Telemealth Matches for Personal Therapy to Treat Women With Postpartum Incontinence

Telemealth Matches for Personal Therapy to Treat Women With Postpartum Incontinence

Women experiencing postpartum urinary incontinence may get as much relief from telemedicine as they do from physical therapy, a new study from UC San Francisco suggests.

It's the first comparison of telemedicine with in-person pelvic physical therapy, and the results open the door to new ways of treating a condition that affects millions of women.

The research appears in the April 2025 issue ofJournal of Women and Pelvic Physiotherapy.

This paper provides valuable preliminary evidence on the effectiveness and overall satisfaction of telemedicine for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. This is an important step in making care more accessible and affordable for our postpartum mothers. “

Jennifer Kinder, PT, DPTSC, associate professor in the UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and a clinical specialist in women's health

Stress continence may continue long after birth

Over the next two decades, it is predicted that 43 million women will have some form of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Incontinence often begins after a baby is handed over. Up to 30% of women develop incontinence after a first vaginal delivery, and if left untreated this can become chronic. Severe cases can also be complicated by work.

Physical therapy can help treat the condition, but limited child care and the need to work outside the home make it difficult for some women to seek treatment.

The study randomized 30 women to receive care either via telemedicine or in person. They were an average of 1.5 years postpartum, had an average age of 37, had two babies and were in good health. The women reported their symptoms during the four-week study and five weeks and a year after the end.

All of the women's symptoms improved significantly even one year after the end of the study, and the improvements were similar for both groups.

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