Electronic Stimulation
Electronic Stimulation can be an effective treatment for both stress incontinence and urge incontinence (63-67). Stress incontinence is treated by long-term stimulation at a low intensity (66,67) and urge incontinence is treated short-term with maximum stimulation. Electronic stimulation is mainly used to treat stress incontinence as no controlled study
has been published on the effect of electrical stimulation in urge incontinence (66,67).


Pelvic floor exercises
Arnold Kegel described pelvic floor exercises as a treatment for stress incontinence. The exercises are used to develop stronger reflex contractions and increase the muscle volume of the pelvic floor, thus to control stress incontinence.

These exercises are very efficient and if the exercises are carried out properly often with the help of a medical practitioner the individual can be cured or almost continent.


Bladder Training
Bladder re-education or bladder re-training is a method used to re-education the individuals bladder control habits. It is very useful for people suffering from urge incontinence who are very motivated to regain continence. The principle lies in re-educating the bladder to empty itself when the brain tells it to and not when it want to.

This treatment can be very successful and either be carried out in hospital under a weeks intensive treatment or at home over a period of three to six months.


Oestrogen
Oestrogen can have a good effect for people with stress incontinence, it has also been found to have a good clinical effect in urge incontinence. Oestrogen therapy has a beneficial effect on incontinent postmenopausal women.

This should not be confused with the contraceptive pill or perimenopausal hormone replacement therapy which are different.


References
63. Eriksen BC, Eik-Nes S. Long-term electrostimulation of the pelvic floor: primary therapy in female stress incontinence? Urol Int 1989, 44: 90-5.
64. Hahn I, Sommer S, Fall M. A comparative study of pelvic floor training and electrical stimulation for the treatment of genuine female stress urinary incontinence. Neurourol Urodyn 1991, 10: 545-54.
65. Sand PK, Richardson DA, Staskin DR, Swift SE, Appell RA, Whitmore KE, et al. Pelvic floor stimulation in the treatment of genuine stress incontinence: A multicenter placebo-controlled trial. ICS 24th Annual Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, 30.08-02.09. Abstract 8. Neurourol Urodyn 1994; 13: 356-7.
66. Eriksen BC. Maximal electrostimulation of the pelvic floor in female idiopathic detrusor instability and urge incontinence. Neurourol Urodyn 1989; 8: 219-30
67. Zollner-Nielsen M, Samuelsson SM. Maximal electrical stimulation of patients with frequency, urgency and urge incontinece. Neurourol Urodyn 1989; 8: 219-30.