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Why you are Incontinent and 4 things you can do about it!

If you're suffering from incontinence it's not in your head, it has nothing to do with self-control, it has everything to do with your pelvic floor muscles. If you're suffering from urinary incontinence you are suffering from one thing, a weak pelvic floor.

Your pelvic floor muscles are those muscles that sit as the foundation of your core and support your bladder and other internal organs. When they are unhealthy whether because they are weak or just too tight, they will not function properly. Depending on your symptoms you may be suffering from one of several types of urinary incontinence, but there is really only one reason* you are incontinent, a weak pelvic floor. 

When we talk about a weak or unhealthy pelvic floor, what we mean is that your pelvic floor muscles are weak and tight rather than strong and flexible, which would indicate a healthy pelvic floor. There are plenty of reasons why you might be incontinent and they vary with your time of life, your type of incontinence, and with any injury to your pelvic floor (yes, live birth can injure your pelvic floor – check out how to have an easy birth here).

Incontinence products are cute when you are a baby, they become more expensive and less cute with time. Why waste time and money on a incontinence products when there is a cure for your urinary incontinence. Talk to a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist about how you could Love Your Life again in just 8 weeks.
Incontinence products are cute when you are a baby, they become more expensive and less cute with time. Why waste time and money on a incontinence products when there is a cure for your urinary incontinence. Talk to a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist about how you could Love Your Life again in just 8 weeks.

How is urinary Incontinence Treated?

When it comes to treating urinary incontinence, you have four choices.

  1. You can do nothing, but that seems silly because you just going to keep peeing yourself. Doing nothing means a life of pads or finding the nearest restroom at the drop of a hat. You do not want to be at the mercy of your bladder and the cost of incontinence products.
  2. You can take medication, but you are going to be on medication for the long haul, urinary incontinence like many chronic conditions is not likely to just go away on its own. Have you ever forgotten to take medication in the morning? Are you willing to risk peeing your pants because you forgot to take your pill this morning?
  3. You might need surgery, this is a discussion you should have with your physician after conservative options have been considered. Surgery can be really successful and a quality surgeon (e.g., a urologist, a urogynecologist, or your OB/GYN) should perform your surgery with precision and success, but no surgery is without risk and occasionally a patient is required to undergo surgery a second time for treating urinary incontinence. Surgery is always an option for those who qualify but that seems like a rather invasive procedure for something that could be treated more conservatively first, with great success.
  4. You can actually get a cure. That's right there is a cure for urinary incontinence. It isn't as simple as doing nothing, it takes more effort then taking a pill each morning, but you don't have to worry about going under the knife. A cure for urinary incontinence does not require Pharmaceuticals, it doesn't require surgery, and it is all natural. The cure for urinary incontinence pelvic floor physical therapy. A pelvic floor physical therapist can teach you to control the urge when you have urge urinary incontinence, a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles so you can prevent leakage when you exercise, sneeze, laugh, or cough. Pelvic floor physical therapy may be the easiest exercise you're not doing, if you know how to do it. Pelvic floor physical therapy is based around pelvic floor muscle contractions, or “Kegel”. Pelvic floor muscle contractions require two things to happen, you have to be able to hold your contractions for 10 seconds and fully release and you need to be able to do 10 quick flicks or 10 quick pelvic floor contraction and releases in under 10 seconds. It seems easy, it seems like everybody should be doing these, and we agree.

-FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City

To Learn More, Schedule a FREE consultation with a Physical Therapist.Schedule Your Initial Evaluation with a Physical Therapist today.

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provide world class orthopedic rehabilitation to our patients. Our physical therapists specialize in orthopedic rehabilitation, balance and falls prevention, and Pelvic Health. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your pelvic health needs. If you are unsure about your pelvic health, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.

  

*Note* There are both neurological and anatomical conditions that can lead to incontinence that are not directly related to the pelvic floor musculature, but even these can often be improved with healthy pelvic floor muscles for patients with intact musculature.