Conservative strategies for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

The conservative treatment of stress urinary incontinence for women has many facets. Each intervention may have value and patients may benefit from simple, reversible recommendations and techniques versus invasive surgery. Starting with a thorough history, lifestyle modifications may lead to decreased incontinence. Depending on the patient's goals and clinical situation, they may benefit from a pessary or anti-incontinence device. Finally, the use of pelvic floor muscle exercises has been shown to benefit a significant number of patients. Regardless of the degree of stress urinary incontinence, conservative strategies should be considered a fundamental part of the treatment plan.