Fortunately, you don’t need to suffer in silence. “Urinary incontinence is more treatable than most people realize,” explains Eileen Herman, Physical Therapist, Manager of the new Incontinence Program at Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital.

Eileen says that many people are too embarrassed to ask for help. “It’s just not a topic people are comfortable discussing. They’re even afraid to mention it to their family physician,” she says. “The truth is that incontinence is nothing to be ashamed about and the sooner they talk about it, the sooner they can find relief.”

Signs of incontinence include leaking urine when:

• You strain the pelvic floor (muscles at the base of the pelvis) by laughing, sneezing, coughing, changing positions or walking.
• You can’t control the contractions of your bladder. Without warning, you may feel like you need to urinate.
• Your bladder overflows because it is too full and another medical condition prevents you from emptying it normally.
• A physical or mental condition prevents you from getting to the bathroom in time.
• You leak urine while you sleep or have to urinate more than 2-3 times per night.

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, you may have a form of incontinence. Different types include stress, urge, mixed, overflow or functional. Women also frequently report symptoms as they age or following a pregnancy. Although incontinence can affect both men and women, women are twice as likely to develop this condition.

What causes incontinence?

• Urinary tract or vaginal infections
• Medication side effects
• Constipation
• Weakness in specific muscles
• Blockage in the urethra
• Diseases and disorders relating to nerves and muscles
• Certain types of surgery

Whatever the cause, incontinence is not something you have to learn to accept. The physical therapists with the Incontinence Program can teach you how to regain control of your bladder.

Program components include:

Kegel exercises: Kegel exercises are specially designed movements to strengthen or retrain pelvic floor and sphincter muscles. Many people do not realize they are doing the exercises improperly. Physical therapists teach the proper method to perform these exercises, which you can do virtually anywhere, anytime.

Education: The therapist teaches you how your bladder and pelvic floor function. By using a voiding diary, you may learn how to modify your bathroom visits as well as use techniques to calm your overactive bladder.

Biofeedback: Therapists place an electrode on the pelvic floor muscles and another on the stomach. The therapist can then determine if the right muscles are contracting during Kegel exercises. This provides real-time data and feedback during your session so that you learn the right way to perform the strengthening exercise.

Electrical stimulation: Therapists may need to administer brief and painless doses of electrical stimulation to the muscles in the lower pelvis to stimulate and strengthen the muscles that control the emptying of the bladder. This is only necessary when you are not strong enough to perform the exercise without assistance.