Treinamento dos músculos do assoalho pélvico na incontinência urinária de esforço em gestantes: revisão narrativa da literatura

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition during pregnancy that may negatively affect women’s quality of life, highlighting the importance of conservative strategies for its prevention and treatment. Among these strategies, pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) stands out, and its use during pregnancy motivated the present study, which aimed to analyze its effects on the prevention and treatment of SUI in pregnant women, as well as to identify the characteristics of the protocols employed. To achieve this objective, a descriptive narrative literature review was conducted, including studies published between 2021 and August 2026, in Portuguese and English, selected from the PubMed, BVS, SciELO and PEDro databases. After the selection process, 12 studies were included in the review, whose findings showed favorable results for PFMT, including a reduction in the occurrence and symptoms of urinary incontinence, as well as benefits related to pelvic floor muscle function and quality of life. Despite these findings, differences were identified among the protocols regarding the gestational period in which training was initiated, frequency, duration, progression, and follow-up, in addition to the use of PFMT either alone or in combination with other exercise strategies. Therefore, PFMT may contribute to the prevention and treatment of SUI during pregnancy, although the heterogeneity of the protocols still limits the establishment of standardized parameters for its clinical application.