LIFE+ Blog

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 51.1 % of women 20 years old or older suffer from this condition.¹

There are several types of urinary incontinences and the most common ones are:

• Stress incontinence: when urine leaks out at times when your bladder is under pressure. Activities such as walking, stretching, coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting place strain on pelvic floor muscles, which leads to leaks.
• Urge incontinence (also known as Overactive Bladder): when urine leaks as you feel a sudden, intense urge to urinate. People with urge incontinence urinate often (8 or more times during the day), need to urinate urgently, and wake up from sleep to urinate (3 or more times at night).
• It is possible to have mixed incontinence which is a combination of stress and urge.

The good news is that physical therapy can help with most urinary incontinence and the majority of the women who seek help find that their symptoms improve.

With treatment, you can help improve your overall quality of life and happiness. Physical therapy treatment will be individualized depending on the examination and evaluation. The rehabilitation program will include but is not limited to:

• Exercises for pelvic floor muscles: Kegels are not the only exercises that help the pelvic floor!
• Hands on treatment for strengthening, stretching, and pain relief/control
• Bladder retraining and muscle re-education
• Lifestyle and behavioral education

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation! Also, keep an eye out for the next blog on Kegel exercises and how they can help!

Sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Prevalence of Incontinence Among Older Americans (PDF, 1.3 MB).National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Statistics; 3(36).