Background: The terminology of urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic floor dysfunctions is complex. It affects quality of life and daily activities in personal, social, and professional fields. Managing UI without pharmacologic therapies is effective with a low risk of adverse effects and a large benefit for increasing continence rates. The aim of this preliminary retrospective observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the association between manual therapy and focused mechano-acoustic vibrations in women with nonspecific UI.
Materials and methods: A group of 15 incontinent women (mean age 59.5 ± 11.4), referred to the Physiotherapy Center, Rehabilitation and Re-education (Ce.Fi.R.R.), located at the University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara from January 2019 December 2021, were enrolled after medical examination. The women were evaluated at T0 (admission protocol), T1 (after 8 weeks), and T2 (after 12 weeks). All patients received the rehabilitation protocol twice a week for a total of 8 weeks (T1) and were reevaluated after 12 weeks (T2). Outcome measures were: the Pelvic Floor Disability Index, the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7, and the MyotonPRO.
Results: The analysis of MyotonPRO data showed no significant improvements in all parameters. The PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 questionnaire results showed a significant reduction in scores between T0 and T2.Results over time of the ANOVA values confirming the significant differences in the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 questionnaire results but not in the MyotonPRO variables.
Conclusions: Despite limitations and no significant results, this study demonstrated that the integration of manual and focused mechano-acoustic vibrations therapy improved the symptoms of UI and reduced its psychosocial impact. Further experience could be required to establish the place of this integrated approach in achieving long-term improvements in UI.
Keywords: focused mechano-acoustic vibration therapy; neuromuscular manual therapy; pelvic floor muscles; urinary incontinence.