Don’t settle, solve your urinary leakage with the help of expert pelvic floor physical therapy at mPower physical therapy
Have you noticed yourself leaking urine when laughing hard or coughing?
Struggle to run or jump without some degree of incontinence? Research shows that up to 50% of women are affected by urinary incontinence. But this is NOT NORMAL. With such staggering statistics and impactful implications on quality of life, it’s shocking that so many medical providers aren’t better equipped to properly diagnose and treat individuals with pelvic floor dysfunction and incontinence. Have you been told that urinary leaking is an expected outcome of aging or childbirth? Are you frustrated by treatment options that just don’t work? We get it! Here at mPower physical therapy in Dallas, TX, we’re here to unveil the underlying causes of your incontinence and show you what a leak-free life can look like.
What is Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence refers to any unintentional leakage of urine. While there are several different types of urinary incontinence, the most common forms we see are stress urinary incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs anytime stress is placed on the bladder such as when you sneeze, run, cough, or laugh causing urine to leak out. This form is typically the result of either weakened or inhibited pelvic floor muscles making bladder control more challenging or a pressure issue where the diaphragm and the pelvic floor are not working together properly. Urge incontinence is a second form of incontinence often linked to an overactive bladder. These individuals experience strong and sudden urges to urinate at various points throughout their day with the underlying cause often linked to a miscommunication between the brain and the bladder.
Regardless of the type of incontinence, experiencing urinary leakage can be embarrassing and frustrating to deal with. Fortunately, there are many ways to treat urinary incontinence with physical therapy being one of the most effective routes to get down to the root cause and improve your day-to-day function.
Factors that can increase your risk of leakage
While people of all ages, genders, and sizes can experience urinary incontinence there are a few specific factors that can increase your risk of leakage. These include:
- Advanced age
- History of pregnancy
- History of childbirth
- Menopause
- History of hysterectomy
- Obesity
While these factors may increase your risk, they by no means should limit you from regaining your bladder control and living a leak-free life.
How we can help
Although physical therapy has been around since the polio epidemic, few patients and medical providers think of physical therapy as a front-line treatment for incontinence. That said, pelvic floor physical therapy is not just an effective strategy in the treatment of incontinence but it also gets down to the underlying cause of your dysfunction versus just treating the symptoms. Think of the alternatives… medications? Absorbent pads? All these are doing is covering your issues up with band-aid treatments and setting you up for a lifetime of dependency. Join us as we empower you to treat your incontinence from the inside out and regain the confidence you deserve.
Forget surgeries and procedures. Give your body the right environment it needs to heal.
What to expect during physical therapy treatment for urinary incontinence
When you come to our clinic, you will be greeted by a friendly and experienced pelvic floor specialist who has advanced training in the pelvic floor and associated dysfunctions. At your first session, your PT will perform a comprehensive evaluation assessing your pelvic floor, your core, your diaphragm, and your postural alignment. Based on the findings, they will put together an individualized treatment plan designed just for you. One size fits all surely doesn’t apply when it comes to the treatment of urinary leakage. Expect one-on-one tailored care that addresses your issues in the short term and gives you the tools to continue effective management for years to come.
Kegels are usually NOT the answer
If you’ve found your way to this page, you’ve likely tried or been advised to try kegels for your urinary leaking. But like many conditions in the musculoskeletal system, dysfunction in the pelvic floor can be a result of either overactive or underactive muscles. If you have a hypertonic or overactive condition and you tense an already tense pelvic floor with Kegels, it won’t fix your problems and instead can make it much worse.
Another reason kegels won’t work is our pelvic floor rarely works in isolation. Think of when you are jumping- your core and spine muscles have to stabilize to keep you aligned, your diaphragm has to activate to control your breathing and abdominal pressure and your pelvic floor has to fire to stabilize your pelvis and prevent leaking. If any one of these parts isn’t working in unison, dysfunction can occur. In terms of treatment, to translate strength into function, we need to train the pelvic floor in a big-picture way that mimics how these muscles fire in daily living.
Ready to take control of your bladder and improve your quality of life?
If you’re suffering from urinary incontinence and are tired of hearing providers tell you, “That’s just what happens when you get older” or “That’s what happens after you have babies”, give us a call today. Urinary leaking is NOT normal and is treatable with the right guidance, education, and environment for healing.
Get the treatment you deserve with the help of expert-quality care at mPower physical therapy. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about how we can help, set up your free discovery visit today and start your journey to a leak-free life.
