Effect of 4 weeks of whole-body vibration training in treating stress urinary incontinence after prostate cancer surgery: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Stress urinary incontinence is common in men after prostate cancer surgery. Rehabilitative interventions incorporate pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, lifestyle changes, or a combination of these strategies. However, little is known about the physiological impact of whole-body vibration for stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Objective: To investigate the effect of whole-body vibration training on stress urinary incontinence after prostate cancer surgery. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Tertiary university hospitals. Participants: Sixty-one patients with mild stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Intervention: Group 1 included 30 patients who performed pelvic floor muscle training and whole-body vibration training with a frequency and amplitude of 20 Hz/2 mm for the first two sessions and 40 Hz/4 mm for the rest of the intervention. Group 2 included 31 patients who performed pelvic floor muscle training alone. The intervention in both groups was conducted three times per week for 4 weeks. Main outcomes: Incontinence Visual Analogue Scale (I-VAS) score, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) score and 24-hour pad test result. Results: I-VAS score, ICIQ-UI-SF score and 24-hour pad test result showed significant within-group differences at each assessment with the exception of the baseline and post-intervention I-VAS score in Group 2. For example, Group 1 I-VAS score had a median difference of 3.9 cm [95% confidence interval (CI) −4.0 to −3.8] from baseline to first follow-up, and a median difference of −2.0 cm (95% CI −2.2 to −1.8) at 4-week follow-up. Comparisons between the groups demonstrated significant differences in favour of Group 1 after 4 weeks of intervention and at follow-up for all measured parameters. Conclusion: Whole-body vibration training is an effective modality for treating patients with stress urinary incontinence after prostatectomy. Trial registration: Clinicaltrial.gov (NCT03325660).