• HIS THERAPY PT and PELVIC HEALTH
Visit our Location
42 Saint Mark Rd, Taylors, SC
Give us a Call
(864) 534-1780
Send us a Message
office@histherapy.net
Office Hours
By Appointment Only

Category: Incontinence

His TherapyBlogIncontinence
By Sabina Kapasi Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence

What is incontinence? 
Incontinence occurs when it is hard to control the release of urine. Urine may leak from the bladder because of the urinary system not performing properly. 

Kinds of incontinence
Stress incontinence
Actions like coughing, sneezing, or lifting objects puts pressure on the bladder and can cause urine leakage.
Urge incontinence
This can occur even when the bladder has only a little urine, but the brain tells the body it is time to urinate. The bladder then contracts causing urine to leak. 
Overflow incontinence 
Nerve damage can cause this because the body does no receive a signal to urinate. Therefore, the bladder stays full and muscles can weaken over time and lead to leakage. 

Don’t suffer with urinary incontinence! Come in to His Therapy today. 

By Sabina Kapasi Incontinence

Stress Incontinence

What is stress Incontinence?
Stress incontinence occurs when you are not able to prevent urine from leaking out when the pressure in your abdomen increases with events such as coughing, sneezing, and lifting. 
It is caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles that keep urine from leaking out) that is contributed to by trauma such as delivering a baby. 
Physical Therapists can fix this problem by teaching their patients the following:  the function of the pelvic floor muscles, proper bladder habits, exercises specific for the pelvic floor, and through biofeedback and electrical stimulation. 

Pelvic Floor Muscle Functions
The pelvic floor has three functions. The pelvic floors main function is to support the surrounding structures and help keep organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum inside the body. The second function of the pelvic floor  is sphincteric. This helps the tube from which you urinate to open and close when urinating and your rectum to open and close having a bowel movement.  The third function of the pelvic floor is sexual. This provides sensation for sexual intercourse.

Proper Bladder Habits
Proper bladder habits include the following: Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day (80 oz.) , Urinate 6-8 times in a 24 hour period, only urinate every 2-5 hours, there should be no nighttime urinating (pay attention to whether or not the urge work you up or something else woke you up and you realized you needed to urinate), each stream should last 8-10 seconds, avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, orange juice, soft drinks, and nicotine. 

Exercise
-exercise the muscles supporting your pelvis by performing Kegel exercises 3 times per day with 3 sets of 20 repetitions each time (if this is difficult at first you can build up to it)
-Stretch tight muscles surrounding the area because they can compensate and contribute to even further weakening of the pelvic floor muscles

Biofeedback and Electrical Stimulation
-Biofeedback is a type of treatment that provides visual feedback on how well you are able to contract your pelvic floor muscles
-Electrical stimulation is a means of using a mild electric current to increase the strength of your pelvic floor muscles that is enhanced when you perform the Kegels during treatment

By Sabina Kapasi Bladder Health, Bladder Problems, Incontinence

Instructions For Controlling Urinary Urge

When you experience an urge to urinate: 

First            Stop and stand very still.  Sit down if you can or stand quietly.  Do not move; try to stay                           very still to maintain control. 

Second        Quickly squeeze and let go of your pelvic floor muscles 5 to 6 times to keep from leaking.                       Use moderate to maximal effort for the exercise.  This sends a message to the bladder to                        relax and hold urine.  Try to distract yourself by thinking of something other than going                         to the bathroom. 
 
Third          Relax.  Take a deep belly or diaphragmatic breath and let it out slowly.  Try to make the                           urge to urinate go away by continuing with distraction techniques and positive thoughts. 

Finally       If the urge returns,  repeat the above steps to regain control. When you feel the urge                               subside somewhat,  walk normally to the bathroom.  Do not rush.   Continue to do your                           quick flicks to relax the bladder.  You can urinate once the urge has subsided.