Ladies – Are you Peeing your Pants? Are you suffering with:
- Urinary leakage when you cough or sneeze
- Urinary leakage when you exercise
- The sudden urge to urinate, so strong you don’t make it to a toilet in time
- The front door syndrome
- Peeing more frequently, but only small amounts
- Occasional, minor leaks of urine without any obvious cause.
If so – you’re probably one of the millions of women suffering with this very common and often embarrassing problem, especially if you’re over 40.
Incontinence is a word most people say very quietly, and only discuss with their doctor, if at all
Basic Anatomy
- A group of muscles that form a sling
- Only as thick as your lower lip
- Surrounding, supporting (and squeezing) the urethra, rectum and vagina
- Basically, controlling what goes and out of these sphincters
- Sometimes these muscles need to tighten and other times they need to relax
Research shows
- 1 in 4, to 1 in 2 women over the age of 30, struggle with urinary incontinence
- On average it takes women 7 years before they make contact to a health practitioner regarding their incontinence problems ie. when the discomfort is bad enough
- The severity of which ranges from
Occasionally – leaking urine when you cough or sneeze – known as stress incontinence
-Sudden urge – so sudden and strong you don’t make it to a toilet in time – known as urge incontinence
-Increased frequency – yet small amounts – known as overactive bladder
-Occasional, minor leaks of urine without any stress – known as overflow incontinence
Urinary Incontinence and Sport
- Many women (even younger women) experience urinary leakage with exercise, such as
-High impact activities like running, and jumping
-High load activities like squatting, and lifting
- The numbers
-45-50% of female athletes (also the young ones) experience incontinence
–Over half of them think it’s a normal condition they need to live with
–80% of cross-fitters experience incontinence when training
- Unfortunately, urinary leakage is one of the top reasons why women stop exercising
- BUT ceasing an exercise routine, will take away all the positive effects of exercise such as
-improving
cardiovascular strength
muscle strength
-bone quality
-mental health
All of which are essential for optimal aging.
Urinary Incontinence and Aging
- Urinary incontinence increases in frequency and intensity with aging
- BUT it doesn’t have to be inevitable
Normal Pelvic Function
- As pressure through the core increases, such as during coughing, jumping, or lifting, the strength through the pelvic floor muscles should also increase.
- BUT if the strength of the pelvic floor isn’t enough to keep up with the demands placed on it ie. the pressure on the pelvic floor is greater than the strength of the pelvic floor, you WILL pee your pants (or leak).
OR - Maybe the pelvic floor strength is normal but not coordinating with the other muscles of the core – so core pressure increases, BUT the pelvic floor relaxes, and you WILL pee your pants OR
- Tight pelvic floor
Other causes
- Everyday habits
-Alcohol
-Caffeinated beverages
-Excess water intake
- Pregnancy
- Underlying medical conditions
-UTIs
-Bladder damage such as during pelvic surgery
-Neurological disorders like MS, Parkinson’s, stroke, brain tumour, spinal injury, pelvic prolapse
-Physical problems, basically any reason why you don’t move as quickly, such joint problems and injuries, arthritis, etc
-Mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression
Pelvic Floor Training
- Regardless of the cause proper pelvic floor training is essential.
- Work with a pelvic floor physical therapist to help improve strength and coordination of the pelvic floor in functional, meaningful ways is the key
- Most people can treat symptoms of urinary incontinence with correct exercise, lifestyle and dietary changes and when necessary medical care – medication, surgery.
- Don’t hesitate – see a medical expert, which isn’t always your GP or gynaecologist, a POGP Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy is probably your best bet
