Treating Urinary Incontinence with Electrical Stimulus: A Review

Abstract

Urinary incontinence markedly affects women’s quality of life. There are several methods to mitigate or reduce this problem such as medication, surgery, or exercises. Of various types of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder consists of one category, which is often resistant to various treatments. Electrical stimulation methods have been considered a treatment option of overactive bladder. We here briefly summarize various treatment options for urinary incontinence, with special reference to the role of electrical stimulation methods for this disease. Electrical stimulation methods include vaginal electrical stimulation (VES), posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) and sacral nerve stimulation (SNS). The three methods have shown good results, and these findings will contribute to achieving a better quality of life for patients.