Is a mobile app for pelvic floor muscle training beneficial for urinary incontinence?

This study examined whether a mobile app for pelvic floor muscle training was beneficial for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Researchers concluded that mobile app use for 3 months was effective in improving SUI symptoms and quality of life.

It has been estimated that SUI (urine leakage with exercise, coughing or sneezing) can affect 25 to 45% of women. Many women, however, do not seek treatment or do not have access to treatment. Pelvic floor muscle training is often the first, and most widely used, treatment for SUI. Exercising the pelvic muscles improves their strength and coordination, which is important to prevent urine leakage. Regular training is a key factor in its effectiveness. Whether a mobile app can improve the effects of pelvic floor muscle training is still being investigated.

The aim of this study was to examine the benefit of a mobile app treatment program on SUI symptoms.

123 women with moderate to severe SUI were included. Women were randomly assigned to either undergo the mobile app treatment or no treatment (control group). Mobile app treatment prescribed pelvic floor muscle training exercises of various intensities 3 times per day. It also included information on SUI and lifestyle factors. Treatment continued for 3 months.

Improvements in SUI symptoms and quality of life were significantly higher for women using the mobile app for 3 months compared to the control group. 45.9% of women using the mobile app reported that urine leakage was “much improved” after 3 months. In contrast, only 5% of women in the control group indicated the same improvement.

56.5% of women using the mobile app and 29.5% of women in the control group reported a reduction in SUI episodes of 50% or more. The use of urinary incontinence aids (such as pads) was also reduced following mobile app use. Patient satisfaction with the mobile app was “good” or “very good” in 96.7% of women. 66.7% were satisfied with the treatment outcome. 21.7% planned to seek additional treatment for SUI.

On average, women used the app for pelvic floor exercises 1.9 times per day. 98.4% of women using the mobile app were still performing pelvic floor muscle training after the 3 months study period. 41% of women indicated that they were using the app for training on a daily basis.

Researchers concluded that mobile app use was effective in reducing symptoms of SUI.

Larger studies with a control group also performing pelvic-floor muscle training (without the help of an app) are needed to confirm the benefits of mobile app use.