Bladder Issues
Incontinence affects one in three women, and has a huge impact on quality of life and commitment to long term exercise. Research shows that physiotherapy can help significantly.
Common conditions
Stress Urinary Incontinence
This is the involuntary leakage of urine during activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting and exercise. This occurs as a result of weakness in the pelvic floor muscles and damage to the bladder neck support.
75% of women show a reduction in leakage through pelvic floor exercises.
Urge Incontinence
The leakage of urine associated with an urgent need to empty your bladder.
Overactive Bladder – Combination of Urgency/ Frequency/ Nocturia
- Urgency is the sudden intense need to pass urine that can’t be put off, which sometimes results in urge incontinence
- Frequency is going to the toilet many times in the day (usually more than 7)
- Nocturia is waking more than once a night to go to the toilet
Mixed Incontinence
A combination of stress and urge incontinence.
Overflow Incontinence
When the bladder is unable to empty properly, resulting in frequent small amounts of urine leakage.
Sally's approach to treatment
Physiotherapy will include some or all of the following:
- Bowel management (as this impacts on the bladder)
- Toileting techniques
- A pelvic floor muscle assessment and teaching of correct technique and/or downtraining where necessary
- A supervised strengthening programme individualised for you
- Pelvic floor safe exercise advice
- Lifestyle advice
- Bladder diary
- Fluid instruction
- Bladder retraining
- Electrical Stimulation
- TENS
- EMG Biofeedback
Further reading:
Continence NZ
IUGA Leaflets