and pelvic floor muscle training provided earlier improvement of UI in elderly women.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical trial
• exercise
• rehabilitation
• resistance training

Acknowledgments

Government of Santa Catarina State (FUMDES scholarship) and CNPq for grant productivity to GZM.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Government of Santa Catarina State (FUMDES scholarship), the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES scholarship), and a National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) productivity grant to Giovana Zarpellon Mazo.