What Is the First-Line Treatment for Overactive Bladder?
Overactive bladder (OAB) is characterised by urinary urgency, increased urinary frequency, and urgency urinary incontinence. First-line management targets these symptoms through non-invasive behavioral strategies, recommended for all patients.
Clinical Goals
- Reduction in urinary urgency and frequency
- Improvement or resolution of urgency urinary incontinence
First-line therapy consists of behavioral and pelvic floor-based approaches — all non-invasive and indicated for every OAB patient. The regimen includes specific voiding and urgency-management strategies alongside targeted lifestyle modifications.
The complete protocol — including which interventions to prioritise, how they are combined, and when to progress — is available in full below.
References
DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003985
- Clinicians should offer bladder training to all patients with OAB.
- Clinicians should offer behavioral therapies to all patients with OAB.
- Clinicians may offer select non-invasive therapies to all patients with OAB.
- PFMT, including urge suppression techniques, should be recommended as therapy for OAB as well as UUI.
- Such treatment does not require adjunctive measures or instrumentation.
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