Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07322328

Effect of Hypo-pressive Exercises and Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Postpartum Stress Urinary Incontinence Women

Postpartum stress urinary incontinence is a widespread condition characterized by involuntary loss of urine during physical exertion, such as sneezing, coughing, or lifting heavy weights. Most frequently occur in multiparous women with vaginal delivery, who are obese, constipated, or with low maternal education. Damage to the levator ani muscle complex and adjacent fascia during childbirth affects urethral mobility and consequently results in sphincter insufficiency.

Hypopressive exercises involve breathing techniques that regulate the intra-abdominal pressure. HE has been recently recognized for benefits such as pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength, endurance, postural control, core muscle activation, and respiratory capacity, which efficiently improve symptom severity and quality of life in postpartum women.

Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a set of frequent voluntary contractions designed to improve strength, coordination, and control. PFMT is considered as standard treatment protocol for urinary incontinence and other postpartum complications.

The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and the Incontinence Quality of Life (IQOL) are used to assess symptom severity and quality of life, respectively. This study seeks to bridge that gap by evaluating and comparing the outcomes of HE and PFMT in postpartum women experiencing SUI. This research aims to support postpartum recovery, improve women's daily functioning, and enhance their overall well-being.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) Female Urogenital Diseases Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Male Urogenital Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women Urinary Incontinence Urinary Incontinence, Stress Urination Disorders Urogenital Diseases Urologic Diseases Urological Manifestations

Age range

20 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Women aged between 20 and 40 years old
  • Multiparous women
  • Postpartum women ≤ 6 months.
  • Vaginal deliveries.
  • Women diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence within 6 weeks to six months

Exclusion criteria

  • Neurological disorder
  • Metabolic issue
  • Abdominal and pelvic surgery in previous years
  • Mentally retarded
  • Pregnant women

Treatment and study plan

hypo-pressive exercise

Other

Exercise is performed 3 times per week for 6 weeks with moderate intensity for 20 min/session which includes diaphragmatic breathing, apnea, postural alignment (standing, seated, kneeling), and pelvic floor co-activation).

Pelvic Floor Muscle training

Other

Exercise is performed 3 times per week for 6 weeks with submaximal voluntary contraction (include both slow holds and quick flicks) for 20 min/session (each session includes multiple sets of 8 repetitions, hold for 5 seconds, with rest intervals). These Kegel exercises are performed in different positions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Symptoms severity

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    Symptom severity due to SUI will assessed by International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence short form (ICIQUI-SF) is a standardized, validated, self-administered questionnaire used to assess the severity of urinary incontinence (UI), influence quality of life, and situational triggers of leakage. It consists of four items: frequency of urine leakage, amount of urine leakage, overall impact of UI on daily life (rated on a 0-10 scale), and a self-diagnostic item asking when urine leaks (non-scored). The ICIQ-UI-SF showed a Cronbach's alpha value from 0.7 to 0.8, representing good internal consistency

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incontinence Quality of life

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    Incontinence Quality of life (I-QOL) is a self-assessment tool that is repeatedly utilized in people with UI. The 22-item I-QOL has three subscales: social embarrassment (SE), psychosocial impact (PSI), and avoidance and limiting behaviors (ALB). It based on Likert scale which comprises of five point, i.e. 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely and 5=never. The IQOL showed a Cronbach's alpha value was 0.96, representing good internal consistency.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Hypo-pressive Exercises and Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on the Severity of Stress Urinary Incontinence and Quality of Life in Postpartum Women

Acronym: SUI PFMT HE

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 7, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 4, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.