OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of perineal exercises and vaginal cones in association with corrective postural exercises for static normalization of the pelvis, on female urinary incontinence treatment. METHOD: Twelve women with urinary incontinence complaints (mean age: 52.3 ± 9.7) were assessed via 10 physical therapy sessions, twice a week. They were divided into two groups: Group A (n = 6) underwent perineal exercises, while Group B (n = 6) used vaginal cones. Both groups performed postural exercises for static correction of the pelvis, in accordance with each patient's abnormalities. The following data were collected before and after the intervention: degree of perineal muscle contraction, via functional evaluation of the pelvic floor (FEPF); quantitative urinary loss, using the pad test; and sensations of dampness and discomfort, via a visual analog scale (VAS). Postural data were collected using the static pelvic test, muscle chain flexibility test and postural evaluation. RESULTS: Comparing the data before and after the intervention, there were statistically significant decreases in urinary loss (p < 0.05) for both groups. There were gains in pelvic floor muscle contraction and significant decreases in the sensation of dampness. The degree of discomfort following the intervention was significantly lower for the group that did perineal exercises. The pelvic static balance was corrected in most of the volunteers and there were gains in muscle chain flexibility. CONCLUSIONS: Static correction of the pelvis by means of postural exercises is an efficient method for female urinary incontinence treatment when associated with perineal muscle training.
urinary incontinence; pelvic floor; perineal exercises; vaginal cones; pelvic static
