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Incontinence, which is
involuntary leakage of urine, is much more common than once
believed. Twenty-two percent of all adults suffer from some
form of incontinence.
In the past, many people were too
ashamed or embarrassed to tell their physician about their
problem. Nowadays, people are becoming more open about their
health concerns and incontinence is found to be a prevalent
problem.
The good news is that incontinence is treatable. Stress
Incontinence, (involuntary urine loss with coughing,
sneezing, laughing, and jumping) is caused by weakness of
the muscles in the floor of the pelvis which support the
bladder and control the flow of urine.
Physical therapy for treatment of stress incontinence
involves strengthening the pelvic floor muscles with an
individualized program tailored to the person's level of
strength and function. It may involve biofeedback,
electrical stimulation of the muscles, and the use of
vaginal weights. Extensive education on avoiding the kinds
of stress that cause the incontinence is also part of the
treatment.
Physical therapy for Urge Incontinence (involuntary bladder
emptying whenever the sensation of urge is felt) involves
behavioral techniques to retrain the bladder.
The average number of physical therapy treatments for
incontinence problems is 6 to 9 visits over a 4 month
period.. Significant results are usually seen in 8 weeks.
Successful outcomes in treating incontinence is heavily
dependent on the patient's commitment to the program.
Why live with it? If you have an incontinence problem,
contact your physician for a referral to a physical
therapist trained in these problems.
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