In a recent trial, postpartum women using biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor training saw an increased cure rate for stress urinary incontinence compared to those using standard methods alone.
The randomized clinical trial assessed the efficacy of adjunctive pressure-mediated biofeedback (BF) combined with supervised pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) for postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Involving 452 women with new-onset postpartum SUI, the study randomized participants to either BF-assisted PFMT or PFMT alone. The intervention spanned 3 months across 5 tertiary hospitals in China.
Primary outcomes indicated significant improvements in the BF group. Median reduction in incontinence severity, as measured by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Urinary Incontinence Short Form, was greater in the BF group (3.0 points) versus the control group (2.0 points; P = .002). The BF group demonstrated a higher cure rate, with 20.2% (45 of 223) achieving full symptom resolution, compared to 8.7% (20 of 229) in the control group (P = .001). Additionally, the improvement rate was 59.2% in the BF group versus 44.5% in controls (P = .002).
Pelvic floor muscle strength, assessed via maximum voluntary contraction pressure, also favored the BF group, with a median of 26.0 cm H2O compared to 21.0 cm H2O in the control group (P = .02). Adherence was high across both groups, with the BF group showing a stronger correlation between subjective and objective adherence measures (r = 0.825) relative to controls (r = 0.627).
Findings published in JAMA Network Open suggest that pressure-mediated BF-assisted PFMT may improve management of postpartum SUI.
Full disclosures can be found in the published study.