Fall Risk Reduction in the Elderly Through the Physical Therapy Management of Incontinence

Background: Urinary incontinence as a target for fall risk reduction has not been extensively studied. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a focused evidence-based physical therapy intervention for urinary incontinence in older women on reducing fear of falling. Design: A multiple-baseline, quasiexperimental, single-group, pre-/postpilot study spanning 8 weeks, with a 1-month follow-up. Methods: Twenty women 50 years and older with urge or mixed (ie, urge and stress) incontinence and a score of 20 or more on the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) were recruited from 2 outpatient pelvic health clinics associated with a university health system in the southwestern United States. Physical therapy consisted primarily of a standardized program of progressive pelvic floor strengthening exercises. Questionnaires and physical performance measures were administered at baseline 1; at the start of physical therapy (baseline 2); midpoint of therapy; and at discharge. The FES-I was administered by phone at a 1-month follow-up. Results: There were statistically significant improvements from baseline for the FES-I (P = .02), the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) (P
Source: Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy - Category: Physiotherapy Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research