Evaluating percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for overactive bladder.

This study aimed to evaluate percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). This study found that PTNS improved symptoms of OAB in patients who do not respond to OAB drugs. 

Overactive bladder (OAB) occurs when the bladder muscle is too active. Instead of staying at rest as urine fills the bladder, the bladder contracts. This causes a person to feel a sudden and sometimes overwhelming urge to urinate even when the bladder is not full. One treatment for OAB is percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). PTNS involves small impulses being sent from one of the nerves in your leg (tibial nerve). This travels up the leg to the nerves that control bladder function. 

The benefits of PTNS for women with OAB are still unclear. 

This study included 183 female patients with OAB who had previously tried a medication. All patients were treated with PTNS. 

Patients were able to decrease urge incontinence (involuntary loss of urine after an urge to urinate) episodes with PTNS therapy by ten episodes per week. Night time urination episodes and the number of times needed to urinate also decreased with PTNS. Patients who were already on medications did not do better than those without medications. 25.4% patients reported a greater than 75% improvement during PTNS therapy. Those who did more PTNS sessions were 80% more likely to get a greater benefit from this treatment.

This study found that PTNS improved symptoms of OAB in female patients. 

This was a retrospective study (looked back at medical records), and this is not a very high level of evidence.