
Treating Bladder Problems, Empowering Women
Bladder Problems Don’t Discriminate
No Amount Of Bladder Leakage Is Normal
There are different types of bladder leakage. Some people will leak when they cough, sneeze, jump or laugh. This is known as Stress Urinary Incontinence. Others will leak when they feel an overwhelming urge to go to the toilet that they can’t hold on to. This is known as Urge Urinary Incontinence. Some people can have a combination of both types of incontinence. For all types, the amount of leakage can vary greatly, with some leaking a drop or two, others a spurt and some may lose complete control. Regardless of whether it is a drop of urine or a complete flood, no amount of bladder leakage is normal.
Bladder Leakage & Exercise
The Emotional Toll Of Bladder Leakage
Can you imagine if you loved going for a run with your friend every morning but this started to cause you to leak? You might feel embarrassed and ashamed and eventually stop doing this morning ritual that used to bring you joy. Not only does this have impacts on your physical health and fitness, but it may also impact your mood and emotional health as well as reducing your opportunity for social engagement.
We also often hear how bladder leakage can cause women to withdraw from intimacy. It can also reduce self-esteem and confidence to leave the house or be around other people. The emotional toll can be far reaching and more significant than many people may realise.
How Can Pelvic Floor Exercises Help?
The good news is, bladder leakage is treatable and reversible. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the number one treatment recommended world-wide for bladder leakage1. Experts have proven that it is the first treatment option that should be offered to women (ie before medication or surgery). PFMT works by improving the strength and control of the pelvic floor muscles and sphincters around the base of the bladder, and by improving support of the urethra and bladder. For people who have to rush to the toilet or have trouble getting there in time, pelvic floor contractions can help calm the bladder and control strong urges2. However, for pelvic floor exercises to work, you need to have:
· the RIGHT TECHNIQUE: 1 in 2 women are often doing the wrong thing! An assessment with a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist is important to ensure that you are contracting your pelvic floor muscles correctly.
· the RIGHT INTENSITY: you need to be working your muscles hard enough to achieve an improvement in muscle physiology and function
· the RIGHT AMOUNT OF EXERCISE: your exercise program needs to be progressed over time and include functional training during situations when each woman experiences her symptoms (eg learning how to automatically contract PFM whilst coughing or jumping).
· the RIGHT LENGTH OF TIME: best results are often seen after 4-6 months of supervised training under the guidance of a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist.
Empowering Women
If bladder problems are holding you back, seek help with one of our experienced Pelvic Health Physiotherapists. At WMHP, our Core Purpose is: “WMHP exists to restore pelvic health, empowering every person to live their best life”. We feel privileged to be able to support women to achieve this through helping them with their bladder leakage.