Physical Therapy for Urinary Incontinence: Treatment and Exercises
Updated: Dec 17
Urinary incontinence or UI is a condition that is as frustrating as it is common. But there is some good news - physical therapy for urinary incontinence can often bring that much-needed relief. Urinary incontinence isn’t a life-threatening condition but it is quite frustrating.
Not many people think that a non-invasive way like physical therapy for urinary incontinence can actually help you, whether it is occasional leaks when you sneeze or you get a constant urge to sprint to the bathroom.
But it's more complicated than just doing random exercises. You first need to identify your type of urinary incontinence, then address the issue by specific types of exercises that will bring you that relief.
Let’s learn more about how physical therapy for urinary incontinence can help you overcome this condition.
Understanding Urinary Incontinence
What Is It?
To put it simply, urinary incontinence is the accidental leakage of urine. To some people, it might sound like a minor inconvenience, but it can seriously impact your daily activities, quality of life, and even emotional well-being.
Why? Well, just because it is a condition that is often underreported due to embarrassment, but it is important to understand that you are not alone! Millions worldwide deal with this condition, and physical therapy for urinary incontinence can help.
Some people even think that this is part of aging or something that they have to live with, which is usually not the case.
So, what exactly is happening when this incontinence strikes? - Your bladder, urethra, pelvic muscles, and nerves work in sync to store and release urine. When this tandem is disrupted, whether from muscle weakness, underlying health issues, or nerve damage, can lead to leaks.
Types of Urinary Incontinence
UI presents in various forms, such as:
● Stress Incontinence: Leakage occurs during activities that increase abdominal pressure, like coughing, sneezing, or lifting.
● Urge Incontinence: A sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate, often caused by bladder muscle spasms.
● Mixed Incontinence: A combination of stress and urge incontinence.
● Overflow Incontinence: The bladder doesn’t empty fully, leading to dribbles.
● Functional Incontinence: Physical or mental impairments (e.g., mobility issues) that prevent timely bathroom access.
How Physical Therapy Helps
Since we are talking about a condition that is mainly tied to the sync of muscles, and nerves, this means that physical therapy for urinary incontinence is a great solution that can help you overcome this issue.
But how does it help? Well, physical therapy can target the root causes of this condition. How? - By simply focusing on improving pelvic floor muscle function. These muscles are very important when it comes to bladder control, and strengthening them can significantly reduce or even eliminate symptoms.
With that said, each condition is different, and a person needs to have a personalized treatment plan, that often includes exercises like Kegels just to strengthen muscles and improve coordination.
However, physical therapy for urinary incontinence doesn’t stop with just muscle training. It also requires lifestyle adjustments, such as avoiding bladder irritants (coffee, alcohol, cola drinks…), setting bathroom schedule, and other things that will exacerbate symptoms.
This makes physical therapy a non-invasive and quite effective solution to urinal incontinence, by simply improving the control over bladder function, which eventually reduces the reliance on medications, and potentially avoiding surgery.
It is something that everyone who deals with this issue needs to try since it is the least painful potential solution to this condition.
Physical Therapy Exercises for Urinary Incontinence
Now let's talk about specific physical therapy exercises for urinary incontinence. Remember, we need to target specific muscles to improve bladder function. Regular exercises do help, but you need something more targeted.
So, which are the most effective?
Kegel Exercises
Since we need to focus on strengthening the pelvic floor, Kegels are the perfect physical therapy exercises for urinary incontinence.
The first step is to identify the right muscles (the ones that are used to stop urine flow). How can you do that? Well, an effective way is to try to stop your urine midstream (don’t make this a habit since it can lead to other issues).
Once you’ve found the muscles, contract and hold for a count of three to five seconds, then relax. You can repeat this step 10-15 times per session, and ideally, you should target three sessions per day.
Over time, these physical therapy exercises will help you improve bladder control and reduce unexpected leaks.
Bridge Pose
Bridges can target the pelvic floor along with the glutes and core. So, you can lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Then try to lift your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your pelvic floor muscles.
Hold for a few seconds and lower back down. Repeat these exercises multiple times per session.
Pelvic Tilts
This is an excellent exercise for both pelvic floor and core engagement. How to do it? - Lie on your back, flatten your lower back against the floor, and tilt your pelvis upward slightly.
