Behavioral intervention: The first-line treatment for women with urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a women’s health problem that imposes major consequences for personal quality of life and for national health care costs. The evidence base for the efficacy of the behavioral interventions of bladder training and pelvic muscle training to treat urinary incontinence in women is strong. Bladder and pelvic muscle training should be considered as basic health promotion education for all women. Screening for incontinence should be a routine component of women’s health care and bladder and pelvic muscle training should be prescribed by clinicians as a first-line treatment for women who screen positive. This article summarizes the relevant research and outlines intervention strategies that clinicians can readily translate into everyday practice.