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By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Bladder Health

Bladder Health–What's Normal?

When it comes to our bladder health, most of us don’t know what’s considered normal or not normal. Here are three ways you can know if your bladder is functioning at 100%:

You’re urinating 6 to 8 times during a 24-hour period. (Now as we get older, our bladder capacity can get smaller and we may need to urinate more frequently, but usually not more than every 2 hours.)
Your urine flows easily without discomfort. No pushing or straining is necessary.
You can jump, sneeze, and laugh confidently without any leakage.

If you have trouble with any of the three points above, you should see a pelvic floor specialist; otherwise, you are setting yourself up for having to wear a pad every day in your old age. Bladder malfunction can affect how active you can be in your work, in your sporting activities, and all the other hobbies you love doing so much!

In the meantime, here are three main tips to maintaining a healthy bladder:

Maintain a good fluid intake. Depending on your body size and environment, drink 4-8 cups of fluid per day unless otherwise advised by your doctor.
Limit your amount of caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate, or tea) and acidic foods.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Alcohol increases urine production and also makes it difficult for the brain to coordinate bladder control.

How our bladder functions or malfunctions can affect our quality of life more than we realize until it suddenly becomes a chronic issue. Don’t wait for it to come to that point. Take care of yourself and your bladder health by booking an initial pelvic floor therapy session with us today. Call our office to book your first appointment with Sabina Weaver at (864) 534-1780.

May your week be blessed!

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence

Guess what… You don’t have to live with Urinary Incontinence!!!

What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary Incontinence (UI) occurs when your lose bladder control and leak urine before you can go to the bathroom. If you have UI, you are not alone. Millions of women have UI.
What causes Urinary Incontinence?

There are many causes of UI. Some causes include: obesity, pregnancy, bladder infection, weak pelvic floor muscles, constipation, medications, stress, smoking, caffeine intake, and hormonal changes associated with menopause.

Do I have to Live with UI?

There are many ways to treat UI. Treatment depends on the type of incontinence and the severity of the problem. Often, a combination of treatments is used and most patients see a drastic improvement in their symptoms. Treatment can include strengthening your pelvic floor with bladder retraining, biofeedback and electrical stimulation of your pelvic floor muscles. Physical Therapy can help you overcome UI.

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Exercise

Exercise Fads and Fixes

Fads
CrossFit
One of the biggest fads for this generation of exercise junkies is circuit workouts. Boot camps, circuit workouts, CrossFit, and kickboxing are all exercise plans to whip people into shape. People are finding these workouts fun and exciting, but they may not be the best for you in the long run.

Fixes
Yoga/Palates
So many people think they need an intense and gut-wrenching workout to be successful, but this is not the case. Some of the best workouts you can get, without being so hard on your body, is from yoga or palates. Yoga and palates have many of the same, if not more benefits for your body like hard-core workouts. Some of these benefits include lessening chronic pain, lower blood pressure, and increasing flexibility.

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Painful Intercourse

Dyspareunia-What Is It?

Dyspareunia is a medical term for painful intercourse, defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse. There are more than 200,000 cases per year that are diagnosed, and many more cases that are unreported. It may be caused by infection, trauma, vaginal dryness, or malignancy. There are other conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic congestion, vaginismus, vulvodynia, and interstitical cystitis that can all cause pelvic pain. These diagnoses may require medical care, yet sometimes women receive treatment and continue to experience symptoms. Sometimes after being seen and assessed by a doctor, doctors may treat dyspareunia by the use of antibiotics for infection, topical estrogen for hormonal imbalances, and other creams like Lidocaine for pain relief.

A few other factors may also contribute to pain in women who have any of the above listed conditions, as well as women with none of them. One of those biggest factors is your pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a large, bowl-shaped muscle group stretching from your pubic bone to your tailbone. Your pelvic floor controls your bladder and bowel. It’s also what relaxes to allow for penetration, and contracts rhythmically and involuntarily during an orgasm.

