Today we’re talking about another “taboo topic”...stress incontinence. Something SO MANY women deal with on a daily basis and believe it’s normal because they’re either pregnant, postpartum or “older”. We’re here to tell you that it’s definitely common, but not normal! You don’t have to deal with this for the rest of your life. Let’s dive into what exactly stress incontinence is, why it occurs, and how we can stop this from happening and affecting our daily life.
What is stress incontinence?
Stress incontinence is one type of urinary incontinence characterized by involuntary leakage of urine during activities that exert pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor muscles. These activities can include coughing, sneezing, laughing, vomiting, jumping, lifting heavy objects, or engaging in physical exercise.
Why does this happen?
Stress incontinence can happen due to a variety of different reasons.
Weakness
Stress incontinence can happen when the muscles and tissues that support the bladder and urethra weaken leading to insufficient control over the release of urine. You can also have a lack of muscular endurance meaning your pelvic floor muscles are unable to stay strong and engaged for an extended period of time. You might be able to hold your urine at the beginning of your run but by the end you begin to leak.
2. Poor Coordination
In order to hold your urine properly our pelvic floor muscles should reflexively know when they need to contract in order to narrow the urethra and prevent leakage. You might be able to adequately engage your pelvic floor in isolation but are you able to engage them properly during a cough or sneeze in order to prevent leaking?
3. Mismanagement of Intra-Abdominal Pressure
Intra-abdominal pressure is the pressure within your abdomen. When you are not able to manage your pressure well, there will be increased pressure pressing down on your pelvic floor and bladder especially during times of stress like jumping or sneezing. Training our bodies to avoid bearing down and holding our breath during activity bodies can help stress incontinence.
How can Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Help?
As pelvic floor therapists, we treat stress incontinence through a holistic approach. Firstly, addressing anything we find needs improvement at your pelvic floor, but also addressing other components like posture, core, hips, and glute strength, lifestyle modifications, bladder training, and loading strategies for higher impact movement.
All to say, ladies, if you’re dealing with stress incontinence, know that you’re not alone and it’s not a condition you need to live with for the rest of your life! We encourage you to reach out to a pelvic floor physical therapist and take care of yourself. We’re here for you if you need our help or have any questions!
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