OBJECTIVE:To compare pelvic floor muscle training and a sham procedure for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life in women with multiple sclerosis.METHODS:Thirty-five female patients with multiple sclerosis were randomized into two groups: a treatment group (n = 18) and a sham group (n = 17). The evaluation included use of the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form, and Qualiveen questionnaire. The intervention was performed twice per week for 12 weeks in both groups. The treatment group underwent pelvic floor muscle training with assistance from a vaginal perineometer and instructions to practice the exercises daily at home. The sham group received a treatment consisting of introducing a perineometer inside the vagina with no exercises required. Pre- and post-intervention data were recorded.RESULTS:The evaluation results of the two groups were similar at baseline. At the end of the treatment, the treatment group reported fewer storage and voiding symptoms than the sham group. Furthermore, the differences found between the groups were significant improvements in the following scores in the treatment group: Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form, and the General Quality of Life, and Specific Impact of Urinary Problems domains of the Qualiveen questionnaire.CONCLUSIONS:The improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms had a positive effect on the quality of life of women with multiple sclerosis who underwent pelvic floor muscle training, as the disease-specific of quality of life questionnaires demonstrated. This study reinforces the importance of assessing quality of life to judge the effectiveness of a treatment intervention.

Objective:To verify and compare the results of behavioral modification plus pelvic floor muscle training and behavioral modifications plus oxybutynin chloride in children with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis.Methods:A total of 47 children were randomized using opaque and sealed envelopes sequentially numbered. Group I was composed of 21 children who underwent antimuscarinic treatment (oxybutynin), and Group II was composed of 26 patients who underwent pelvic floor muscle training. Both groups were instructed as to behavioral modifications.Results:The voiding diary results were compared each month between Groups I and II. In the first month of treatment, children in Group I presented 12.2 dry nights, 13.4 in the second month, and 15.9 in the last month. In Group II, the results were: 14.9 dry nights in the first month, 20.8 dry nights in the second and 24.0 dry nights in the last month. There was a significant difference between the groups in second and third months.Conclusion:Pelvic floor exercises associated with behavioral changes were more effective than pharmacological treatment in children with urinary incontinence.