Urinary Incontinence – Common or Normal?
November 14, 2018
Is it normal to pee your pants when you cough, sneeze or do exercise? The answer is NO!
Urinary incontinence or stress urinary incontinence is more common than we think, but it is not normal. It can be very distressing, and affect your quality of life. Women start to avoid activities that they have enjoyed in the past. Leaving their house can become stressful because they aren’t sure if they will find a bathroom in time. Women are embarrassed… and along with that comes a loss of confidence, especially in social situations or in the bedroom. Urinary incontinence is all too common and affects 1 in 3 women of all ages. Wearing a diaper or pad should not become part of your normal life. It may help to know that you are not alone, this problem can be solved, and – you don’t have to live with it. Let us help you.
Myths and Facts:
Myth: Urinary and stress incontinence is a normal result of childbirth.
Fact: It is common that pregnancy, vaginal birth, episiotomy, tearing, forceps or vacuum extraction can cause damage to the pelvic floor. Research shows that labour management with the pudendal block as opposed to the epidural anaesthesia showed a statistically higher incidence of persisting postpartum urinary stress incontinence.
Some women experience leaking and pain in early postpartum and this can be normal. However, when leaking and pain persist past 6 weeks postpartum then we have a problem. In 15% of women urinary incontinence, involuntary leakage or urgency and pelvic pain persists even past 12 months post partum or even years. This is not normal. You can be helped with individually tailored therapy and exercise.
Myth: Urinary and stress incontinence affects women mostly after menopause.
Fact: Urinary and stress incontinence can affect people of all ages but it is especially common after pregnancy and problems often worsen after menopause. Exercises tailored to your specific needs can help to restore normal function in most women. In extreme cases surgery may also be an option.
Myth: Kegel exercises are the answer to urinary and stress incontinence.
Fact: Kegel exercises are a static contraction of the muscles in the pelvic floor. While they may have some benefit in therapy, especially in the very early days of post partum, they are not the total answer. In daily life the body does not function with just one group of muscles. We are not static – we move … in a full body, 3-dimensional functional movement. In order to fully regain function of the pelvic core muscles you have to retrain the muscles in a way that re-educates the pelvic core muscles to work together with the rest of body.
So, lets stop sugar coating this problem and misleading women with pretty packaging and empty promises. Getting your life back or taking control of your bladder should not mean wearing a diaper or a pad for the rest of your life.
Let’s rock this problem out of the water and be done with it so you can resume life and do the things you enjoy.