OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a group-based yoga therapy intervention for middle-aged and older women with urinary incontinence.
METHODS: We conducted a pilot randomized trial of ambulatory women aged 40 years and older with stress, urgency, or mixed-type incontinence. Women were randomized to a 6-week yoga therapy program (n = 10) consisting of twice weekly group classes and once weekly home practice or a wait-list control group (n = 9). All participants also received written pamphlets about standard behavioral self-management strategies for incontinence. Changes in incontinence were assessed with 7-day voiding diaries.
RESULTS: The mean (SD) age was 61.4 (8.2) years, and the mean baseline frequency of incontinence was 2.5 (1.3) episodes/d. After 6 weeks, the total incontinence frequency decreased by 70% (1.8 (0.9) fewer episodes/d) in the yoga therapy versus 13% (0.3 (1.7) fewer episodes/d) in the control group (P = 0.049). Participants in the yoga therapy group also reported an average of 71% decrease in stress incontinence frequency (0.7 (0.8) fewer episodes/d) compared with a 25% increase in controls (0.2 (1.1) more episodes/d) (P = 0.039). No significant differences in reduction in urgency incontinence were detected between the yoga therapy versus control groups (1.0 (1.0) versus 0.5 (0.5) fewer episodes/d; P = 0.20). All women starting the yoga therapy program completed at least 90% of the group classes and practice sessions. Two participants in each group reported adverse events unrelated to the intervention.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary evidence to support the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a group-based yoga therapy intervention to improve urinary incontinence in women.
Written by:
Huang AJ, Jenny HE, Chesney MA, Schembri M, Subak LL. Are you the author?
Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY; Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
Reference: Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg. 2014 May-Jun;20(3):147-54.
doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000000072
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24763156
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