Effectiveness of posterior tibial and pudendal nerve stimulation on urinary incontinence in diabetic neuropathy patients

Background. Diabetic neuropathy, a frequent complication of diabetes, leads to urinary incontinence, which places a greater burden on caregivers and negatively impacts patients’ quality of life. Apart from the usual sensory and motor issues, people with diabetic neuropathy also deal with non-motor problems, one major one being urinary incontinence. This study focused on evaluating how well posterior tibial nerve stimulation and pudendal nerve stimulation work in managing this issue in such individuals. Methods. In this experimental study, we divided 40 individuals with diabetic neuropathy and urinary incontinence into two groups. Twenty participants in group A received stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve, while twenty participants in group B received stimulation of the pudendal nerve. Over an eight-week period, both treatments were administered four times a week for 30 minutes per session. We used the ICIQ-UI and pad weight testing to monitor the effectiveness of urinary incontinence treatment. Results. Both groups received stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve and pudendal nerve through a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation showed significantly greater improvement than pudendal nerve stimulation, with a p-value of less than 0.001, as supported by the results of the ICIQ-UI and the pad weight test. Conclusion. In individuals with diabetic neuropathy, posterior tibial nerve stimulation was found to be more effective than pudendal nerve stimulation in minimizing urinary leakage.