Critical appraisal of "Effects of external electrical stimulation added to pelvic floor muscle training in women with stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled study"

This paper provides an appraisal of an article published in the Neurology and Urodynamics Journal in 2022 comparing the use of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) exercises, external electrical stimulation (EES), and the two interventions in combination for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. The specific outcomes that were used to determine the effectiveness of these interventions include pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance, urinary symptoms, pelvic floor dysfunction, and QOL in women with SUI. The topic of interest is briefly introduced, and the clinical question is provided as well. The process of searching for literature pertaining to this topic and the reasons for the selection of this study are discussed. Additionally, a brief overview of SUI is provided in order to further highlight the meaning or purpose of this research study. The introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections of the article are analyzed for their respective strengths and weaknesses in order to better appraise the article. Finally, a discussion regarding the clinical significance and practical application of the findings of this article is presented, as well as an overall critical appraisal of the research article and the future application of these two interventions.