Efficacy of vaginal weights in pelvic floor dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects women's quality of life because the pelvic floor muscles are unable to contract and relax properly. Kegel exercise is the first line of treatment for PFD, while vaginal cones with weights have recently been used for pelvic floor strengthening. When compared to alternative treatments, various studies have evaluated the effectiveness of vaginal weights or cones in treating PFD. However, there are controversial conclusions reached when the effectiveness of vaginal weights is compared in various ways. The purpose of this study was determine the effectiveness of vaginal weights compared with other interventions in reducing the symptoms of PFD. Using various databases, an extensive literature search was conducted, and a randomised control trial examining the usefulness of vaginal weights in PFD was identified. PRISMA guidelines were used to synthesize the data. The risk of bias tools were used to assess the quality of the selected studies. Results suggest that vaginal cones are effective in treating PFD. However, when it was compared with other treatment modalities, no significant differences were found. Hence, the results are equivocal and cannot be generalized.