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A combination
of therapies is effective for many patients in the treatment
of urinary incontinence caused by pelvic floor muscle weakness,
according to a study in the Journal of Pelvic Surgery.
Researchers
of The Reilly Group in Tacoma, Washington conducted a study
consisting of 270 women with urinary incontinence. Forty-one
percent of the women had stress urinary incontinence, 44 percent
had urge incontinence and the remainder had a mixture of conditions.
Twenty percent of the women had previous bladder suspension
surgery for their condition and five percent had more than
one surgical procedure.
The women
in the study were treated with pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation
and behavioral therapy.
A total
of 76 percent of the women who completed the study were symptom
free and another 15 percent improved significantly. Eight
percent of the women continued to have moderate to severe
urinary incontinence.
The treatment
proved effective for at least two years when the patients
continued to exercise each day.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of June 30, 2002
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