What’s This Research About?
Purpose of the Paper: To evaluate whether a targeted pelvic floor yoga program is more effective than general physical conditioning in reducing urinary incontinence in women aged 45 and older.
This randomized clinical trial investigated whether a 12-week therapeutic pelvic floor-focused yoga program was more effective than a general physical conditioning program in reducing urinary incontinence (UI) in midlife and older women. Both interventions led to significant improvements in UI frequency, but the yoga program did not demonstrate a clinically meaningful advantage over general stretching and strengthening exercises. Modest benefits of yoga were seen for urgency-type UI and urinary distress, though these findings were secondary. The study supports yoga as a safe, community-based UI management option, but not as clearly superior to other physical activity interventions.
TITLE: Efficacy of a Therapeutic Pelvic Yoga Program Versus Physical Conditioning Program on Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Randomized Trial
PUBLICATION: Annals of Internal Medicine
DATE: PMC April 2025
AUTHORS: Alison J Huang, Margaret Chesney, Michael Schembri, Harini Raghunathan, Eric Vittinghoff, Wendy Berry Mendes, Sarah Pawlowksy, Leslee L Subak
Urgency-type urinary incontinence (UI): A condition where a person suddenly feels a strong, urgent need to urinate and may not reach the bathroom in time, leading to accidental leakage.
Urinary distress: The discomfort, bother, or emotional impact someone feels because of urinary symptoms like leakage, urgency, or frequency.
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