Dr. Miguel Ángel Mañanas and Dr. Juan José Ramos.
Almost a third of women suffer urinary incontinence at some point in their lives. It may appear at any age with varying degrees of severity, and it has several causes. Many women are not aware that they suffer from a disorder; they normalize it or they do not know that it can be cured. If it is not treated, it ends up affecting daily activities and quality of life in many ways.
In the WOMEN-UP project, led by the UPC, we are developing technology that improves the treatment of this very common disorder. The first recommendation in most cases of stress and mixed incontinence is to train the pelvic floor muscles. By following a plan of specific exercises, sometimes combined with some changes in habits, incontinence can improve notably and even be cured. The success rate is 70%, but only if the exercises are done properly. This is the cheapest treatment and can be done at home. However, it requires perseverance by the patient and a personalized exercise plan. To be effective, it is important for the professional to adapt the plan to each patient and evaluate their progress. To ensure that the exercises are done correctly, biofeedback devices and software can be used. Through a vaginal probe these devices gather data on the contractions of the muscles that are involved.