Save
Email
Print
ShareOct. 14, 2011 — Combination therapy for fecal incontinence is more effective than the current standard treatment. This is the conclusion of a randomized trial comparing the different treatments, described by Thilo Schwandner and colleagues in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
In Germany, 1-2% of the population suffers from anal incontinence. The problem is often caused by weakness of the pelvic floor muscles. Targeted training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation are used to restore coordination to the muscles responsible for continence. For anatomical reasons, physical exercises alone do not suffice to train all of the relevant muscles; thus, stimulation with an electric current plays an important role as well.
The standard treatment to date, low-frequency electric stimulation, is painful for patients and is shown in the present study to yield no demonstrable therapeutic benefit. In contrast, the combination therapy devised by the authors, which they call "triple-target treatment" (3T), restored continence in 50% of the patients who received it. In one component of 3T, the phasic voluntary musculature is trained with EMG-biofeedback so that patients can learn to activate the correct muscle groups to achieve continence. In a separate component, the smooth muscle (which cannot be voluntarily contracted) is treated with medium-frequency stimulation, which is less painful than low-frequency stimulation.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Schwandner T, Hemmelmann C, Heimerl T, Kierer W, Kolbert G, Vonthein R, Weinel R, Hirschburger M, Ziegler A, Padberg W. Triple-target treatment versus low- frequency electrostimulation for anal incontinence—a randomized controlled trial. Dtsch Arztebl Int, Oct 14, 2011 DOI: 2011; 108(39): 653%u201360
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
more 
