Incontinence: dance as therapy

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MunichThey are called "Just Dance" or "Boogie" and get thousands of people moving in their living rooms: console games that encourage dancing, singing or even sports. These games are by no means just a pastime for young people. The dance in front of the screen is also a promising therapy option for older women with incontinence, report Swiss researchers.

Training with a fun factor

Boring exercises for strong pelvic floor muscles are yesterday - in the fight against incontinence, those affected can dance their slack muscles fit. For example, a team of researchers from the University of Montréal integrated a series of dance exercises into the physiotherapy classes of 24 women suffering from incontinence. In addition to normal pelvic floor exercises, the women, with an average age of 70, should shake their legs twice a week with the game console.

A form of training with a double effect. Because almost all of the test subjects not only lost less urine after the 12-week training period, they also came to the exercise sessions much more frequently. Because training was a lot more fun for them. “We quickly found out that the women especially enjoyed the dance units and did not want to miss them,” reports study author Dr. Chantal Dumoulin.

Good body feeling

Regular exercise is a key factor in incontinence physiotherapy, continued Dumoulin. Because the more often those affected train their pelvic floor muscles, the stronger they become.The aim of the investigation was therefore to find a form of training that motivates regular practice hours.

The dance routines also gave the women the feeling that they were in better control of their bodies again, the scientists observed. “If the women could hold their urine while dancing, it gave them the security of being able to cope with everyday tasks without any problems,” believes Dumoulin. The positive experiences with dance therapy are the reason for further studies.

Taboo subject incontinence

For many people, incontinence is still a taboo subject. Even though the disease is widespread. Nationwide, experts estimate the number of women affected at around 15 million, although the symptoms increase with age. About 40 percent of all over 80 year olds suffer from incontinence. Men are significantly less affected by incontinence. In the vast majority of cases, the cause of the disease is obesity, pregnancy and weak pelvic floor muscles. (jb)

Source: Elliot V. et al. Virtual reality rehabilitation as a treatment approach for older women with mixed urinary incontinence: a feasibility study. Neurology and Urodynamics. 01/10/2014.

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