Effects of an eight week pelvic floor muscle training applied with telerehabilitation in patients with lower urinary symptoms diagnosed with multiple sclerosis

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and lifestyle recommendations compared to lifestyle recommendations alone, applied with telerehabilitation, on urinary symptoms, quality of life, subjective perception of improvement, patient satisfaction in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosed with Lower Urinary System Symptoms (LUTS). Multiple Sclerosis patients were randomly divided into PFMT+Recommendation (n:21) and Recommendation (n:21) groups. PFMT applied with telerehabilitation approximately 20 minutes, once a week day, for eight weeks to the PFMT+Recommendation group and life style recommendations once, lifestyle recommendations were given to the Recommendation group only once. The physical, demographic characteristics, medical histories of the patients were questioned. The LUTS with Overactive Bladder-Version8 (OAB-V8), International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), urinary diary, quality of life with King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were evaluated before (BT) and after the treatment (AT). AT, subjective perception of improvement was questioned with a four-point Likert scale and patient satisfaction with a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, it was found that in PFMT+Recommendation group, the OAB-V8, ICIQ-SF total score, mean voiding frequencies, the number of urinary incontinence and frequency, quality of life scores decreased (p<0.05). In comparisons between groups, OAB-V8, ICIQ-SF total score, mean voiding frequencies, quality of life scores were decreased, mean voiding volume increased in the PFMT+Recommendation group, as well as subjective perception of improvement and patient satisfaction were higher (p<0.05). In this study, patients with LUTS diagnosed with MS had more improvement in urinary symptoms, quality of life, subjective perception of improvement, and patient satisfaction in the PFMT and lifestyle recommendations compared to lifestyle recommendations alone, applied with telerehabilitation.