Submitted:
08 July 2026
Posted:
10 July 2026
You are already at the latest version
Abstract
Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is very common, affecting 421 million women and men worldwide. There are three types of UI: stress, urge and mixed. UI is associated with poor quality of life. There are numerous non-surgical treatments available. This paper reviews the mechanisms and clinical evidence for mechanotherapy gleaned from peer-reviewed literature. Mechanisms: The human body responds to various forms mechanical stimuli that direct cellular tissue forces, resulting in molecular responses that facilitate growth, remodeling and repair. Mechanotransduction is the basis for mechanotherapy, characterized by complex chemical signaling and neural signaling. Two modalities of mechanotherapy have been investigated in published studies. Mechanical Vibration: Vibration caused by oscillatory motion stimulates stretch sensitive mechanoreceptors in the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) spindles, resulting in afferent nerve impulses to the sacral plexus and centers in the brain. Resulting efferent signals cause motor unit activation. Types of vibration delivery include intra-vaginal, whole-body, and local transcutaneous. Acoustical Wave Stimulation: Acoustic energy generated by piezoelectric crystals modify molecules as the waves are transmitted from one molecule to another. This type of mechanotherapy includes four stages: propagation, physical effect, mechanotransduction and biological effect. Most published research studies utilized low intensity extracorporeal shock waves (LiESWT) in their protocols. Conclusion: Mechanotherapy provides powerful physiologic stimulation that has been shown in many studies to improve clinical symptoms of UI and improve QoL. It is a promising, emerging, non-invasive option for inclusion in the clinical armamentarium for treating patients with all forms of UI.
Keywords:
Introduction
Mechanisms of Action
Clinical Evidence
Intravaginal Mechanical Vibration

Whole Body Vibration
Local Transcutaneous Vibration

Discussion and Conclusion
References
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