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How Women’s Health Physiotherapy Can Help with Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a common and often embarrassing issue that many women face, but there are effective treatments available to help manage and even eliminate this condition. One such treatment option is women's health physiotherapy, which focuses on addressing pelvic floor dysfunction through targeted exercises and techniques. In this article, we will explore how women's health physiotherapy can provide relief improve overall quality of life for those affected by this condition.

Urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary leaking of urine, which can occur during activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising. There are several types of urinary incontinence as well as different causes and treatments.

This condition can have a significant impact on a woman's quality of life, self-esteem, and well-being. If you are experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence, it’s important to seek medical attention and explore treatment options, as there are many effective strategies available to help manage and improve symptoms.

Types of Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a common issue that affects many women, especially as they age. There are several different types of urinary incontinence that can impact women, each with its own causes and symptoms. Understanding the different types of urinary incontinence can mean that you find the best treatment and management strategies.

1. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

This type of incontinence is caused by pressure or stress on the bladder, squeezing urine out as a result. Common triggers for SUI include coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising. Weakness in the pelvic floor muscles or damage to the urethral sphincter are often underlying causes of stress urinary incontinence.

2. Urge Incontinence

Also known as overactive bladder, urge incontinence is characterized by a sudden and intense need to urinate that is difficult to control. Women with urge incontinence may experience frequent urges to urinate throughout the day and night, and they might wet themselves when they cannot get to the toilet fast enough. The exact cause of urge incontinence is not always clear but may be related to bladder irritation or nerve damage.

3. Mixed Incontinence

Some women may experience a combination of both stress and urge incontinence symptoms, known as mixed incontinence. This can make managing the condition more challenging as it requires addressing both muscle weakness and overactive bladder issues.

4. Overflow Incontinence

This type occurs when the bladder fails to empty properly during urination. This can cause it to overflow and leak small amounts of urine unexpectedly. Overflow incontinence is often associated with conditions such as diabetes or nerve damage.

5. Functional Incontinence

Functional incontinence occurs when physical or cognitive impairments prevent a person from reaching the toilet on time, leading to accidents despite having normal bladder function. Health problems like arthritis, dementia, or difficulties with movement can lead to functional incontinence.

Causes of Urinary Incontinence in Women

Urinary incontinence affects many women, especially as they age. There are several potential causes of urinary incontinence in women, including:

Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and other pelvic organs. It plays a key role in controlling the bladder and maintaining continence. If these muscles become weak or damaged, such as by pregnancy or childbirth, it can lead to urinary incontinence.

Hormonal Changes

Fluctuations in hormone levels, especially during menopause, may contribute to urinary incontinence by impacting the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and the bladder and the way they work.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

UTIs can irritate the bladder and cause sudden urges to urinate or leakage. Chronic UTIs may also weaken the pelvic floor muscles over time.

Neurological Disorders

Conditions that affect the nerves controlling the bladder, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries, can disrupt communication between the brain and bladder leading to urinary incontinence.

Medications

Certain medications like diuretics or muscle relaxants can increase urine production or interfere with bladder function, resulting in urinary incontinence.

Obesity

Excess weight puts added pressure on the pelvic organs and weakens the pelvic floor muscles, increasing the risk of urinary leakage.

Chronic Coughing

Conditions such as asthma or chronic bronchitis that cause frequent coughing can put strain on the pelvic floor muscles and lead to stress urinary incontinence.

Genetics

Some women may have a genetic predisposition to developing urinary incontinence due to family history or inherited structural abnormalities of the bladder or urethra.

How to Prevent Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be embarrassing and disruptive to everyday life. However, there are steps you can take yourself to help prevent this issue:

Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help keep your bladder healthy and functioning properly. Depriving yourself of water will not help prevent the causes of urinary incontinence.

Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight can put pressure on your bladder and pelvic muscles, leading to urinary incontinence. Eating a balanced diet and staying active can help prevent this.

Practice Pelvic Floor Exercises: Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through exercises like Kegels can improve bladder control and reduce the risk of incontinence.

Avoid foods and drinks that irritate the bladder: Certain foods and beverages, such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and artificial sweeteners, can irritate the bladder and exacerbate incontinence symptoms.

Manage Chronic Conditions: Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity can increase the risk of urinary incontinence. Managing these conditions through proper medication, diet, and exercise can help prevent incontinence.

Quit Smoking: Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of urinary incontinence due to its effects on the bladder muscle function. Quitting smoking can improve overall bladder health.

Practice Good Bathroom Habits: Emptying your bladder regularly when needed throughout the day (every 3-4 hours) and avoiding holding urine for too long can help prevent overactive bladder symptoms.

Wear Appropriate Clothing: Tight-fitting clothing or undergarments can put pressure on the abdomen and exacerbate urinary incontinence symptoms.

How a Women’s Health Physiotherapist Can Help Prevent and Treat Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence can have a significant impact on someone’s quality of life, causing feelings of shame, isolation, and frustration. Fortunately, there are many effective treatment options available to help manage and improve symptoms. So, if the work you’re doing at home is not helping your incontinence problem, try speaking to a women’s health physiotherapist or other healthcare provider. They can advise on the following treatments:

Lifestyle Changes: Women with urinary incontinence may benefit from making simple lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, practicing pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), and scheduling regular bathroom breaks.
Medication: Depending on the type of urinary incontinence, medications such as anticholinergics or beta-3 agonists may be prescribed to help control bladder contractions.
Medical Devices: In some cases, medical devices such as vaginal pessaries or urethral inserts may be recommended to support the bladder and prevent leakage.
Injections: For women with severe stress urinary incontinence, injections of bulking agents into the tissues around the urethra can help provide additional support and reduce the problem.
Surgical Procedures: In more severe cases of urinary incontinence that do not respond to other treatments, surgical interventions such as sling procedures or implants may be considered.

Urinary Incontinence Treatment with Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

A specialised women’s health physiotherapist can work with you to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles through targeted exercises and techniques.

A programme of safe exercises to target your pelvic region
Education about the pelvic floor muscles and how to do pelvic floor exercises
Advice about how to rest comfortably while keeping your pelvic floor muscles strong
Advice about what and when to drink to reduce symptoms, for example, carbonated and caffeinated drinks can make you feel the urge to pass urine more often, and drinking late at night leaves you more prone to overnight leaking
Advice about foods to eat to reduce symptoms, for example, a high fibre diet will help you avoid constipation

If you’re experiencing urinary incontinence, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider about your symptoms so that they can provide an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Book A Women's Physio Consultation Now

For advice on dealing with urinary incontinence, or other women's healthcare issues, call Magdalena on 07877 017 936 or drop PelviCare an email. Alternatively, you can book an appointment online.

PelviCare Women's Health Physiotherapy is located in Greenwich, London, serving women across South London, East London, Essex, Kent and beyond.