Background

Stress urinary incontinenece (SUI) is a stressful condition among postmenopausal women,often triggered by activities such as sneezing,coughing,laughing or physical exertion.It negatively impacts quality of life(QoL),affecting emotional ,physical and social well-being.Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is widely recommended as a conservative,non-invasive intervention for managing SUI.This systematic review aimed to evaluate the long-term effectivness of PFMT in reducing urine leakage and enhancing QoL among postmenopausal women with SUI.

Aim

To evaluate the long-term effect of pelvic floor muscle training on stress urinary incontinence and quality of life in postmenopausal women,specifically focusing on outcomes assessed ≥ 6 months.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines.PubMed,Medline and Google scholar were searched for randamoized controlled trails(RCTs)and clinical trials published between 2005 and 2025.Eligible studies included postmenopausal women with SUI ,PFMT as intervention and outcome assessed ≥ 6 months.Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB-2 for RCTs and ROBINS -1 for non randomized studies

Results

Ten studies were included.PFMT protocols typically involving both slow and fast contractions performed over 8-24 weeks,consistently reduced urine leakage and improved pelvic floor muscle strength.QoL improvements were demonstrated across validated tools(KHQ,ICIQ-LUTSqol,IIQ-7).Supervised or group- based programs showed greater effectivness and adherence.Several studies reported sustained benefits upto 6 -12 months although evidence beyond one year was limited.Most RCTs had low risk of bias while some non randomized studies raised concerns about adherence and self-reported outcomes.

Conclusion

PFMT is an effective,low-risk intervention  for postmenopausal women with SUI ,leading to symptoms reduction and QoL improvements for ≥ 6 months.Structured and supervised program provide the best outcomes.However,evidence on sustainabilty beyond 12 months remains limited ,highlighting the need for further high-quality Trials.