Effect of photobiomodulation associated with strengthening pelvic floor muscles in volunteers with urinary incontinence: a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial

• Published in: Lasers in medical science 2023-11, Vol.38 (1), p.278-278, Article 278
• Main Authors: da Silva, Aline Lanziloti, Lopes-Martins, Rodrigo Alvaro B., dos Santos Oliveira, Aissa, França, Paula Denise Leite, Pereira, Maria Fernanda Franco, Lima, Mário Oliveira, Lima, Fernanda Pupio Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical trials; Dentistry; Exercise Therapy - methods; Fatigue; Female; Fluence; Humans; Infrared lasers; Laser applications; Lasers; Light therapy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Muscle contraction; Muscle fatigue; Muscle strength; Muscles; Muscular fatigue; Optical Devices; Optics; Original Article; Pelvic Floor; Pelvis; Perineum; Photonics; Placebos; Quality of Life; Quantum Optics; Sneezing; Social interactions; Strengthening; Treatment Outcome; Urinary Incontinence; Urinary Incontinence, Stress - radiotherapy; Vagina
• ISSN: 1435-604X; 0268-8921; 1435-604X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10103-023-03919-7

The dysfunctions of the female pelvic floor have a great influence on the quality of life of women, in all areas, social, psychological, and sexual. Stress urinary incontinence is the clinical condition in which the woman involuntarily loses urine to efforts, such as coughing and sneezing, causing great embarrassment and affecting her quality of life. The physiotherapeutic treatments include muscle strengthening; however, muscle fatigue is present when performing the exercises. Here we investigate the effects of photobiomodulation to prevent muscle fatigue in the pelvic floor in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, associated with a muscle strengthening exercise protocol. We used an infrared laser (808 nm, 100 mW) and 3 J/point and fluence of 107.1 J/cm 2 . The application was performed at 3 points on the vaginal introits and at another 3 points inside the vaginal canal cavity for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence associated with strengthening exercises with vaginal cones. Twenty-two volunteers participated in the study, divided into two groups: group 1 (laser therapy + strengthening) and group 2 (placebo laser + strengthening). In the group 1 quality of life score, the assessment (11.63 ± 4.33) was the highest score at 17 and in the reevaluation (7.81 ± 5.14) the lowest was 0 ( p