Hold this position for a couple of seconds and then relax.
This is a very effective exercise, especially for people dealing with postpartum incontinence.
Breathing Techniques
Although physical therapy exercises for urinary incontinence are important, you also need to focus on strengthening and relaxation. In other words, you need to learn diaphragmatic breathing, just to reduce tension in the pelvic floor.
Techniques Used in Therapy
Physical therapy for urinary incontinence incorporates many different proven techniques that are tailored to address specific issues. Although they have the same goal of strengthening the pelvic floor and improving bladder control, each case condition can be handled differently.
Here are some of the techniques used in therapy:
Biofeedback
This is one of the most commonly used tools in physical therapy for urinary incontinence. Biofeedback employs sensors to monitor and display muscle activity on a screen.
We are talking about crucial real-time feedback that can help patients identify and engage the correct pelvic floor muscles.
Electrical Stimulation
For people who have significantly weakened pelvic floor muscles, therapists can also use gentle electrical stimulation just to activate these muscles. This is a non-invasive technique that aims to improve muscle responsiveness and strengthen them over time.
Manual Therapy
As you probably already know, this is a hands-on technique that aims to release tension, improve muscle tone, and ensure a proper alignment of the pelvic region. Sometimes, therapists may also work on adjacent areas like hips and lower back.
Real-Time Ultrasound
In some cases, ultrasound may be used just to get a better view of the pelvic floor muscles in action. This helps patients and therapists see the impact of their movements, which can help them address the issue in a more targeted way.
Mind-Body Integration
Sometimes, the issue can also be in our head, which means that in order to overcome UI, we also need to improve our mental health. There are relaxation techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, and mindfulness practices, all designed to help the patient manage stress incontinence or urge-related issues.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
There are many benefits of physical therapy for urinary incontinence. First of all, this is a non-invasive and often cost-effective way of dealing with this issue.
On top of that, it is personalized to each condition, making it a great alternative to medications or surgery.
So, what can you expect from physical therapy for urinary incontinence?
● Improved Bladder Control - The main goal of this therapy is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the system for the bladder and urethra.
● Reduction in Urgency and Frequency - If you are experiencing urge incontinence, physical therapy will help you retrain the bladder to reduce the sensation of needing to go frequently.
● Better Quality of Life - This condition can be a huge barrier to enjoying life to the point where some people avoid social gatherings due to the embarrassment of going to the bathroom frequently. Physical therapy can help patience improve their quality of life.
● Avoiding Surgery and Medications - Physical therapy for urinary incontinence is a non-invasive way of dealing with this condition. It focuses on risk-free alternative methods that can help you find long-term solutions and avoid surgery.
● Boosted Confidence and Mental Health - Lastly, the most important part - your mental health! Living with this condition can feel isolating and embarrassing, and patients who go through the therapy process often report improved self-esteem and reduced anxiety.
When to Seek Physical Therapy
Knowing when is the right time to ask for professional help and seek physical therapy can make a world of difference in managing the symptoms effectively. Yes, occasional bladder leaks might seem like a minor inconvenience, but they often indicate underlying issues that can worsen over time without proper treatment.
If you experience symptoms like frequent leaks, difficulty holding urine, or a sudden urge to urinate, consult a physical therapist. Early intervention can prevent symptoms from worsening.
Here’s when is a good time to seek physical therapy for urinary incontinence:
● You’ve been dealing with leaks for over a month.
● It’s impacting your daily activities or mental health.
● You’ve tried exercises on your own, but they’re not cutting it.
● You’re pregnant or postpartum and want to prevent or manage symptoms.
It’s important to note that urinary incontinence isn’t just a “normal part of aging.” Regardless of your age, if you’re experiencing leaks, seeking therapy early can prevent the issue from worsening and improve your overall quality of life.
Final Thoughts
Urinary incontinence might start as a minor inconvenience, but the condition might worsen over time seriously affecting the quality of life.
That’s why seeking physical therapy for urinary incontinence is the best non-invasive way to identify this issue early and start working on a long-term solution.
Visit one of the locations of Miracle Rehab Clinic in Farmington Hills or Warren and book your appointment today.
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