Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the accidental leakage of urine which can range from leaking a small amount of wee to completely wetting yourself.

There are different types of urinary incontinence:

-          Stress incontinence: the loss of urine during activity eg. Sneezing, coughing, laughing, jumping, running, playing sport.

-          Urinary incontinence: the loss of urine characterised by a strong and/or frequent urge to urinate

Urinary incontinence is very common and can affect up to 30-50% of women. Incontinence affects both women and men of all ages and it also occurs during pregnancy/post-partum and becomes more likely the older you are.

A Women’s Health Physiotherapist can assist in the management and treatment of incontinence. A consult with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist may include:

-          Education on lifestyle changes such as weight loss, dietary changes including eating more fibre and drinking more water and avoiding aggravating activities.

-          Begin a bladder training program including the use of a bladder diary and scheduled urination intervals.

-          Utilise a real time ultrasound machine in order to assess your bladder capacity and instruct you on how to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles correctly.

-          Begin a specialised strengthening and relaxing program for your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.