The focus of this research database is on how stress affects women's health,

and options for treatment using mind-body therapies. 

If you are not a health care professional, see new "Medical Glossary" below.  

To obtain full summaries of the articles, see "How to Get Abstracts" below. 

Approximately 10% of all women worldwide suffer from urinary incontinence, with 20% of those over age 70. In Sweden in 1990 urinary incontinence accounted for 2% of total health care costs.

2000 Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79;12:1056-9

Milsom, I.

11574982 JA

Of 418 women, mean age 50 years, attending a family practice clinic, 36% reported urinary incontinence. 44% of these women stated it had a detrimental effect on their quality of life, but only 32% had sought medical advice.

2001 Isr Med Assoc J 3;9:663-6

Vinker, S., Kaplan, B., Nakar, S., Samuels, G., Shapira, G., and Kitai, E.

11703207 JA

Swedish women with incontinence reported a significantly decreased quality of life compared to matched continent women, however women with urgency incontinence felt themselves worse off than women with stress incontinence.

2001 Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 80;11:1051-5

Hagglund, D., Walker-Engstrom, M. L., Larsson, G., and Leppert, J.

10968292 JA

Self care practices of older adults with urinary incontinence were use of disposable pads, limiting trips, and limiting fluids.

2000 J Am Geriatr Soc 48;8:894-902

Johnson, T. M. 2nd, Kincade, J. E., Bernard, S. L., Busby-Whitehead, J., and DeFriese, G. H.

10897326 R,T

Medical advice can help change medications that may be exacerbating the problem of urinary incontinence, assess need for aids to mobilization that can have a dramatic effect on the ability to cope with urinary problems, and determine which of the many different types of protective pads are best for a given woman.

2000 Baillieres Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 14;2:355-61

Anders, K.

11576579 JA

In Australian women 45-55, the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 15%. It was more related to mechanical factors (body weight, urinary tract infections, having had three or more children, having had gynecologic surgery) than to menopausal status.

2001 Obstet Gynecol 98;4:628-33

Sherburn, M., Guthrie, J. R., Dudley, E. C., O'Connell, H. E., and Dennerstein, L.

2145766 JA

In women with large uterine size due to fibroids, when the uterus was shrunk by 50% via medication, the women reported a significant decrease in urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia, but not incontinence.

1990 Am J Obstet Gynecol 163;4 Pt 1:1139-41

Langer, R., Golan, A., Neuman, M., Schneider, D., Bukovsky, I., and Caspi, E.

11502141 JA

Women who experienced significant stress incontinence after childbirth were reluctant to discuss this with their doctors. They wished they had been given more information about this potential problem, and wanted their physicians to ask about this, rather than the they themselves having to bring it up.

2001 Midwifery 17;3:212-21

Mason, L., Glenn, S., Walton, I., and Hughes, C.

11814510 JA

One third of women with significant uterine prolapse felt it moderately or greatly affected their ability to have sexual relations, significantly more than women with incontinence.

2002 Obstet Gynecol 99;2:281-9

Barber, M. D., Visco, A. G., Wyman, J. F., Fantl, J. A., and Bump, R. C.

11527480 JA

While urinary incontinence did not restrict activities or diminish self-esteem in a majority of patients, for a subgroup there was a significant social and emotional burden. Amount of urine leakage was more problematic than number of episodes.

2001 J Am Geriatr Soc 49;7:892-9

Fultz, N. H. and Herzog, A. R.

11454108 JA

Adult care residents, their families, and nursing staff had different priorities regarding management of urinary stress incontinence. Residents preferred medication and electrical stimulation to get at the cause of incontinence, whereas nurses preferred prompted voiding. In comparison to prompted voiding, residents and family members preferred diapering.

2001 J Am Geriatr Soc 49;6:710-8

Johnson, T. M., Ouslander, J. G., Uman, G. C., and Schnelle, J. F.

In this study of incontinence treatment of women 65-98 with a mean age of 80, neither advanced age nor category of incontinence precluded improvement or enhanced satisfaction with life after treatment.

2001 J Womens Health Gend Based Med 10;8:751-6

Tannenbaum, C., Bachand, G., Dubeau, C. E., and Kuchel, G. A.

9921560 R,T

Literature review of use of pelvic muscle exercises for the past 50 years, with information on evaluation and a proposed comprehensive educational program.

1998 Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 25;4:849-65, vii

Visco, A. G. and Figuers, C.

