TY - JOUR
T1 - Physiotherapy management of incontinence in men
AU - Nahon, Irmina
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - Urinary and faecal incontinence are not usually at the forefront of physiotherapists' minds on graduation; they are conditions that society still reacts to with silence or stigma. These conditions do not seem to have a significant place outside women's health in physiotherapy practice and then mainly after pregnancy. As incontinence is often considered a women's health issue, incontinence in men has been greatly neglected. Urinary incontinence (UI), defined as ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of urine’,1 is a common condition in adults, with considerable health consequences. Faecal incontinence (FI) also has significant health consequences. The International Continence Society definition of anorectal incontinence is ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of flatus or faeces’, which allows for a range of symptoms from loss of wind to solid faeces.1 In recent years, partly due to the increase in lifespan and to improvements in survivorship with prostate cancer treatments, male UI and FI have become an area of importance to physiotherapists. UI has a significant impact on men, both physically and psychosocially, and it can dramatically affect their quality of life. This review summarises: the prevalence and burden of male UI and FI; the male continence mechanism; how the cause of continence differs between males and females; how the consequences of treating prostate cancer impact continence; how male incontinence is managed using the latest evidence; and future directions for research and practice.
AB - Urinary and faecal incontinence are not usually at the forefront of physiotherapists' minds on graduation; they are conditions that society still reacts to with silence or stigma. These conditions do not seem to have a significant place outside women's health in physiotherapy practice and then mainly after pregnancy. As incontinence is often considered a women's health issue, incontinence in men has been greatly neglected. Urinary incontinence (UI), defined as ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of urine’,1 is a common condition in adults, with considerable health consequences. Faecal incontinence (FI) also has significant health consequences. The International Continence Society definition of anorectal incontinence is ‘the complaint of involuntary loss of flatus or faeces’, which allows for a range of symptoms from loss of wind to solid faeces.1 In recent years, partly due to the increase in lifespan and to improvements in survivorship with prostate cancer treatments, male UI and FI have become an area of importance to physiotherapists. UI has a significant impact on men, both physically and psychosocially, and it can dramatically affect their quality of life. This review summarises: the prevalence and burden of male UI and FI; the male continence mechanism; how the cause of continence differs between males and females; how the consequences of treating prostate cancer impact continence; how male incontinence is managed using the latest evidence; and future directions for research and practice.
KW - Urinary incontinence
KW - Faecal incontinence
KW - Male
KW - Pelvic floor
KW - Physical therapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103406505&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jphys.2021.02.010
DO - 10.1016/j.jphys.2021.02.010
M3 - Review article
SN - 1836-9553
VL - 67
SP - 87
EP - 94
JO - Journal of Physiotherapy
JF - Journal of Physiotherapy
IS - 2
ER -