Review Article

Effect of Kegel Exercises on the Management of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Table 1

Characteristics of the selected studies.

YearStudyLocation Group
(/mean age (yr))
Interventions Dropout
, (%)
FollowupOutcomes
Exp.Con.

2012Pereira et al. [23]Brazil15
63.0 ± 10.7
15
62.9 ± 9.2
Kegel exercises: individual training; totally 12 sessions, twice-weekly session of 40 minutes each. Each session 100 contractions held for 3 seconds with 6 seconds of rest; carried out in the supine, sitting, and standing positions.
Control: no treatment
No6 weeks(i) UI symptoms by KHO
(ii) 1-hour pad test
(iii) Pelvic floor muscle pressure

2011Pereira et al. [22]Brazil15
60.2 ± 8.2
15
61.5 ± 10.1
Kegel exercises: group training; as above
Control: no treatment
4
(14.2)
6 weeks(i) UI symptoms by KHO
(ii) 1-hour pad test
(iii) Pelvic floor muscle pressure

2009Lee et al. [16]Korea10
73.1 ± .1
10
71.8 ± 3.2
Kegel exercises: physiotherapist trained; twice a week for 50 minutes, 2 sets of 10–15 contractions a day.
Control: usual care (education)
3
(12.0)
8 weeks(i) UI symptoms by BFLUTS
(ii) Pelvic floor muscle pressure

2008Castro et al. [24]Brazil26
56.2 ± 12.5
24
52.6 ± 11.2
Kegel exercises: 10 repetitions of 5-second contractions with 5 seconds of recovery time; 20 repetitions of 1-second contractions and recovery; 5 repetitions of 10-second contractions and recovery; all the sessions were held in groups for 45 minutes.
Control: no treatment
11
(18.0)
6 months(i) UI episode for 7 days
(ii) Standardized bladder volume on pad test

2007 Konstantinidou et al. [15]Greece10
47.8 ± 7.5
12
47.8 ± 7.5
Kegel exercises: 1-hour demonstration program; 3 sets of fast contractions and 3-4 sets of slow contractions daily lying, sitting, and standing positions.
Control: usual care
8
(26.6)
12 weeks(i) UI episode for 7 days

2007Zanetti et al. [25]Brazil23
56 (med)
21
54 (med)
Kegel exercises: physiotherapist trained; twice a week, for 45 minutes; 10 repetitions of 5-second held contractions with 5 seconds of recovery; 20 repetitions of 1-second contractions and recovery; 5 repetitions of 10 seconds of contractions and recovery followed by 5 repetitions of strong contractions together with a cough, with one-minute intervals between each set.
Control: usual care (unsupervised)
No3 months(i) 1-hour pad test

2000Sung et al. [17]Korea3030Kegel exercises: exercise video tape; intensively programmed PFM exercise, which was developed by Bø et al. [20] 
Control: no treatment
No6 weeks(i) UI episode for 7 days
(ii) Pelvic floor muscle pressure

1999Bø et al. [20]Norway25
49.5 ± 10.0
30
51.7 ± 8.8
Kegel exercises: physical therapist group training; 3 times a day at home, 8–12 high intensity contractions, with holding periods of 6–8 seconds in lying, standing, kneeling, and sitting positions and also additional training in groups once a week for 45 minutes
Control: no contact during intervention
6
(9.8)
6 months(i) Subjective assessment of improvement in SUI
(ii) UI episode for 7 days
(iii) Standardized bladder volume on pad test
(iv) Pelvic floor muscle pressure

1993Burns et al. [21]USA43
63.0 ± 6.0
39
63.0 ± 5.0
Kegel exercises: 12-minute video tape; 4 sets of 20 (10 quick and 10 sustained) and increased by 10 per set over 4 weeks until daily maximum 200 exercises
Control: no treatment
1
(1.2)
3–6 months(i) Subjective assessment of improvement in SUI

1991 Lagro-Janssen et al. [19]Netherland33
46.1 ± 10.1
33
44.6 ± 8.2
Kegel exercises: general practitioner researcher taught; squeeze pelvic muscle for 6 seconds, performed 5–10 sessions of 10 pelvic muscle contractions each day.
Control: no treatment
No3 months(i) Subjective assessment of improvement in SUI
(ii) UI episode for 7 days

1989 Henalla et al. [18]United Kingdom2625Kegel exercises: physiotherapist trained; 5 seconds and repeat manoeuvre 5 times every hour.
Control: no treatment
No3 months(i) Subjective assessment of improvement in SUI

Exp., experimental group; Con., control group; UI, urinary incontinence; KHO, King’s health questionnaire; BFLUTS, Bristol female lower urinary tract symptoms questionnaire; SUI, stress urinary incontinence.