BACKGROUND: In recent years, pelvic floor rehabilitation has become one of the possible approaches to treating urinary incontinence in women, guided by a clinical assessment and through urodynamic investigation to ensure that the selection of one or more of the rehabilitative techniques is based upon precise indications. In the present study we sought to compare the results of two rehabilitative methods: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and vaginal cones in patients with genuine stress urinary incontinence (GSI). METHODS: Twenty women aged 29-81 years were treated; 10 with FES and 10 with vaginal cones. Each patient underwent a thorough diagnostic work-up, including a full history and medical examination, visual-analogue scale (VAS), PC test, PAD test, and a complete urological examination. RESULTS: Analysis of the data revealed that in both groups there were substantial improvements in all of the parameters considered and that the parameter showing the best result with the cones was the abdominourethral transmission rate. CONCLUSION: The positive results obtained using the cones and FES attest to their utility in suitable cases, not least because of their simplicity, inexpensiveness, lack of side-effects and above all because they are so easy to teach and so take up less of the professional's time.

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