A comparative study of pelvic floor training and electrical stimulation for the treatment of genuine female stress urinary incontinence

Abstract Twenty women with pure genuine stress urinary incontinence were randomly allocated to 6 months of pelvic floor training or intravaginal electrical stimulation. The result was evaluated with a pad test and patients' rating of efficacy. Patients not cured by the first treatment given were offered the other one. A long‐term follow‐up was done 4 years after concluding treatment. The group of patients initially treated with pelvic floor exercises (n = 10) were significantly improved according to the pad test ( P < 0.01). This corresponded very well to the subjective result, one patient being cured, five reporting insignificant symptoms, and the remaining four an improvement. The results were similar in patients allocated to intravaginal electrical stimulation (n = 10) ( P < 0.05): one patient cured, four having insignificant symptoms, three improved, and two unchanged. We did not find any significant difference of results between the two groups of treatment ( P < 0.10). Follow‐up after 4 years in 19 patients revealed that 1 patient was further improved, 8 patients were unchanged and 5 had deteriorated. Five women were operated during the follow‐up period. Pelvic floor training is an adequate method for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Even patients with severe incontinence may show a very good result. However, a sustained effect presupposes continuing exercise and during the follow‐up period of 4 years a quarter of the patients had to be operated upon to obtain permanent cure. The study also indicated that patients undergoing both treatments were further improved during the second course of treatment.