There can be several reasons that leaking, or urinary incontinence, can occur. The most common reason is muscle weakness. This includes muscle weakness of the pelvic floor muscles that form the bottom of the pelvis and help to support the bladder and other organs. But just as importantly, it can be weakness of the abdominal, or core, muscles and poor coordination of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles with activity.
The muscles of your abdominal wall, diaphragm, pelvic floor and spine make up the Core. Think of it as a canister that must manage pressure so that you have stability in your spine and pelvis, and to prevent you from leaking urine. When there is dysfunction in any one of these muscles, the pressure system is lost and urinary leakage can occur.
Diagnosing Urinary Incontinence
At Foundational Concepts we examine the whole body to determine where the issue maybe coming from. We utilize ultrasound imaging to allow the patient feedback to see how the coordination of the muscle is working to improve neuromuscular connection and improve function of these muscles. Often after baby or surgery, your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles have difficulty getting back online. The ultrasound is an easy, non-invasive way to help improve coordination of these muscles.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Urinary Incontinence
Pelvic floor physical therapy for urinary incontinence can help prevent the leaking! Excellent pelvic floor PT focuses on not only the pelvic floor, but makes sure that the entire system is working together to prevent leaking. Are you activating your pelvic floor when you cough, sneeze, or laugh? Are you holding your breath when you lift something heavy? Are your abdominal and hip muscles strong enough to play a supporting role to the pelvic floor muscles when you go from sit to stand or climb the stairs at work?
Treating the Whole Person
Before you consider invasive treatments for urinary incontinence, consider pelvic floor physical therapy at Foundational Concepts. Pelvic floor and abdominal muscle strengthening and improved coordination can make a big difference in eliminating urinary leakage.
