Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence affects many lives, but with the right approach, it’s treatable. Stress incontinence, often linked to weak pelvic floor muscles, occurs during activities like sneezing or exercise. Urge incontinence involves sudden, uncontrollable urges, while overflow incontinence stems from incomplete bladder emptying due to obstructions or muscle tension. Through a detailed pelvic health assessment, we’ll identify your specific needs and create a personalized treatment plan, including techniques like Kegels, pelvic floor relaxation, bladder training, and more. Let us help you take back control and improve your quality of life.
Different types of Urinary Incontinence
Stress Incontinence
Stress Incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence. It is a loss of urine with exertion – such as coughing, sneezing, jumping, running, laughing or even changing position. Commonly seen in women following childbirth or after the menopause; with men it often arises as a consequence of prostate surgery. It could be caused by weakness of the pelvic floor muscles, or an imbalance between the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Posture and breathing patterns can also play a role in stress incontinence.
Treatment
A pelvic health assessment will identify your specific factors and tailor treatment to your needs and goals. This may include Kegel exercises, modifying Kegels or even stopping them altogether and teaching reverse Kegels. Exercises to coordinate the diaphragm, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles targeted to your individual needs and goals will be part of your treatment program.
Urge Incontinence
Urge Incontinence is a loss of urine (sometimes large amounts), following an urgent need to empty the bladder. The urge can be extremely strong and impossible to ignore. People suffering from urge incontinence often develop a pattern of emptying their bladder frequently during the day and often at night too. They will typically plan their days around washroom availability. It can make traveling and going to new places very stressful. Many factors can contribute to urgency: pelvic floor muscles may be too weak or too tight. There may be increased pressure on the bladder from an over-active core. Some medications, certain neurological conditions (such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease), poor breathing patterns, and anxiety can all play a role.
Treatment
A pelvic health assessment will identify your specific factors and tailor treatment to your needs and goals. This may include Kegel exercises, modifying Kegels or even stopping them altogether and teaching reverse Kegels. Bladder training, urge suppression techniques, mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing and yoga may be incorporated into a treatment program.
Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence/dysfunctional voiding is a loss of urine due to over-filling of the bladder, because the bladder is unable to empty properly. There may be difficulty starting the flow, a weak stream, straining to empty, or a constant dribble. Repeated urinary tract infections are more likely as the bladder is not emptying well. The bladder may be unable to empty because of an obstruction (e.g. enlarged prostate, prolapse, scar tissue, constipation), or because the bladder muscle can’t work effectively enough to squeeze the urine out. Overflow incontinence can also be caused by an over-active, non-relaxing pelvic floor: relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles is necessary for the bladder to empty. Doing Kegel exercises in this case will likely worsen symptoms: if the pelvic floor muscles are already too tense, learning to relax them – reverse Kegels – is needed.
Treatment
A pelvic health assessment will identify whether your pelvic floor muscles are too tense and teach pelvic floor relaxation – reverse Kegels. Breathing exercises, and learning to coordinate the diaphragm, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles together often results in improved voiding.