Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary and uncontrollable loss of urine. It is estimated that approximately 10% of Canadians of all genders, and 50% of women, will experience urinary incontinence in their lifetime. Although many people suffer from it, urinary incontinence is not normal and can be treated.
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What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary and uncontrollable loss of urine.
It is estimated that approximately 10% of Canadians of all genders, and 50% of women, will experience urinary incontinence in their lifetime.
Although many people suffer from it, urinary incontinence is not normal and can be treated.
The main types of urinary incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence occurs when the pressure inside the abdomen increases rapidly (e.g. coughing, sneezing, jumping, laughing, lifting, etc.) and the pelvic floor is not strong enough to retain urine.
Emergency urinary incontinence occurs when the bladder muscle contracts involuntarily and uncontrollably, and the pelvic floor is not strong or coordinated enough to retain urine. Leakage is preceded or accompanied by an urgent need to urinate, and can be triggered by the sound of running water, putting the key in the door on the way home, taking a shower, and so on.
Mixed urinary incontinence is a combination of the two types of incontinence mentioned above.
What causes urinary incontinence?
One of the main causes of urinary incontinence is weakened pelvic floor muscles.
Certain factors can increase the risk of urinary incontinence:
- Pregnancy and childbirth;
- Lifestyle habits (e.g. smoking, diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc.);
- High-impact sports (e.g. trampolining, gymnastics, etc.);
- Peri-menopause and menopause;
- Ageing and loss of autonomy linked to ageing;
- Pelvic organ prolapse;
- Certain medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, chronic lung disease, Parkinson's, urinary tract infection, etc.);
- Certain surgical procedures (e.g. prostatectomy, hysterectomy, etc.);
- Medication and other medical treatments (e.g. hormone therapy, radiotherapy, etc.).
What are the symptoms associated with urinary incontinence?
- Involuntary loss of urine, which can vary from an occasional drop to the bladder emptying completely;
- Involuntary loss of urine immediately after urination;
- The feeling of urgency to urinate, day or night.
How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?
Diagnosis is made by subjective and physical examination in a clinic. There are also medical tests that can be prescribed by a doctor.
How can physiotherapy help urinary incontinence?
Your perineal rehabilitation physiotherapist will first perform a complete evaluation (e.g. lifestyle habits, posture, breathing, pelvic floor muscle contraction/relaxation, etc.) to determine the cause(s) of urinary incontinence.
Based on the assessment results, your physiotherapist will:
- Mobilize the muscles and soft tissues in the abdomen and pelvic floor;
- Provide you with specific exercises to do at home to address the cause of the problem (e.g., strengthening, bladder retraining, breathing exercises, etc.);
- Teach you how to properly manage your daily activities and hobbies to optimize healing;
- Provide advice on lifestyle habits, posture, and movements.
- Refer you, if necessary, to a urethral support or pessary.
When should you consult a physiotherapist about urinary incontinence?
You should consult a physiotherapist if you have one or more of the symptoms described above or if your doctor has ruled out any other causes that may be responsible for your symptoms.
You can also consult a physiotherapist for prevention if you don't have urinary incontinence but have one or more of the above-mentioned risk factors.
You do not need to see a doctor before consulting a physiotherapist. If your condition requires you to see a doctor, your physiotherapist will be able to tell you.
What to do at home for urinary incontinence?
- Reduce consumption of beverages that can irritate the bladder (e.g., tea, coffee, alcohol, soft drinks, etc.);
- Reduce consumption of foods that can irritate the bladder (e.g., hot peppers, artificial sweeteners, citrus fruits, etc.);
- Stay hydrated. Reducing water intake makes urine more concentrated and can irritate the bladder.
To learn more...
You can view the podcast "Talk to me about health" produced by one of our physiotherapists, Alexis Gougeon.
Episode #23 discusses perineal and pelvic rehabilitation: .
Find the episode on YouTube :
Click below to listen to episodes on podcast platforms:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4K8MhluZYTYDzmFNn2dDAt?si=a7a8e4a1a64f4cbd
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