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Which combination is most effective in women with idiopathic overactive bladder, including bladder training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation? A prospective randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Firinci Sule,
Yildiz Necmettin,
Alkan Hakan,
Aybek Zafer
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.24522
Subject(s) - nocturia , medicine , overactive bladder , visual analogue scale , quality of life (healthcare) , randomized controlled trial , pelvic floor , urology , biofeedback , physical therapy , urinary incontinence , patient satisfaction , surgery , urinary system , nursing , alternative medicine , pathology
Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of single and combined use of biofeedback (BF) and electrical stimulation (ES) added to bladder training (BT) on incontinence‐related quality of life (QoL) and clinical parameters in women with idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). Material and Methods Seventy women were randomized into four groups as follows: Group 1 received BT alone ( n = 18), Group 2 received BT + BF ( n = 17), Group 3 received BT + ES ( n = 18), and Group 4 received BT + BF + ES ( n = 17). BF and ES were performed 3 days a week, 20 min a day, a total of 24 sessions for 8 weeks. All women were evaluated in terms of incontinence severity (pad test), pelvic floor muscles strength (perineometer), 3‐day voiding diary (frequency of voiding, nocturia, incontinence episodes, and number of pads), QoL (incontinence impact questionnaire), treatment success (positive response rate), cure/improvement rate, treatment satisfaction (Likert scale), and discomfort level (visual analog scale). Results At the end of the treatment, severity of incontinence, frequency of voiding, incontinence episodes, and treatment satisfaction significantly improved in Group 3 and Group 4 compared with the other two groups. In Group 3 and Group 4, high statistically significant values were found in cure/improvement and positive response rates as opposed to Group 1 and Group 2. In Group 2 and Group 3, statistically significant improvements were seen in nocturia and QoL compared with Group 1. Moreover, statistically significant improvements in nocturia and QoL were found in Group 4 compared with the other three groups. There was no difference in the discomfort level of application between the groups. Conclusion We conclude that in the first‐line conservative treatment of women with idiopathic OAB: (i) adding BF and/or ES to BT increases treatment effectiveness, (ii) clinical efficiency is greater when the combination includes ES, (iii) BT + BF + ES (triple combination) is the most effective treatment option in reducing nocturia and improving QoL.