Does Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Work for Symptomatic Mild Prolapse?

Many women experience bladder and bowel symptoms from mild pelvic organ prolapse, in which the leading edge of the prolapse is at or below the hymen. Treatment options include surgery, pessary placement, and pelvic floor muscle training. However, whether pelvic floor training is effective in the setting of mild prolapse is unclear. In a randomized, controlled trial, investigators in the Netherlands compared pelvic floor training with watchful waiting in 287 older women (age, ≥55) with symptomatic mild prolapse. The intervention consisted of training by pelvic floor physiotherapists combined with home exercises. The primary outcome was change in the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI)-20, which assesses urinary, bowel, and prolapse sympto…