Impact of physiotherapeutic methods on urinary incontinence in the elderly

Abstract

Purpose

Urinary incontinence is one of the most important health problems for people over 65 years of age. It is defined as involuntary and uncontrolled loss of urine. This paper aims to present a contemporary view on the effects of physiotherapeutic procedures in combating urinary incontinence. Physiotherapeutic procedures were compared: pelvic floor muscle exercises, physical therapy and biofeedback (BF) to demonstrate their effectiveness in managing urinary incontinence in the elderly.

Design/methodology/approach

The databases Pubmed and GoogleScholar have been searched for articles on the impact of interventions – physiotherapeutic procedures on the effectiveness of the treatment of urinary incontinence in the elderly.

Findings

Pelvic floor muscle exercises are effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence, strengthen muscle strength and improve patients' quality of life. A long-lasting, systematic and individual training program with a physiotherapist is the most effective. BF helps to intensify the therapeutic effect of exercise but also allows you to achieve good results as an independent treatment method. Positive effects are also noticeable in physical therapy, electrostimulation and magnetotherapy are very effective. Physiotherapeutic procedures have a positive effect in the treatment of urinary incontinence in the elderly. However, further research is needed to clarify the most effective methods.

Originality/value

This paper offers many ways to deal with urinary incontinence in the elderly using physiotherapeutic procedures, thus helping to improve the quality of life of those affected by urinary incontinence.

Citation

Frontczak, M., Ciemna, N. and Kędziora-Kornatowska, K. (2020), "Impact of physiotherapeutic methods on urinary incontinence in the elderly", Working with Older People, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 171-179. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-05-2020-0018