How Incontinence Affects Women’s Health
If you experience incontinence, know that you are not alone. Incontinence has recently been identified as a serious health condition and critical health risk for women by the Australian government. This important designation will help more women in Australia get the support they need to prevent or treat incontinence.
The good news is that you don’t need to suffer any longer or put up with incontinence issues. Many women have found relief with pelvic floor physiotherapy, which can help you with muscle exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and improve your overall pelvic health.
Incontinence and Women’s Health
Many women suffer from incontinence. In particular, women who have been pregnant, delivered a child, suffer from endometriosis, or are recovering from a gynaecological surgery are at a high risk of developing bowel or urinary incontinence.
Incontinence can impact the bladder and bowel. You may experience urinary urgency, leakage, or the feeling of having to go to the toilet all through the night. You may also experience pelvic pain before, during, or after using the toilet.
Some of the most common continence challenges women face include the following:
Soiling underwear
Feeling the urge to urinate frequently
Using the toilet more than twice during the night
Experiencing leakage after coughing or sneezing
Experiencing leakage while playing sports or exercising
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor refers to a group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that line your pelvis. These surround the openings to your bowel, bladder, and (for women) vagina. The pelvic floor is also part of your core.
While both men and women have a pelvic floor, women are significantly more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction and experience incontinence as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, and other gynaecological conditions or surgeries. These experiences can weaken the pelvic floor muscles considerably and lead to incontinence.
Understanding Incontinence and Women’s Health Physiotherapisy
If you are suffering from incontinence, a women’s health physiotherapist can help. These specialists are trained to help women who experience incontinence or pelvic floor dysfunction. Through gentle exercises and proven techniques, our physiotherapists can help you strengthen your pelvic and abdominal muscles so that you no longer suffer from incontinence.
Women’s health physiotherapists will first speak with you to understand your continence challenges. They can help you at all stages of pregnancy, from prenatal to postnatal care, as well as before and after gynaecological surgery.
Physiotherapists use real-time ultrasound during your first appointment to assess your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. This procedure does not hurt and involves placing an ultrasound on your lower abdomen. In many cases, the physiotherapist will want to perform an internal examination during an early appointment to better identify the strength of your pelvic floor muscles. If you have any hesitations or concerns about an internal exam, discuss them with your women’s health physiotherapist.
How to Start Treating Incontinence with Women’s Health Physiotherapy
Our team is trained to help women gain control of their pelvic floor through exercises, training, and incontinence management strategies. If you’re suffering from incontinence, schedule an appointment with a qualified women’s health physiotherapist today.