Effects of Paula Exercises and Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Stress Urinary Incontinence

May 4, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Combine Effects of Paula Exercises and Tibial Nerve Stimulation on Incontinence, Pelvic Floor Muscles Strength, Sexual Function and Quality of Life in Stress Urinary Incontinence

The aim of this study is to compare the combined effects of Paula method & tibial nerve stimulation on incontinence, pelvic floor muscles strength, sexual function and quality of life in stress urinary incontinence

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study will be randomized controlled trial and will be conducted in Arshian Hussnain Medical Clinic and at Marie Stopes Society. Non probability convenience sampling technique will be used and 56 participants will be recruited in study after randomization. Inclusion criteria will be females aged 30-45 years, multiparous women (≥2 full-term vaginal delivery). Exclusion criteria will be Neurological disorders, pregnancy and dermatological conditions .The subjects will be divided into two groups. Group A will receive Paula exercise and Tibial nerve stimulation. Group B will receive only Paula exercises. Both groups will receive baseline treatment which will include pelvic floor muscle contractions. The total duration of treatment will be 8 weeks and there will be 2 sessions each week. Outcomes assessed will be urinary function, pelvic floor muscles strength, sexual function & quality of life. Outcomes will be assessed using validated tools such as the IIQ-7, Modified Oxford Scale, FSFI, and SF-36. After data collection, it will be analyzed by using SPSS version 21.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
52

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 6400
        • Recruiting
        • Arshian Hussnain Medical Clinic
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Fizza Tahir, MSPT(WH)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Multiparous women (≥2 full-term vaginal deliveries)
  • Clinical diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence (confirmed by cough stress test)
  • Duration of symptoms ≥3 months
  • Ability to correctly perform pelvic floor contractions (confirmed by digital examination)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury)
  • Mixed or urge urinary incontinence as the predominant type
  • Previous pelvic surgery or incontinence-related procedures within the past year
  • Current pregnancy or <6 months postpartum
  • Pelvic organ prolapse beyond stage II (POP-Q system)
  • Current use of other incontinence therapies (e.g., medication, PTNS, PFMT)
  • Diagnosed malignancy
  • Diagnosed psychiatric disorder
  • Pregnancy
  • Diagnosed dermatological condition
  • Participants who are currently enrolled in other clinical trials to avoid potential confounding factors.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Paula Exercises & Tibial Nerve Stimulation
Paula exercises involve contracting circular muscles of the body (especially facial muscles like the orbicularis oris and orbicularis oculi) to stimulate pelvic floor activity indirectly and for tibial stimulation Transcutaneous (TTNS) approach will be used
Other: Paula Exercises
  • Frequency: 2 sessions per week
  • Session Duration: 20 minutes
  • Repeated voluntary contractions of eye muscles (e.g., squinting) and mouth muscles (e.g., puckering lips), abdominal contractions followed by pelvic contractions.
  • Controlled breathing and postural awareness
  • Each type of contraction repeated 10-15 times per session
  • 30-second rest between sets, total 20 sets
  • Duration:8 weeks
Other: Tibial Nerve Stimulation
  • Frequency: 20 Hz
  • Pulse Width: 200 microseconds
  • Intensity: Adjusted to elicit mild toe flexion ,0 to 10 mA
  • Session Duration: 20 minutes
  • Frequency: 2 sessions per week
  • Total Duration:8 weeks
Active Comparator: Paula Exercises
Paula exercises involve contracting circular muscles of the body (especially facial muscles like the orbicularis oris and orbicularis oculi) to stimulate pelvic floor activity indirectly
Other: Paula Exercises
  • Frequency: 2 sessions per week
  • Session Duration: 20 minutes
  • Repeated voluntary contractions of eye muscles (e.g., squinting) and mouth muscles (e.g., puckering lips), abdominal contractions followed by pelvic contractions.
  • Controlled breathing and postural awareness
  • Each type of contraction repeated 10-15 times per session
  • 30-second rest between sets, total 20 sets
  • Duration:8 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incontinence Impact Questionnaire IIQ 7:
Time Frame: 8th week
The Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) is a brief, 7-item instrument used to assess the impact of urinary incontinence on a woman's quality of life.
8th week
Modified Oxford Scale
Time Frame: 8th week
The Modified Oxford Scale is a clinical tool used to assess the strength of pelvic floor muscles through vaginal or rectal examination. It uses a 6-point scale (0 to 5), where 0 indicates no contraction and 5 represents a strong contraction. A Cronbach's alpha is not typically reported for this scale because it is based on a single-item, ordinal rating by a clinician, rather than a multi-item questionnaire
8th week
Female Sexual Function Index FSFI
Time Frame: 8th week
The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is a 19-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess six domains of female sexual function: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Each domain is scored individually and contributes to a total score that reflects overall sexual function, with higher scores indicating better function
8th week
SF 36
Time Frame: 8th week
The Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) is a widely used 36-item questionnaire designed to measure health-related quality of life across eight domainsThese domains contribute to two summary scores: the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS).
8th week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Riphah International University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: sobia ghafoor, MSPT-OM, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Yang X, Wang X, Gao Z, Li L, Lin H, Wang H, et al. The Anatomical Pathogenesis of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women. Medicina. 2023;59(1):5.
  • Mushtaq S. EFFICACY OF EXERCISE-BASED TECHNIQUES TO TREAT STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE IN FEMALES EXCEPT FOR KEGELS TECHNIQUE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LATEST EVIDENCE. Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation. 2024;13(1):17-29.
  • Aliyu SU, Hanif SM, Lawal IU. Effect of Paula exercise method on functional outcomes of women with post fistula repair incontinence: a protocol for randomized controlled trial. BMC Women's Health. 2021;21(1):101.
  • Lee UJ, MacDiarmid S, Matthews CA, Gillespie E, Peters KM. Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Urge Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder: Narrative Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Applicability to Implantable Devices. Advances in Therapy. 2024;41(7):2635-54.
  • Al-Danakh A, Safi M, Alradhi M, Almoiliqy M, Chen Q, Al-Nusaif M, et al. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation for overactive bladder: mechanism, classification, and management outlines. Parkinson's Disease. 2022;2022(1):2700227.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • REC/RCR & AHS/25/0502

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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