• Centers & Departments
• Practices
• Service List
• Physician Directory
• Locations

Urinary Incontinence Treatment

Urinary Incontinence: A Common Problem

Incontinence, the inability to control urine flow, affects an estimated 17 million Americans, mostly women. About 40 to 60 percent of American women experience some leakage of urine every day. Surveys indicate most women do not seek treatment for this condition, often relating it as just a "normal" part of being a women or aging. Many women report incontinence is an embarrassing problem resulting in lifestyle changes, withdrawal and sence of helpessness.

Types of Incontinence

Stress Incontinence
The most common form of bladder leakage, stress incontinence, is a sudden involuntary loss of urine because of physical stress, such as jumping, coughing, sneezing or laughing.

Urge Incontinence
Urge Incontinence is another common form of bladder leakage, also known as an overactive bladder or detrusor instability. This type occurs when there is poor coordination between nerves, bladder and muscles. The bladder contracts at inappropriate times and cannot be controlled. Most leakage episodes in this form of incontinence occur on the way to the bathroom.

Mixed Incontinence
Some women suffer from a combination of the stress and urge leakage patterns.

A Step-by-Step Treatment Approach

We offer a women's continence program designed to provide an effective treatment option for incontinence-related issues. Our program is staffed by experienced physical therapists who are specially trained in urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction and who are sensitive to issues surrounding incontinence. An individualized, step-by-step treatment program involving behavior modification and therapeutic exercises for pelvic muscles is designed to help control the bladder and restore a normal lifestyle.

The Women's Continence Program includes:

• Evaluation of your urinating habits and fluid/dietary intake.
• Guidelines for reducing an irritable bladder.
• Techniques of bladder training by "timed voiding" and "urge deferral" if needed.
• Computerized testing of pelvic muscles to determine your individual level of strength, endurance, and coordination.

The pelvic muscle exercise portion of the program may include:

• EMG (electromyography) to help you visualize muscle contracting and assure that exercises are performed correctly.
• Electrical stimulation to help initiate muscle contraction in cases of significant weakness.
• Development and progression of an individual home exercise program.
• Use of pelvic weights for higher level strengthening.