Are You Tired of Your Life Being Run by Your Bladder?

It is time to dispel a common myth – Ladies, it is not normal to pee when you exercise, jump on a trampoline, or laugh after giving birth. And, having pain with sex or difficulty running errands due to lack of bladder control with aging is also not normal.

Far too many times in my career I have been told by women that urinary incontinence after giving birth is normal. Patients tell me that they usually wear a pad when they are exercising due to leakage when they run, perform jumping jacks, or jump on a trampoline. While others are just one sneeze or cough away from soaking their pants. You may feel like keeping track of where the nearest bathroom is at ALL times leads to difficulty with daily activities like running errands.

You know that there is a higher quality of life out there that involves complete freedom from having to worry about leakage during daily activities. Or pain during intercourse.

Why do people accept leakage as normal? It is true that nearly 50% of women experience some form of incontinence (lack of urinary control) immediately after giving birth. The research also indicates that 30-70% of these symptoms spontaneously resolve after 6-12 months. So, if you continue to suffer from loss of urinary control one year after giving birth, you are in good company.

To be fair, there are many, many women in your boat who are avoiding certain activities due to a lack of pelvic floor control. You are “normal”. But is this really how you want to live the rest of your life?

Your quality of life is affected as you limit participation in activities such as bouncy houses with your children, playing on the trampoline, or perhaps training for that 5K you have always wanted to run. Studies show that 50-75% of women who continue to suffer with urinary incontinence can benefit from Physical Therapy treatment of the pelvic floor to improve urinary retention during stressful activities (coughing, sneezing, jumping, running).

You may have heard of the infamous “Kegel exercises”. Your doctor may have told you to do them twice per day and that will solve the problem. But, how do you know that you are doing them right? Or why haven’t they worked for you? The truth is that there is more to the pelvic floor than just the sling of muscles holding everything up. And there is more to exercise than just Kegel’s.

Everything in your body is connected. The pelvic floor works in conjunction with the abdominals and the low back muscles to keep your pee and poop inside. Also, the pelvic floor attaches into the leg bones which means that a limitation in hip mobility may be affecting pelvic floor control.

At Physical Therapy for everyBODY, we perform a complete assessment of the hips, low back, all appropriate muscles, as well as a complete history to formulate a plan that will work for your body. No two bodies are the same which means that no two plans are the same. However, many patients can begin to see real change with just a few visits and a comprehensive home exercise program that is not difficult and does not involve special equipment.

Are you ready to stop living your life controlled by your bladder? Click the link below to contact us for a Free Discovery Visit. This visit is designed for people who are unsure if Physical Therapy can help them and want to find out more about our process.

Oh, and pain with intercourse? That is NOT normal and can have a significant impact on your relationship. Come in, let’s talk!