10929962 RCT

Urinary incontinence significantly affected ability to participate in physical activity and some sex-life variables in this group of Swedish women. There was a significant reduction in these problems after six months of pelvic floor muscle exercises compared to a control group.

2000 Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79;7:598-603

Bo, K., Talseth, T., and Vinsnes, A.

11339914 RCT

Postpartum patients who were trained in pelvic floor education via biofeedback had subsequently significantly less urinary incontinence than a control group. The treatment group did not show any benefit to fecal incontinence or pelvic floor contraction strength.

2001 Obstet Gynecol 97;5 Pt 1:673-7

Meyer, S., Hohlfeld, P., Achtari, C., and De Grandi, P.

10767447 R,T

Review of studies on the use of biofeedback in overactive bladder syndrome show positive results, in one study proving superior to medication. It is particularly useful in children.

2000 Urology 55;5A Suppl:24-8; discussion 31-2

Cardozo, L. D.

3946505 JA

In a group of women with urinary incontinence, 51% improved with verbal feedback to kegel-type exercises, while 75.9% improved with biofeedback.

1986 Am J Obstet Gynecol 154;1:58-64

Burgio, K. L., Robinson, J. C., and Engel, B. T.

10896750 CT

Women with urge, stress and mixed incontinence experienced significant improvement with use of a home biofeedback system. After 4 months, 43% were dry, and 36% reported 50% or more improvement.

2000 J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 27;4:240-6

Smith, D. B., Boileau, M. A., and Buan, L. D.

11421517 RCT

Both biofeedback and group physical therapy significantly decreased urinary incontinence, although parameters were different for each group.

2001 Am J Phys Med Rehabil 80;7:494-502

Pages, I. H., Jahr, S., Schaufele, M. K., and Conradi, E.

10798461 RCT

Women treated with both biofeedback and medication had significantly improved results over single modality alone.

2000 J Am Geriatr Soc 48;4:370-4

Burgio, K. L., Locher, J. L., and Goode, P. S.

6805716 JA

Women with incontinence caused by unstable bladder were helped with hypnosis--only 7/50 were not improved. Improvement was documented with cystometry three months later.

1982 Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 284;6332:1831-4

Freeman, R. M. and Baxby, K.

10979423 JA

[Article in Hebrew] Per abstract, the incidence of "bashful bladder" (inability to urinate in the presence of others) has been estimated at 7 - 32%. Paper describes three men treated with relaxation, imagery and cognitive-behavioral techniques.

2000 Harefuah 138;12:1021-3, 1087

Elitzur, B.

Women with interstitial cystitis experienced significantly increased pain levels and depression during a flare than other populations of chronic pain patients.

2000 Women Health 31;4:67-81

Rabin, C., O'Leary, A., Neighbors, C., and Whitmore, K.

7481892 JA

Of 138 women with interstitial cystitis, physical self-care strategies were medication, diet limitations and heating pad; psychological strategies most often used were watching TV, prayer, and social support. Massage and imagery were moderately to highly effective, but used infrequently.

1995 Urol Nurs 15;3:86-93

Webster, D. C. and Brennan, T.

11696740 JA

Groups with urgency-frequency syndrome and interstitial cystitis were treated with manual physical therapy to decrease tension of pelvic floor myofascial trigger points. In the urgency-frequency group, with symptoms for a median of 6 years, 83% had moderate to marked improvement or complete resolution. In the interstitial cystitis group, with symptoms for a median of 12 years, 70% had moderate to marked improvement.

2001 J Urol 166;6:2226-31

Weiss, J. M.

11378103 JA

Theile massage, a deep tissue vaginal massage plus myofascial release at trigger points, significantly improved 9 out of 10 patients with interstitial cystitis.

2001 Urology 57;6 Suppl 1:120

Holzberg, A., Kellog-Spadt, S., Lukban, J., and Whitmore, K.

Review of the problem of fecal incontinence, the most common cause of which is obstetrical trauma. Treatments include biofeedback.

2002 Mayo Clin Proc 77;3:271-5

Rudolph, W. and Galandiuk, S.

9075757 JA

Only 65% of patients are fully continent after sphincteroplasty for obstetric injury. In this study biofeedback done a mean of 32 months postop significantly improved incontinence scores from 20 to 3 (p<.0001).

1997 Dis Colon Rectum 40;2:197-200

Jensen, L. L. and Lowry, A. C.

Biofeedback was successful in treating fecal incontinence, with different effects depending on incontinence etiology.

1999 Br J Surg 86;9:1159-63

Norton, C. and Kamm, M. A.