Urinary incontinence. This is a very important topic. You don’t have to settle with “just living with it”.
There have been so many times that I have heard in the clinic a patient say the phrase “I have had children, so it is normal that I wet myself a little bit”. And yes this can be very common, but it definitely isn’t normal and shouldn’t be something you just resign yourself too. It is something we are super passionate about at Total Balance Healthcare, because the changes we have seen in our patients’ lives when we address incontinence are phenomenal.
So what is urinary incontinence?? Urinary incontinence is when you accidentally urinate or wet yourself. This can range from leaking only a small amount of urine to completely wetting yourself. There are a couple of types of urinary incontinence;
Stress incontinence (SUI)
This is common with laughing, coughing, sneezing or having to exert yourself physically. A common thing we hear in the clinic with SUI is when someone says “I have to cross my legs when I sneeze so I don’t leak urine”.
Urge incontinence (UUI)
This is characterised by strong “urges/desires” to go to the toilet but then you don’t make it in time and experience leakage.
Mixed incontinence (MUI)
This is when you have a combination of both types of incontinence.
Click on the video below to see our pelvic health osteopath Loz list some of the signs of incontinence.
Another misconception that I want to debunk is the thought that you can’t make positive changes to your incontinence symptoms many years down the track. It doesn’t matter if you had children decades ago or recently have just started having urinary leakage, it is something that is worth speaking to someone about and trying to address.
People believe that urinary incontinence is reserved only to women who have had vaginal births, and this is definitely not the case. Urinary incontinence doesn’t discriminate and it can affect a young woman without any children, men, people post pelvic surgeries like prostate removals, hysterectomies, women who have had caesarean births and even adolescents and children. Anyone who has a bladder and a pelvic floor, and that is all of us, can experience incontinence symptoms.
There are many causes for urinary incontinence and these include constipation/straining to empty your bowels, poor toileting habits such as going to the toilet “just in case”, prolapses, pelvic floor trauma, pregnancy and birth, food and liquid triggers and nervous system conditions that affect your bodies ability to send the messages from your bladder to your brain.
As part of a pelvic health appointment a detailed history is undertaken so we can gather all the information as to why urinary leakage is being experienced. The use of a bladder diary is also very beneficial. Understanding the causative factors for why leakage is happening is crucial, because if these aren’t addressed changes are much harder to achieve. A thorough assessment and treatment plan will then be tailored with your input, and at home exercises and lifestyle strategies will be given to achieve ideal goals and long term optimal outcomes.
If there is one thing you take from this email it is the fact you DON’T have to live with urinary incontinence/leakage. Making a change will have such a positive impact on your life.
Simmone, Sarah and Loz are so passionate about pelvic health and being able to help our patients in this area is incredibly rewarding. Please if you have any questions at all, contact us at the clinic on 9773 8085 or you can book a pelvic health appointment online.
Have a great week.
Bec @ Total Balance Healthcare
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This blog post is an educational tool only. It is not a replacement for medical advice from a registered and qualified doctor or health professional.
Phone: (03) 9773 8085
