title: The use of extracorporeal magnetic innervation for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in older women: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a major health problem that has substantial and important effects on health-related quality of life. In recent years, extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) has become a preferred method of treatment in urinary incontinence. This study presents the effects of ExMI treatment on pelvic floor muscle strength, urinary symptoms, incontinence conditions and quality of life of older women with SUI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 13 patients between the ages of 61 and 69 (mean 65.23 ± 2.8 years) were treated for SUI with ExMI. The following parameters were investigated: urinary symptoms, pelvic floor electromyographic (EMG) activity, 1-h pad test, incontinence conditions utilizing visual analog scale (VAS) and quality of life using Turkish version of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and the Incontinence Quality of Life Instrument (I-QoL). All assessments were conducted at baseline and at the end of the study. Treatment lasted for 20 min, twice a week and for a total of 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The urinary symptoms and incontinence conditions decreased after the ExMI treatment sessions. The pad test results indicated a reduction in urine loss (p = 0.016). EMG values were improved (p = 0.005). Scores of I-QoL, UDI-6 and VAS were reduced after the treatment, respectively (p = 0.002), (p = 0.002) and (p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracorporeal magnetic innervation can be considered as it is an alternative, non-invasive and painless treatment method with good compliance for treatment of SUI in older patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Abant Izzet Baysal University, 14280 Bolu, Turkey. ptyesim@yahoo.de
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bakar
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cinar Özdemir
authors.forename: Nuriye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozengin
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duran
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055909:Magnetic Field Therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*