Urinary Incontinence in

If you suffer from incontinence (the involuntary loss of urine), you’re not alone. It affects approximately 3.3 million Canadians. The good news is that help is available. Here, we dig into all things incontinence, including the role that pelvic floor muscles play and your treatment options – including Pelvic Health Physiotherapy.

What Is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the medical term for the involuntary loss of urine. Basically, peeing when you don’t want to – or should be! There are 3 main types or urinary incontinence:

• Stress Urinary Incontinence: The most common form, stress urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine when there is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This can happen when a person coughs, sneezes, laughs, lifts or jumps.

• Urge Urinary Incontinence: A sudden, strong urge to urinate that cannot be controlled, resulting in urine leakage. Learn more here:

• Mixed: As you might guess, mixed urinary incontinence is a combination of both stress and urge incontinence.

It’s never “normal” to have incontinence, regardless of which phase of your life you’re in. But, if you suffer from urinary incontinence, know that you are not alone – it is actually very common. The good news is it can be effectively treated, as you’ll find out below.

Did you know? Generally speaking, it’s normal to empty the bladder 5-7 times per day, or about every 3 hours.

Who Is At Risk Of Urinary Incontinence?

There are a number of risk factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing urinary incontinence. They include:

• Being female

• Age

• Obesity

• Chronic and/or recurrent cough

• Consuming alcohol and other bladder irritants (coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, artificial sugars, and citrus)

• Long-standing bowel and bladder habits, including straining

• Health conditions (urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, diabetes, and prostate problems, to name a few)

• Certain medications (e.g., diuretics)

Why do these factors increase the risk of urinary incontinence? One reason is they can cause changes to the pelvic floor muscles, which provide critical support for our bladder muscles. Another reason is that they cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, which increases bladder pressure. This makes it more difficult for the pelvic floor muscles to keep the urethra (the opening from which urine comes out) closed and prevent unwanted leakage.

What Is The Role Of The Pelvic Floor In Urinary Incontinence?

The pelvic floor is comprised of a group of muscles that support and protect the organs in our pelvic region, including the bowel, bladder and uterus, against changes in intra-abdominal pressure. When working optimally, the pelvic floor muscles work in a co-ordinated manner with the muscles of the bladder to keep the urethra closed when it is not appropriate to empty the bladder – and open when it is appropriate to empty.

Sometimes, the pelvic floor does not properly function, which can lead to difficulties controlling the bladder (urinary incontinence). This can happen because:

• The muscles of the pelvic floor have abnormal tension (either high or low tone)

• The muscles of the pelvic floor are weak

• A person lacks the conscious ability to properly coordinate the activation and relaxation of their pelvic floor muscles

How Can Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Help?

The first treatment used for stress incontinence (i.e., before surgery or other medical intervention) is pelvic floor muscle training with qualified healthcare providers, including Pelvic Health Physiotherapists.

A Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will be able to identify any problems with pelvic floor muscle tension, strength, and coordination. The goal of pelvic physiotherapy is to first identify if the pelvic floor muscles are hypertonic/overactive or hypotonic/underactive. If the pelvic floor muscles are identified as “non-relaxing” or too tense, treatment focuses on normalizing the pelvic floor muscle tone before initiating a pelvic floor muscle strengthening program.

Pelvic Health Physiotherapists work with patients to optimize the mobility, flexibility, strength, and coordination of the pelvic floor muscles, as well as identify and address any lifestyle factors or habits that may be significantly contributing to the development of the patient’s pelvic floor dysfunction.

How Do We Approach Treatment For Incontinence?

At Proactive Pelvic Health Centre, we’re dedicated to empowering women to optimize their pelvic health. Pelvic health is all we do – so you can trust that you’re in good hands!

Before pelvic floor treatment begins, your Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will take your full medical history and thoroughly discuss your current problems and symptoms. With informed consent, your they will perform a complete physical assessment of the joints and tissues affecting this area. This may include internal and external examinations to identify the affected tissues that may be contributing to your urinary incontinence. Based on your examination, your Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will work with you to put together a plan of care that is specific to your symptoms and goals. No two people are the same, so neither is their care plan.

We work 1-on-1 with you to help improve the strength of your pelvic floor to better support your bladder muscles, as well as reviewing your voiding patterns to ensure appropriate bladder and bowel hygiene. This is essential as part of a holistic plan to help improve your overall pelvic function. Know that with treatment and dedication, you CAN get on a positive path towards healthier bladder function!

As healthcare professionals passionate about pelvic health, we are committed to providing a safe and comfortable place where clients can access multi-disciplinary pelvic care to help improve their quality of life.

Book an appointment to learn more about how we can help.

What Other Treatments Are Available?

In addition to Pelvic Health Physiotherapy, lifestyle modifications are often helpful. This can include: reducing fluid intake, scheduled voiding, reducing irritants (e.g., caffeine, alcohol), quitting smoking and weight loss (if appropriate). For some, the addition of medications may also be considered.