Is there a Treatment for Urinary Incontinence?

If you are suffering from urinary incontinence, you are not alone. This condition is prevalent among women who have gone through pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause and have a weak pelvic floor as a result. Women may also experience urinary incontinence as they age or due to a cognitive illness or event, such as a stroke. 

There are two primary types of incontinence—stress incontinence and urge incontinence. With stress incontinence, you may experience leakage after pressure is applied to your abdomen, such as when you laugh, sneeze, cough, lift things, or do any sort of physical activity. With urge incontinence, you have a strong urge to urinate and may not always make it to the toilet on-time due to an overactive bladder.

Both types of incontinence are common, yet both can cause problems in your life. Many women suffer in silence because they are embarrassed to talk about it. However, there are treatments available for urinary incontinence that can help you.

Common Treatments for Urinary Incontinence

It’s important to talk to your health care provider if you are suffering from urinary incontinence. They will be able to prescribe a treatment plan for you based on the type of urinary incontinence you have and the severity of your symptoms.

Some holistic treatments include the following:

  • Losing weight

  • Kegel exercises

  • Bladder training

  • Quitting smoking

  • Pelvic floor exercises

There are also medications available that can help your bladder relax, which can help those with urge incontinence.

If holistic methods and medication do not work, you may be a candidate for a vaginal sling procedure. This type of surgery can help you control your urinary incontinence by closing your bladder neck and urethra. This surgery will require hospitalisation and 2 – 4 weeks of downtime. It is usually seen as a last resort after other methods, including physiotherapy, have failed.

Physiotherapy for Urinary Incontinence

If you are getting tired of leaking or fighting the urge to urinate, try physiotherapy. A trained women’s health physiotherapist can help guide you through pelvic floor exercises, Kegel exercises, and bladder training to treat your urinary incontinence. 

Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles around your bladder and urethra to control your urine flow. When these muscles are weak, they are unable to provide much support or control, which leads to leakage or sudden urges.

Bladder training often accompanies pelvic floor exercises and involves learning new techniques that lengthen the time between feeling the urge to urinate and actually urinating. Within six weeks, you can complete bladder training and be better able to control when you urinate.

Your physiotherapist can also make recommendations for ways you can improve your eating habits and lifestyle. For example, quitting smoking can ease your coughing and lower the strain you place on your pelvic floor muscles every day. Losing weight can also reduce the amount of pressure placed on your pelvic floor muscles. Your physiotherapist can make suggestions to help you safely lose weight without risking an injury.

 

You don’t have to put up with urinary incontinence forever. A physiotherapist can help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles so you can take control over your bladder. Schedule an appointment to get started.

Claire Millswomens health