Urinary incontinence, which is the leakage of urine that occurs without intent, is a problem that afflicts millions of men and women in the world. They are the stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and the urge urinary incontinence (UUI). Stress incontinence occurs when the bladder is pressurised by coughing, laughing, and exercising. Urge incontinence has sudden and severeurges to urinate which cannot be easily suppressed. Although pelvic floor exercises have been suggested, they are not always practised properly and regularly by all. Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) has come in as a non-invasive treatment option that is evidence-based.
What is rPMS?
rPMS involves the rapid pulsations of magnetic fields to excite the nerves and muscles of the pelvic floor. Treatment is done using a special chair or applicator. The patient is fully clothed and just sits comfortably in the session. The magnetic pulses go through the clothing and tissue without any pain and cause the pelvic floor muscles to contract like it was hundreds or even thousands of Kegel exercises in a single session. rPMS does not involve internal probes or direct skin contact, so rPMS can be more comfortable, and more people can use it.
Clinical effect of rPMS:
The magnetic field penetrates the skin’s outer layer, subcutaneous fat, and bone with ease, reaching a depth of at least 10 cm. It regulates the blood flow to nearby tissues and other components to provide stimulation, which improves blood circulation and speeds up the healing process for injured tissues and nerves.
There is a reduction of pain, swelling, improvement of motion, and consequently of the quality of life, frequently following a single application and lasting for several weeks.
Use of rPMS in Stress Urinary Incontinence:
Weak pelvic floor muscles are the main cause of stress urinary incontinence. Leakage may also come about as a result of physical activity when these muscles are failing to support the bladder and urethra, which is not strong enough.
Several studies have demonstrated that pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened with the help of magnetic stimulation, and bladder control can also be enhanced. Evidence shows that women who suffered stress incontinence and underwent a series of magnetic stimulation
Treatment courses reported:
- Major decrease in the leakage episodes.
- Strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles.
- Increase in quality of life scores.
- Reduced need for pads
The improvement rates are typically between 50 and 75 per cent following a standard course of treatment (usually 6-8 sessions over a few weeks). Studies also indicate that the improvements in the results persist in weeks following the treatment, which may indicate that muscle strengthening persists even after the stimulation sessions.
Importantly, rPMS comes in particularly handy with patients who have difficulty learning how to do the Kegel exercises properly. Studies have revealed that most persons when attempting to do pelvic floor exercises without supervision, fail to activate the right muscles. rPMS eliminates this obstacle because it automatically stimulates the right muscles.
Use of rPMS in Urge Urinary Incontinence:
Urge urinary incontinence is commonly associated with overactive bladder in which bladder muscles over contract and/or overcontract. This disease is not just affected by weakness of muscles but also by nerve communications between the brain and the bladder. rPMS works differently here. It not only makes muscles stronger, but also contributes to the control of nerve pathways in the process of bladder control. By means of magnetic stimulation, it is possible to relax agitated signals of the bladder by altering the activity of the sacral nerves –
The nerves that regulate urine flow. Patients with urge incontinence or overactive bladder who use rPMS have been shown to experience:
- Less frequent urgency events per day.
- Limitations in the frequency of urination at night (nocturia).
- Reduction in the number of urinations.
- Improved bladder capacity
A lot of patients state that they experience significant improvement in their symptoms following 6-10 sessions. rPMS has a high safety profile. There are mild and mild to severe side effects that are reported to be limited and resolve with time.
Due to its non-Invasiveness and the absence of drugs do not cause any of the side effects of medications, including dry mouth, constipation, or blurred vision.
rPMS has a number of evidence-based advantages over conventional forms of treatment:
- Non-invasive: There is no need for surgery, needles, or internal devices.
- No postponement: Patients are allowed to resume daily operations.
- High compliance: Patients tend to follow the course more because of the passive
- nature of the treatment that is comfortable.
- Medication-free: Does not have a systemic side effect.
Although surgery is effective for stress incontinence, it is risky and time-consuming. Urge incontinence medications are effective, but usually have tolerance problems. rPMS offers a compromise, effective, low-risk, and convenient.
Conclusion
At Physiofitguru, we use the Salus Talent Pro to treat urinary incontinence. This is a type of medical appliance that offers high-intensity repetitive magnetic stimulation, that is specifically offered to assist in pelvic floor rehabilitation. The Talent Pro Salus enables the practitioner to change the intensity of stimulation and the treatment programs based on the stress or urge incontinence condition of the patient. It is normally administered on a treatment chair, which allows the patients to sit freely, and they can be fully clothed during therapy. It is typically carried out as a series of sessions over several weeks. The aim is to reinstate compromised muscles of the pelvis in stress incontinence or to modulate nerve impulses in urge incontinence. It is non-invasive and well tolerated, making it offerable within our clinic at Physiofitguru without anesthesia and without recovery time.
Today, a non-invasive method of treatment of stress and urge urinary incontinence is
repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation. It has been proven that there is a significant
increase in the number of leakage episodes, urgency, bladder control, and quality of life.
Using rPMS improves pelvic floor muscle strength and the nervous system to treat both
mechanical and neurological incontinence. rPMS is a clinically supported and more and
more accessible option to those who require a safe and comfortable alternative to surgery or lifelong medication. It is increasingly becoming a relevant aspect of contemporary pelvic floor therapy.