New device works to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, reduce urinary incontinence
The Medical College of Wisconsin is conducting clinical trials on InTone, a new FDA-approved medical device that treats female urinary incontinence. The 12-week study will evaluate the effectiveness of the device in women with stress urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, or a combination of both stress and urge incontinence.
Stress incontinence is the leaking of urine that occurs when the bladder experiences stress from coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercise. Urge incontinence is a strong, sudden need to urinate as a result of bladder spams or contractions. In most cases, these types of urinary incontinence are caused by poor muscle tone in the pelvic floor muscles caused by factors such as childbirth, obesity, trauma, and advanced age.
“Most women who ‘leak’ endure their problem in silence,” according to a news release by InControl Medical. “Absorbent pads and diapers, if used, do nothing to treat the condition. Medications, if prescribed, can cause side effects and are not always effective. Surgery, if performed, can be traumatic and painful, and is not always effective.”
In fact, transvaginal mesh, a device used to surgically repair stress urinary incontinence, has come under fire, linked to serious and sometimes fatal complications, and numerous lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers.
The InTone device, however, offers a less traumatic solution that can be used in the privacy of one’s own home. It is an inserted device that combines mild micro-current stimulation, exercises and guided biofeedback to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor, similar to Kegel exercises. According to the manufacturer, the device is designed to work with most women in a matter of weeks to provide effective relief from symptoms for about 90 days. In pre-market studies, 85 percent of women who used InTone reported that their incontinence symptoms completely went away.
The new study will measure improvement in pelvic floor muscle tone, improvement in sexual function, and the usability and tolerability of the device.
Source: Red Orbit
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- Surgery may not be best answer for urinary incontinence
- Younger women experience urinary incontinence, too
- Transvaginal mesh prevents urinary incontinence, but may lead to serious side effects
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises help prevent, improve SUI, POP
