Urinary incontinence has a reputation of being something only little old ladies have. But many young people get urinary incontinence. And while more women than men are affected, men can have urinary problems too, especially after prostate surgery. Fortunately, there are many treatments for urinary incontinence. Behavioral treatment. Some people with urinary incontinence may get relief by making simple lifestyle changes. If you have stress incontinence, for instance, inwhichyou leakurinewhenyoucough,sneeze,or laugh,your physical therapistmay tellyou to limithowmuchyoudrink. Ifyouhaveurge incontinence, in which you get the sudden urge to urinate and can’t always make it to thebathroom in time,yourphysical therapistmay tellyou toavoid spicy foods, caffeine, and carbonated drinks, because they can irritate the bladder and make the problem worse. Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, known as Kegels, can sometimes help people with stress incontinence.Kegelscanalsohelppeoplewithurge incontinence.Sometimes, Kegels are combined with biofeedback techniques to help you know if you are doing the exercises properly. For urge incontinence, bladder training, U N D E R S TA N D I N G I N C O N T I N E N C E
sometimes called bladder retraining, can also help. This involves gradually increasing the interval time between trips to the bathroom, working up to longer and longer intervals between bathroom stops. Devices and absorbent products. Protective pads and panty liners can help avoid embarrassing situations. A pessary, a plastic device inserted into the vagina,mayhelppreventurine leakagebysupportingtheneckofthebladder; it is most useful for stress incontinence. Mild to moderate cases of common types of incontinence can be cured or greatly improved by behavioral or exercise therapy. We can also teach you habits and techniques to reduce urgency and urge incontinence (or leaking with a strong urge on the way to the bathroom). Even periodic incontinence is not something you have to deal with. We can help!
Call your physical therapist at Accelerate Therapy & Performance to see how laser therapy can benefit you!
E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S RELIEVE INCONTINENCE
Sit in a chair with tall, relaxed posture. Slowly and gradually contract your pelvic floor until you reach maximum strength. Then slowly return to your relaxed position.
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