Do you experience incontinence- unwanted leakage of urine?
Do you experience incontinence or leakage of urine while coughing, sneezing, running, and walking?
Is urine leakage impacting your quality of life?
Time to seek help:
If you are leaking urine of any amount, any time, any gender, and at any age.
You are looking for a public toilet every time you leave the house.
Do you push to pee or feel like you have difficulty initiating the urination?
Do you feel like you do not empty your bladder fully?
Do you have pain with urination?
You are avoiding activities and social interactions due to bladder issues?
Having to pee feels like an emergency to you.
Do you feel like you ALWAYS have to go to pee?
What is normal?
Normal urination- 8 to 10 seconds and 5 to 8 times/per day
Normal- urinate one time at night time (over the age of 55)
Types of incontinence
1) Stress urinary incontinence
Loss of urine due to increasing intra-abdominal pressure (coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, exercising, or change in positions)
2) Urge Incontinence
Loss of urine is associated with a strong, unavoidable need to void.
Have to pee urgently and inability to delay voiding.
3) Mixed incontinence
Combination of stress and urge incontinence.
4) Overflow incontinence
The bladder does not empty fully and becomes distended. There is a constant dribble of a small amount of urine.
It is a misconception that it is normal to have urine leakage after CHILDBIRTH.
It is a misconception that it is normal to have urine leakage as you AGE.
It is a misconception to think that you cannot do anything about urinary leakage.
How common is the leakage of urine in females?
1 in 4 women has urinary leakage.
50% of women at some point in their life experience some urinary incontinence.
Pelvic floor muscles usually silently work and help us to prevent leakage of urine.
Functions of pelvic floor muscles: 5S’s
Support- supports pelvic organs, vaginal walls, and rectal walls against gravity and intra-abdominal pressure.
Sphinctric control- helps to maintain urinary and fecal continence.
Sexual
Stability- Assists in the stability of the SI joint, pubic symphysis, lumbopelvic, hip joints, and core muscles.
Sump-pump- Decreased sump-pump action can create pelvic congestion.
Many studies show an association between low back pain and pelvic floor symptoms such as urinary incontinence. Your pelvic physiotherapist can help you in this case.
What is the treatment for incontinence?
PF muscle training is the first-line treatment for stress and urinary incontinence in women.
Pelvic floor muscle training does not mean that you always have to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Often, pelvic floor muscles are holding too much tension and we need to relax them. Tightness in pelvic floor muscles may be causing overactive bladder symptoms and leakage.
Do NOT do kegel exercises while urinating as it can cause residual urine in the bladder.
33% of women who have learned Kegels verbally or from reading, usually do the Kegels incorrectly.
Bladder training can help with incontinence.
Try the KNACK maneuver (may work for some women)
Contract pelvic floor muscles before you cough and sneeze. This helps to contract pelvic floor muscles before the rise in intra-abdominal pressure.
Detailed assessment of your low back, hips, core muscles and pelvic floor function can help you to get a tailored treatment for faster results.
FAQs
How to stop urine leakage while coughing?
Try KNACK maneuvre- Contract pelvic floor muscles before you cough and sneeze. This helps to contract pelvic floor muscles before the rise in intra-abdominal pressure. A pelvic physiotherapy assessment is a gold standard.
Is urine leakage normal during pregnancy?
It is not normal to have leakage during pregnancy. You can seek help from a pelvic physiotherapist. You can be proactive and prevent the leakage by learning various strategies.
What causes leakage while sneezing?
Your pelvic floor muscles may be too tight or weak to prevent leakage while sneezing, coughing, or laughing.
Will postpartum incontinence go away?
Yes, pelvic floor physiotherapy can help to treat incontinence and make the leakage go away.
Will Kegels help incontinence?
Kegels are not always recommended. Sometimes, they can make the symptoms worst. It is best to consult a pelvic physiotherapist for evaluation.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me for a free discovery call.
Roopdeep Kaur,PT, FRCms, MSc. PT, BPT
Registered Physiotherapist
Ortho & Pelvic Physiotherapist