Therapies for Continence Management

Barb Christensen | posted February 15, 2009 |

Most people feel uncomfortable talking about problems they may be having with urinary incontinence. Oftentimes, they are embarrassed and feel it’s just a normal part of aging, which it’s not. They are also unaware there are treatments available, which there are.  Sadly, when urinary incontinence goes untreated, it can become a psychological, life changing event that often leads to social withdrawal and depression.  But it doesn’t have to be this way. Urinary incontinence is not a disease, but a medical condition with a wide range of possible causes that can be simple or complex in nature.

If urinary incontinence is affecting someone’s daily activities, it’s important they bring it up with their doctor so he/she can do a full evaluation to determine what the issues are behind their incontinence, and prescribe the necessary treatment.  Even if the condition can’t be completely eliminated, there are ways to manage it so that a person doesn’t stop living their life.

There are medications available to help treat urinary incontinence, but some people can’t tolerate or afford them.  For those people the following recognized therapies are available. The first step to increasing bladder control is to work on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through progressive exercise.  Just like building up biceps or quads, the exercise routine should increase in difficulty over time. This can be done by changing the position each exercise is performed in, or the through increased duration/intensity of the exercise.

The prescribed strengthening routine targets not just the pelvic floor muscles, but also includes movements that develop the core muscle group; the abdomen, diaphragm, hip and back-extension muscles.  Increasing the strength of the core muscle group also strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.

Electrical stimulation can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The current used in this type of therapy is gentle and is typically tolerated well. The autonomic nervous system plays a role in some types of incontinence. “Quieting” this system through a series of techniques called physiological quieting can be very effective.

Like many health conditions, certain foods are known to aggravate urinary incontinence.  Not surprisingly, caffeine is one of them.  Acidic foods like tomatoes, spicy foods and foods with high sugar content are also known irritants. This condition can also be the side effect of some medications.  It’s very important that a person not cut back on their fluid intake as a precautionary measure. Those with urinary incontinence should continue to drink the recommended amount of fluids per day, because, if not, it could lead to urinary tract infections.

It’s my mission at Aegis to insure that patients suffering from this condition are provided the therapy(s) needed to eliminate or manage this condition.  Like I said earlier, when it goes untreated, urinary incontinence can have a really negative impact on a person’s life.  With the right treatment this reaction can be avoided or minimized.