Women’s Health Incontinence & Pelvic Health
Understanding Incontinence 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, in which you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, or laugh, your physical therapist may tell you to limit how much you drink. If you have urge incontinence, in which you get the sudden urge to urinate and can’t always make it to the bathroom in time, your physical therapist may tell you to avoid spicy foods, caffeine, and carbonated drinks, because they can irritate the bladder and make the problemworse. Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, known as Kegels, can sometimes help people with stress incontinence. Kegels can also help people with urge incontinence. Sometimes, Kegels are combined with biofeedback techniques to help you know if you are doing the exercises properly. For urge incontinence, bladder training, 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.
Causes of Incontinence and Chronic Pelvic Pain If you have pain in your pelvis, it may not always be fully clear what’s causing it. Some common causes of pelvic floor dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain include, but are not limited to:
• Levator ani syndrome (increased tension in pelvic floor muscles) • Post-surgical complications (e.g., pain following a hysterectomy, hernia repair, cesarean section, and/or prostatectomy)
• Pregnancy • Sacroiliac joint dysfunction • Coccydynia • Irritation of the pudendal nerve (which originates near the bottom of your spine) • Irritable bowel syndrome
Any of these conditions may lead to inadequate support of the organs contained with your pelvic cavity, increased pressure or inflammation of nerves, muscles, and other connective tissues (including your bladder), and impaired pelvic bone alignment. These symptoms can be frustrating, painful, and embarrassing, and may limit your tolerance to daily participation in desired activities, including exercise. Other symptoms frequently appear with pelvic pain, including incontinence, bloating, abdominal pressure, reluctance to strain while defecating, and pain in the low back, buttocks, and hips. You may also have decreased tolerance to a variety of activities including sitting or standing, walking, exercise, and sexual intercourse.
If you’re interested in manual physical therapy, visit www.synergympt.com or call us to schedule your appointment with Synergy Manual Physical Therapy today!
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