Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Peggy Mohr

Keywords

Urinary Incontinence -- therapy

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a significant medical issue to many people. The exact number of those suffering from incontinence is hard to quantify due to the stigma that many with UI experience and the subsequent under reporting of the condition. What is known is that UI affects far more women than men, and that stress incontinence (SI) is the most prevalent type. There are many reasons for the predominance of SI. The primary reason is the physiological and anatomical changes associated with menopause and parity in women. UI can be treated with one of three methods: surgery, pharmacologic therapy, and behavioral therapy. The behavioral therapy, in the form of Kegel's exercises performed in conjunction with biofeedback, has been shown to be an effective and inexpensive treatment option for mild to moderate cases of SI. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the benefits of Kegel's exercises and biofeedback in terms of economics and in preventing the need for more invasive and costly treatments in UI.

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