Effect of Topical Black Seed Oil on Urinary Incontinence in Old Women: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Urinary incontinence is a common problem in general population, especially old women and decreases their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical black seed oil on urinary incontinence in old women.

The present double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in 80 women aged 60-80 years old with stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence in Sari, Iran. They were randomly assigned into two groups: an intervention group (black seed oil, n=40) and a placebo group (Firooz baby oil, n=40) using block randomization. Both groups applied 15 drops of the group-specific oil twice a day (morning and night) for six weeks from the area below the navel to the pubic area. The rate of urinary incontinence was measured in both groups using the International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICIQ-SF) before the intervention and at the end of weeks three and six. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential tests.

Independent t-test showed no significant difference between the intervention and placebo groups in the ICIQ-SF score in pre-intervention phase (P>0.05). At week three, a significant decrease was seen in the score for urinary incontinence in the group that received black seed oil compared with that of the placebo group (4.59 vs. 5.89, P=0.004). Also, at week six, the mean ICIQ-SF score in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the placebo group (2.21 vs. 5.32, P<0.001).

The current study showed that the topical use of black seed oil for three weeks was effective in improving urinary incontinence symptoms in old women which also increased after six weeks.