Stress incontinence is one of the most common types of incontinence for women.
This could be due to the fact that women give birth, and therefore their pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and urethra are more likely to be weakened.
Fortunately, stress incontinence can be treated and most women are able to find relief from this condition. What are the treatment options for stress incontinence in women?
Biofeedback Training
Biofeedback uses information to help you learn how to control your bladder when it comes to stress incontinence. It’s often difficult to locate the muscles that you need to be working to help regain control of your bladder, especially if they’re weak. This is where biofeedback comes in. During a biofeedback session, sensors will give you information about where these muscles are and how you can locate them. It can also give you information about the strength of your muscles and help you to train them. Stress incontinence can be due to weakened pelvic floor muscles, whether these are the result of childbirth, an injury, surgery, or another condition. Biofeedback training usually only takes a few sessions and can be very helpful when treating your stress incontinence. Once you learn to isolate and exercise these muscles, you can use this information to try to control your bladder during times of stress on that area, such as laughing, sneezing, coughing, and even sexual intercourse.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises can be very helpful for both men and women. They involve strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through exercises that can easily be done at home. Kegel exercises have numerous other benefits: they’ve been said to help you achieve better orgasms and can help prevent vaginal prolapse (which is when your pelvic organs such as your bladder and bowels can actually come down into the vagina as a result of weak muscles). To locate your pelvic floor muscles, simply stop urinating when you’re urinating. Locating these muscles is essential for proper Kegel exercises. After you know which muscles you use during these exercises, you can practice them without urinating. Try to clench the muscles and hold for a few seconds, then relax for a few seconds. Doing sets of these exercises every day can help you to strengthen your muscles and could help your stress incontinence.
Medical Devices
Medical devices such as a vaginal cone can also help you to strengthen your muscles that control your bladder. A vaginal cone is a weighted device that you insert into your vagina. You stand and clench your muscles around the weight to try and hold it in place. Usually your doctor will have you start with the lowest weight first and then increase the weight. These exercises can be done in the comfort and privacy of your own home. A vaginal cone is not always a good first choice when it comes to treatment for urinary stress incontinence. Locating your muscles through Kegel exercises or biofeedback training first can help. If simple Kegel exercises don’t help very much or at all, your doctor may want you to try a vaginal cone to help strengthen the muscles to help relieve your stress incontinence.
Surgery
Although you might think your incontinence is normal or has been an ongoing problem, it’s always important to get checked out by a doctor. Your incontinence could be the result of another problem that needs to be addressed, such as vaginal prolapse, which will require surgical intervention. While surgery is usually the last choice for women who experience stress incontinence, in some cases it can be necessary. The weakened muscles may not be able to be strengthened through exercises as a result of an injury, surgery, or any medical condition you may have that affects your neuromuscular structure. Your doctor may suggest that the muscles be supported with a sling that can be inserted surgically to help support your organs and may provide relief for your incontinence.
Stress incontinence can be very frustrating to live with, but you don’t have to suffer the consequences of this condition. Talk with your doctor about your treatment options when it comes to your stress incontinence. With several options you can try, and many that are minimally invasive to you, you can get your stress continence under control with these treatment options.