Urinary incontinence, or the complaint of involuntary leakage of urine, is not just something that happens to older people. This condition can affect men and women of all ages. The National Association for Incontinence estimates that 25 million Americans experience urinary incontinence.
Stress Incontinence is a sudden involuntary loss of urine on effort or exertion. This may occur with activities such as exercising, sneezing, coughing or laughing. Stress incontinence usually results from weakness and lack of support in the muscles of the pelvic floor. Women with stress incontinence often have “under active” pelvic floor muscles. Causes may be pregnancy or childbirth, injury or trauma, surgery in the vagina or rectum, episiotomy (during childbirth), or lack of exercise or use.
Urge Incontinence is the loss of urine that occurs as soon as you get the urge to urinate. Women with urge incontinence often have weak and “over active” pelvic floor muscles.
Mixed Incontinence is involuntary loss of urine associated with urgency and also with exertion, effort, sneezing or coughing. Mixed incontinence can include any combination of the causes of stress and urge incontinence.
Many symptoms of urinary incontinence are caused by pelvic floor muscle weakness and dysfunction. Our specially trained pelvic floor physical therapists are the ideal healthcare providers to help you gain control over your symptoms. Our therapists use their specialized medical training to evaluate your problem and design an individualized treatment program to meet your specific needs.
Physical therapy can:
- Give you control over your bladder and your life
- Save money and embarrassment by allowing less use of pads and undergarments
- Reduce use of medications for incontinence
- Possibly prevent the need for surgery
Physical therapy treatment may include:
- Education on diet and nutrition to avoid food and beverages that may irritate the bladder
- Advice on how to change behaviors that make symptoms worse
- Techniques to increase awareness of the correct use of muscles that control urinary flow
- Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor
- Exercises to stretch and strengthen other important muscles to help you gain control
- Techniques to decrease urinary urge and frequency
- Biofeedback to help you re-train your muscles
- Electrical stimulation to improve awareness and strengthen muscles
You should be referred to a pelvic physical therapist if:
- You leak urine during normal daily activities
- You leak urine with sneezing, coughing, or laughing
- You have difficulty starting a urine stream
- You have trouble holding urine when you feel a strong urge to go
- You urinate frequently (more than every 3-4 hours during the day, up more than once to urinate at night)
- You have difficulty getting to the bathroom because of other problems such as pain or balance.
At Fauquier Health Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, our pelvic physical therapy team has completed extensive training in pelvic physical therapy through the American Physical Therapy Association. Our therapists use a variety of techniques as well as provide you with education to ensure your needs are addressed. All pelvic floor treatments are conducted confidentially with your therapist in a comfortable, private setting.
If you feel you may benefit from this service and would like to hear more, please call us at 540-316-2680. Or click on the button below to ask a question.
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