b'BBllaaddddeerrssMMaatttteerrBBllaaddddeerrHHeeaalltthhAAlllliiaanncceeRRoouunnddttaabblleePPrroovviiddeessNNeewwIInnssiigghhttssOn Oct. 1-2, MS Focus participated in a roundtable meeting with more than two dozen nonprotorganizations, as part of the Bladder Health Alliance. During the meeting, research results wereshared, advocacy opportunities were discussed, and plans were made to help bring awarenessto bladder health issues. Kimberly Bailey, MS, a senior program ocer for the Patient-Centered Outcomes ResearchInstitutes (PCORI), discussed the importance of clinical effectiveness research. This typeof research answers questions that are important to patients, such as which treatment is mosteective for my condition? She also announced the release of new study results related tobladder symptoms in women.Evidence Update: Treating Womens Urinary Incontinence without SurgeryPCORI released the results of a systematic review, in a research partnership with theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality. It compared the eectiveness of medicine andbehavioral approaches to treating urinary incontinence (UI) in nonpregnant women. The study looked at two kinds of incontinence: 1. Stress UI: urinary leakage that occurs when your body strains, such as coughing, laughing,or sneezing.2. Urgency UI (also called overactive bladder): urinary leakage or loss of bladder controlhappens when you have a sudden feeling of needing to urinate but cannot make it to thebathroom in time.It is important to note that this study did not look at neurogenic bladder symptoms(including UI caused by damage to the nerves that control the bladder). However, manywomen with MS may also experience stress UI or urgency UI, which are common conditions,especially after age 40. The study found that both medicine and behavioral approaches are eective for both typesof UI. Here are the highlights: Kegel exercises improved symptoms in almost three-quarters of women with stress UI,and for many, the symptoms went away completely. Bladder training, which involves a plan to go to the bathroom at set times and thengradually waiting longer between visits, improved the symptoms of more than 75 percentof women with urgency UI. More than half of women with either kind of UI experienced improvement with medication.If you are experiencing UI, you are not alone and there are eective treatments available.Speak to your doctor about your treatment options. Read the full update at msfocus.us/UIstudy.17 msfocusmagazine.org'