Examination of spinal posture in women with urinary incontinence

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the spinal postures of urinary incontinence and asymptomatic women. Twenty patients with stress urinary incontinence, 19 urgency urinary incontinence, 25 mixed urinary incontinence and 21 asymptomatic women were included in the study. After sociodemographic and physical characteristics of women were recorded, type of urinary incontinence with Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis Questionnaire, physical activity levels with International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form, presence and severity of pelvic floor symptoms with Global Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire, pelvic floor dysfunction and discomfort degrees with Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and spinal postures with Spinal Mouse were evaluated. Spinal total score, spinal posture, spinal mobility and spinal postural compliance were similar in women with stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, mixed urinary incontinence and asymptomatic women (p>0.05). Thoracic kyphosis was found to be increased in women with stress urinary incontinence (p=0.046). Pelvic floor symptoms of asymptomatic women were found to be less than women with stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence (p≤0.05). Physical activity levels of women with stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence and asymptomatic women were similar. The results of this study showed that women with stress urinary incontinence had increased thoracic kyphosis. The increase in thoracic kyphosis was thought to affect the pelvic floor and muscles.