title: [Pelvic floor rehabilitation in women affected with stress urinary incontinence. Authors' experience].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated pelvic floor rehabilitation as a possible treatment for urinary stress incontinence: a challenge to tradition.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study 20 female subjects with urinary stress incontinence had rehabilitation therapy, at first in the outpatients clinic with motivated physiotherapists and afterwards by home exercises.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of 3 months of training, stress incontinence had disappeared in 7 patients (35%), while an improvement was recorded in 13 (65%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, pelvic floor rehabilitation program can be an effective alternative to surgical approach in reducing the frequency of urinary leakage. Further studies are needed to identify factors predicting success and to improve the techniques of pelvic floor rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Università degli Studi, L'Aquila.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spacca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patacchiola
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mascaretti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscarini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*