Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (unclear allocation concealment, unclear blinding, and incomplete outcome data in most of the trials), by inconsistency (unexplained variability in results) and by indirectness (heterogeneity in interventions and differences between the interventions of interest and those studied).
A Cochrane review included 24 studies with a total of 1583 subjects. Women who received biofeedback (BF) were significantly more likely to report that their urinary incontinence was cured or improved compared to those who received pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) alone (RR 0.75 , 95% CI 0.66 to 0.86; 7 trials, n =520). However, women in the biofeedback arms had more contact with the health professional than those in the non-biofeedback arms. There were no statistically significant difference in leakage episodes in 24 hours (MD 0.12, 95% CI -0.22 to -0.01; 8 trials, n=532); this difference comprised around one fewer leakage episodes every eight days. For quality of life, the effect estimates in separate did not show a statistically significant difference, although the possibility of a summary statistic favouring BF or no BF could not be excluded.
Date of latest search: 22.7.2010