A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Magnetic-Electric Combined Stimulation to Single Electrical Stimulation for Treating Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of combined magnetic and electrical stimulation in treating female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to develop a more effective and optimized treatment plan for SUI patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 102 patients with SUI who were admitted from May 2022 to June 2024. The treatment methods were categorized into two groups: those receiving combined magnetic and electrical stimulation (study group, n = 54) and those receiving electrical stimulation alone (control group, n = 48). Changes in Glazer’s pelvic floor surface electromyography (EMG) assessments, results from a 1-hour pad test, and outcomes from cough tests were compared before and after treatment, along with the effective rates for each group. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the EMG values during the resting phase, as well as for type I and type II muscle fibers, before treatment between the two groups (all P > 0.05), indicating that the groups were comparable. After treatment, the EMG values for the resting phase decreased and both muscle fiber types were higher than before in both groups (P < 0.05), with the study group showing values closer to the normal range than the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in urine leakage between the 1 hour pad test and cough test before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, the urine leakage of the two groups was reduced to varying degrees (P < 0.001), and the urine leakage in the study group was closer to the normal range than that in the control group (P < 0.001). After treatment, the cough test was negative in both groups, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Additionally, the effective rate of treatment in the study group was higher than that in the control group (P = 0.03). Conclusion: For patients experiencing stress urinary incontinence, pelvic floor rehabilitation that combines magnetic and electrical stimulation has shown positive results in clinical practice. This integrated approach significantly reduces symptoms and holds potential for wider application. Both the combined therapy and electrical stimulation alone have demonstrated measurable symptom relief.