From what we’ve seen, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge of the anatomy of the pelvic floor.
Physical therapy for pelvic health focuses on improving function of the pelvic floor muscles by educating our patients on how the floor functions. Manually assessing the muscle’s tone and seeing what areas of the muscles are not able to relax as well as assessing the core muscles are part of the initial assessment. These other core muscles that are assessed include: the abdominals, the hips, the low back, and the lower extremity muscles that are attached to the pelvis. Treatments that pelvic floor therapy include to help dyspareunia are: manual myofascial release, biofeedback, internal E-stem, vaginal dilators to help stretch the muscles, and education on bladder and bowel function. Physical therapy for the pelvic floor allows patients to gain control over their pain and teaches them how to use their body and mind to relax certain muscles that they’ve never been able to relax. In many cases pelvic floor therapy can help manage the pain and help patients enjoy pain-free intimacy with their mate.

In our personal experience we have seen remarkable outcomes in the use of pelvic floor therapy as a treatment of dyspareunia. Within three to five visits our patients have less pain.

Look for our podcast next week on the personal story of a couple married for 29 years who experienced painful intimacy, and after literally five visits of pelvic floor therapy, had NO pain!

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Bladder Health

How Diet May Affect Your Bladder

Although there is no particular “diet” that can cure bladder control there are certain dietary suggestions you can use to help to control the problem. Many people with bladder control problems decrease their intake of liquids in hope that they will need to urinate less frequently or have less urinary leakage. While a decrease in liquid intake does result in decrease in the volume of urine, the smaller amount of urine may be more highly concentrated. Highly concentrated , dark yellow urine is irritating to the bladder surface and may actually cause you to go the bathroom more frequently . It also encourages the growth of bacteria , which may lead to infections resulting in incontinence. You should not restrict fluids to control your bladder without the advice of your physician.

Some food and beverages are thought to contribute to the bladder leakage. Their effect on the bladder is not always understood however, you may want to see if eliminating one or all of these items improves your bladder control. If you are unable to give them up completely, it is recommended that you use the following items in moderation: alcoholic beverages , highly spiced foods, artificial sweeteners, tomato based products , caffeinated beverages , citrus and fruit juice.

Here are some substitutions:
Low acid fruits: pears, apricots, papaya, watermelon
For coffee drinkers: KAVA (low acid instant), Postum, Pero
For Tea Drinkers: Non-citrus herbal , Sun brewed tea
Vitamin C substitute: Calcium carbonate co -buffed with calcium ascorbate

Although water is always the best beverage choice, grape and apple juice are thirst quenchers and are not as irritating o the bladder, Cigarette smoking is also irritating to the bladder surface and is associated with bladder cancer. In addition, the coughing associated with smoking may lead to increase stress incontinence episodes. Obesity can also contribute to incontinence.

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Constipation

About Constipation

Constipation is defined as the difficult passage and infrequent (fewer than three) bowel movements per week. It may be the result of several different factors including:
Limited fluid intake
Laxative abuse
Imbalanced diet (too much sugar and animal fat)
Medications, particularly pain medicines, antidepressants, iron supplements and tranquilizers
Neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s , Stroke , multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.
Constipation is another possible cause of bladder control problems. When the rectum is full of stool, it may disturb the bladder and cause incontinence or that sensation of urgency or frequency. Because constipation may be caused by medications you are taking for other conditions, changes in bowel habits should always be reported to you physician. If you have history of constipation or have recently become constipated discuss with your physician. Most people in western society require more bulk in their diet in the form of high fiber, fiber additives or other bulking agents sold at drug stores. You should discuss your fiber needs with your physician, pharmacist or nutritionist. Typical dietary recommendations for fiber are between 25-35 grams per day. When adding fiber to your diet it is important o remember to drink plenty of fluids.

This recipes is commonly suggested to promote regular bowel function by increasing dietary fiber. You may experience a bloated feeling and have gas when adding fiber to your to your diet but this should pass within a few weeks. It is important to avoid regular use of laxatives and enemas as they decrease the bowel’s function.

