Kinesthetic Pelvic Floor Imagery Added to Exercises for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized, parallel-group trial compares pelvic floor muscle training alone to pelvic floor muscle training plus pelvic-floor–specific kinesthetic motor imagery. Participants imagine the sensation of contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor before performing the physical exercises, with imagery matched to a control group that imagines making a fist. The study includes 60 natural postmenopausal women aged 45–65, conducted at Istanbul Medipol University Hospital over 24 supervised 30-minute sessions. The primary outcome is the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form score, with secondary outcomes including daily leakage episodes. Allocation is 1:1 with concealed randomization and blinded outcome assessment.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Women aged 45 to 60 years.
* Natural postmenopause, defined as the absence of menstruation for at least 12 consecutive months without a pathological, pharmacological, or surgical cause.
* Physician-diagnosed stress urinary incontinence.
* Sufficient cognitive and communication abilities to understand instructions in Turkish and complete the questionnaires and a three-day bladder/leakage diary.
* A score of at least 30 on each of the visual and kinesthetic imagery subscales of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire-20 (KVIQ-20), assessed before randomization.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Urgency, mixed, overflow, or neurogenic urinary incontinence.
* Stage III or IV pelvic organ prolapse according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system.
* Inability to correctly and voluntarily contract the pelvic floor muscles.
* Active urinary tract or vaginal infection, unexplained hematuria, or postmenopausal vaginal bleeding.
* Severe vaginal atrophy, vaginismus, genital lesions, or pelvic pain that prevents intravaginal assessment.
* Previous surgery for stress urinary incontinence or previous pelvic radiotherapy.
* Pelvic floor rehabilitation for urinary incontinence within the previous 12 months.
* Neurological or cognitive disorders, or uncontrolled psychiatric illness, that could affect pelvic floor control, continence, or motor imagery ability.
* Serious or uncontrolled systemic or musculoskeletal conditions that prevent safe participation in the exercise program.
* Changes in hormone therapy within the previous six months or changes in medications affecting urinary system function within the previous three months.

Where it's running

• Istanbul Medipol University
  Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) Recruiting

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.