Urinary incontinence is the loss of control of the bladder and causes the involuntary loss of urine. It affects many people and impacts the physical well-being, quality of life, and emotional and social health of those affected. Many people with urinary incontinence use surgeries/procedures and medications to successfully treat the condition. However, medications, surgeries, or medical procedures are ineffective or partially effective for some people with urinary incontinence. Therefore, other urinary incontinence management strategies, such as restraint, are needed. For older women, more conservative and noninvasive urinary incontinence management strategies are likely to be more acceptable. Therefore, it is important to determine whether these more conservative, noninvasive treatments are effective in treating urinary incontinence. One possible management strategy is to use an undergarment that has magnetic discs sewn into the undergarment. The magnetic discs generate an impulse that induces an electrical depolarization of the nerves within the pelvic floor which causes the pelvic floor muscles to contract. No studies have yet been conducted to support the positive effect of this urinary incontinence treatment. The purpose of the research experiment in the research article “Pelvic Static Magnetic Stimulation to Control Urinary Incontinence in Elderly Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial” is to “estimate the effectiveness and safety of an undergarment available in market that incorporates 15 static magnets of approximately 900 Gauss each, arranged anteriorly, posteriorly and inferiorly to the pelvis, compared to placebo in the treatment of elderly women with urinary incontinence". The method of the experiment involves the random use of a sheet of paper, some participants decide not to wear underwear. Due to the factors affecting the experiment and the small size of the subject, it is not possible to determine the effectiveness of the static magnetic undergarment. Further studies are needed for the experiment to be more conclusive; a larger group of participants is needed and some factors need to be excluded from the experiment. Urinary incontinence is a serious problem for many people and some treatments take a long time and carry many risks, such as inserting a catheter. It also poses a problem for many older people because they are less mobile and may not be able to care for themselves; it can lead to further complications such as urinary tract infection. This study may not be conclusive, but it represents a step forward towards finding a more non-invasive and conservative way in managing urinary incontinence.
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