Rehabilitation plays an important role among the conservative forms of treatment of urinary incontinence. The techniques employed are: physiokinesitherapy, biofeedback, electric functional stimulation and behavioural therapy, aimed at preventing and curing urinary incontinence and at micturitional, anorectal and sexual rehabilitation. Applied singly or in different combinations, they tend to improve functionality of the perineal muscles. Some basic principles are outlined on which their rational use in practical therapy is based.
AllenR.E.: Pelvic floor damage and childbirth: a neu-rophysical study. Brit. J. Obst. Gynaec., 97: 770–779, 1990.
2.
BourcierA., JourasJ.: Urodinamique et réadaptation en urogynecologie. Ed. Vigot, 1986.
3.
Di BenedettoP., FabianiC., GiorginiT., IonaL.G.: Incontinenza urinaria femminile non neurogena: valutazione clinica in funzione del trattamento conservativo. Atti Congresso congiunto Italo-Francofono: Rieducazione del pavimento pelvico, 56–59, 1992.
4.
EriksenB.C., BergmannS., Eik-NesS. H.: Maximal electrostimulation of the pelvic floor in female idiopathic detrusor instability and urge incontinence. Neurourol. Urodyn., 8: 219–230, 1989.
LindstromS., FallM., CarlssonC.A., ErlandsonB.E.: The neurophysiological basis of bladder inhibition in response to intravaginal electrical stimulation. J. Urology, 129: 405–410, 1983.
7.
LindstromS., FallM., CarlssonC.A., ErlandsonB.E.: Rhythmic activity in pelvic efferents to the bladder: an experimental study in the cat with reference to the clinical condition “unstable bladder”. Urologia Internationalis, 39: 272–279, 1984.
NinfaC.: Considerazioni anatomiche e fisiopatologiche sul piano pelvico. Atti XI Congresso Soc. Siculo-Calabra di Urologia, 67–68, 1993.
10.
CarbonaroA., GrassoLeanza F., NinfaC., PlataniaR., ReitanoS.: Validità e principi della fisiokinesiterapia riabilitativa nel trattamento della stress incontinence. Mediterranean J. of Gynecology, I (suppl. 1): 255–258, 1989.
11.
OhlssonC., LindstromS., ErlandsonB.E., FallM.: Effects of some different pulse parameters on bladder inhibition and urethral closure during intravaginal electrical stimulation. An experimental study in the cat. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 24: 27–33, 1986.
12.
PlevnikS., VodusekD.B., VrtacnicP., JanezJ.: Optimization of pulse duration for electrical stimulation in treatment of urinary incontinence. World J. of Urology, 4: 22–23, 1986.
13.
PlevnicS., JanezJ., VrtacnicP., TrsinarB., VodusekD.B.: Short-term electrical stimulation: home treatment for urinary incontinence. World Journal of Urology: 4: 24–26, 1986.
14.
VentimigliaB., SerraoA., PennisiM., NinfaC.: Ruolo e principi della terapia riabilitativa nel trattamento dell'incontinenza urinaria femminile. Atti VI Congresso Soc. Siculo-Calabra di Urologia, 7–12, 1987.
15.
VodusekD.B., LightJ.K., LibbyJ.M.: Detrusor inhibition induced by stimulation of pudendal nerve afferents. Neurourol. Urodyn., 5: 381–389, 1986.