Whole Body Vibration and Pelvic Floor Exercises on Urinary Incontinence

The Role of Whole Body Vibration and Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises in Treating Urinary Incontinence Following Prostate Cancer Surgery: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial

Stress urinary incontinence is common in men following prostate cancer surgery. Rehabilitative interventions incorporate pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, lifestyle changes, or a combination of these strategies. However, little is known about the physiological impact of whole-body vibration for stress urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy. Participants: Sixty-one patients with mild Stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.

Intervention: patients were randomly assigned into two groups: group 1 included 30 patients who received pelvic floor muscle training and whole-body vibration training with a frequency and amplitude of 20 Hz/ 2 mm for the first 2 sessions and 40 Hz/ 4 mm for the rest of intervention; while group 2 included 31 patients who performed only pelvic floor muscle training. The intervention in both groups was performed three times per week for 4 weeks.

Participants were recruited from Cairo University Hospitals who suffered from mild SUI for at least 6 months after RP. The diagnosis was confirmed by the referred physician via 24-h pad test which supposed to be less than 100 grams gain of weight of the pad/s worn by the patient.

The exclusion criteria were artificial pacemaker, body mass index (BMI)> 35 kg/m2, urinary infection, bleeding from the urinary bladder or the digestive tract, polyuria, diabetes mellitus, detrusor over-activity, neuromuscular disorder, ear problems or any other medical condition that would affect participation in the training program. Main outcomes: Incontinence Visual Analogue Scale (I-VAS), the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and 24-hour pad test.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The initial sample was adult patients suffering from urinary incontinence at least 6 months after radical prostatectomy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The exclusion criteria included patients with an artificial pacemaker, body mass index more than 35 kg/ m2, urinary infection, bleeding from the urinary bladder or the digestive tract, polyuria, diabetes mellitus, detrusor instability, neuromuscular disorders, and any other medical condition that affects participation in the training program.