A SPECIAL RECIPE FOR BOWEL REGULARITY
Mix Together:
1 cup applesauce
1 cup oat bran or unprocessed wheat bran
3/4 cup prune juice

Begin with 1-2 Tbs. each evening mixed with or followed by one 6-8 oz cup of water or juice. This should help to soften and regulate your bowel movements within 2 weeks. If no change occurs, slowly increase serving to 3-4 Tbs. You should plan on making this a part of your daily routine for the rest of your lifetime.

This may be stored in your refrigerator or your freezer. One to two tablespoon servings may be frozen in sectioned ice cube trays or in foam plastic eggs cartons and thawed as needed.

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Incontinence

Medication Which May Contribute To Incontinence

Some Medications can cause a change in urinary function. It is important to know all of the medications you are taking, whether prescribed by a physician or purchased over the counter drugs. It is also a good idea to keep track of any changes in your urinary habits once you begin to take a new medication. Your Daily Voiding Diary will help you keep track of this information. Here are some bladder side effects from common medications:

MEDICATION BLADDER SIDE EFFECTS
Diuretics Frequency, urgency

Sedative Urinary leakage
Alcoholic Beverages Less desire to use the toilet
Pain Relievers

Antihistamines
Anticholinergics Frequent urination
Over the Counter Cold Drugs Weak flow of urine
Antipsychotics Leakage between voids
Antidepressants

Alpha adrenergic agonist Urinary retention
(Drugs used for stress Incontinent) Frequency, leakage
Weak flow of urine

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Health, Physical Therapy, Pregnancy

Pelvic Floor Therapy for Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful things, but it can be hard on any woman’s body. It can cause:
hormonal changes
physical changes
postural changes
musculature changes
This stress from a baby on your bladder and rectum can also lead to pelvic floor dysfunctions such as:
stress or urge incontinence
back pain
prolapse
bowel problems

In the busy days ahead, remember to take care of yourself and your pelvic floor. Come see His Therapy for any pelvic floor dysfunction or question you have today! We will get you a specialized plan that best fits you.

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Water

Benefits of Drinking Water in the Morning

Gives you glowing skin!
Increase production of new blood and muscle cells
Increase alertness
Help with weight loss
Strengthen your immune system and lymph system
Empty the stomach to purify the colon
Reinforce healthy hair growth

By Sabina Kapasi December 25, 2019 Pain

Tips for Hip, Pelvic, and Low Back Pain

Avoid activities/position that strain the joints of the pelvis and lower back: crossing legs, climbing stairs, standing with weight on one leg, cross-trainer machine, stair stepper or stair climber on machines, bicycling, sitting in asymmetrical positions.
Use the best sleeping position: lying on your left side with a pillow support under head and neck and between knees.
Use good lifting techniques: Don’t Bend forward through the waist to pick up anything, but rather squat down (even for a paperclip or pacifier!). Get the weight of the object close to yours body before standing. Don’t hold your breath when lifting items; exhale as you lift. Avoid twisting to reach for or pick up items from any height.
For standing activities, such as washing dishes, cooking, ironing, brushing teeth, changing diapers: Keep a small footstool near common work areas. Keep one foot on the stool while performing the activity; interchange with the other foot every 5 – 10 minutes. In the kitchen or bathroom, open a cabinet door and rest your foot on the cabinet shelf.
Getting in and out of the car. In: Place all items in the passenger or back seat BEFORE getting into the driver’s seat. After opening the Driver’s side door, turn to face away from the seat. Sit down scoot back into the seat (still facing sideways). Now bring one leg at a time into the car. For getting out of the car: Bring one leg at a time out of the car. Turn your body to face toward the door. Scoot to the edge of the seat before standing. Retrieve items from the passenger seat or back seats AFTER getting out of the car.
Avoid prolonged positions. If you sit all day at work, take a brief standing or walking break every 15-30 minutes. If you stand all day or during cooking, etc., take a sitting break (preferably with feet propped up) every 15-30 minutes; pump your ankles during this break to improve blood flow and reduce swelling.
Use a cold or ice pack on “flared up” areas for 10 to 20 minutes.
Perform Stabilization exercises 2x in the morning and 2x at night.

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