Effectiveness of a program of therapeutic exercises on the quality of life and lumbar disability in women with Stress Urinary Incontinence

Summary Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is a common condition and can cause social isolation and decreased quality of life. The literature demonstrates that perineal exercises are effective in promoting urinary continence and lumbar stability. This uncontrolled (group) pilot study, using a pre-test-post-test design, investigated whether a weekly session of Holistic Gymnastics® conducted during a one-year period, could change outcomes in a group of twenty women diagnosed with SUI. In the first and last evaluation, the subjects underwent a clinical examination and were asked to complete two questionnaires, one regarding quality of life and the other about lumbar disability. Improvement in the quality of life was observed in nine out of ten domains. There was also an improvement in lumbar disability. These results suggest that a program with therapeutic exercises can be effective in controlling urinary incontinence and improve the quality of life and lumbar disability in woman with SUI.