Repercussões da Eletroestimulação Transcutânea do Nervo Plantar Medial na Qualidade de Vida em Mulheres com Bexiga Hiperativa

Abstract

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a health condition characterized by urinary urgency, increased frequency, and/or nocturia. It is an idiopathic disorder with modifiable factors (alcohol, smoking, caffeine, spicy foods, carbonated beverages, obesity, and kidney stones) and non-modifiable factors (age, female sex, postmenopause, metabolic syndrome, and pelvic organ prolapse). Current treatments include anticholinergic medications, behavioral therapy with bladder training, and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Objective: To evaluate whether transcutaneous medial plantar nerve stimulation is effective in treating OAB symptoms and improving quality of life, offering a new therapeutic option. Methods: This was a blinded clinical trial, with assessments conducted through structured interviews. The instruments used were the OAB-V8 (Overactive Bladder-Validated 8-Question Awareness Tool) and the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ). The OAB-V8 was also used as an inclusion criterion. The study sample consisted of 15 participants. The inclusion criteria were women over 18 years of age with complaints of urinary urgency, who could present urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). The intervention combined behavioral therapy, bladder training (whose guidance was explained through an informational booklet), and transcutaneous medial plantar nerve stimulation. The protocol consisted of 12 sessions, performed twice weekly on nonconsecutive days, each lasting 20 minutes. The stimulation parameters were a frequency of 10 Hz and a pulse duration of 200 μs. Results: After 12 sessions, there was a significant reduction in OAB-V8 scores, from 22.2 (±5.31) to 11.5 (±6.35), with a mean decrease of 10.7 points. Although the final mean score did not reach the <8 cutoff, considered negative for OAB diagnosis, the reduction was clinically relevant. The KHQ showed significant improvement in the “physical limitations” domain (p = 0.02). These findings highlight the potential of medial plantar nerve stimulation to reduce symptoms and enhance functional autonomy, with a positive impact on quality of life. Conclusion: Transcutaneous medial plantar nerve stimulation proved effective in reducing OAB symptoms and improving women’s quality of life. Therefore, it may represent a minimally invasive and easily applicable therapeutic alternative. Despite the promising results, further controlled studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.