Have you got bladder leakage issues? Well, I’m here to shout to the roof tops. Bladder leakage is NOT normal to put up with and it’s not normal to leak when you jump, laugh or lift your kids. You don’t have to have concerns about micro-wee situations simply because you have had children or due to age or whatever else reason is given.
I’ve gone through this myself and as a Physiotherapist, those Pad Ads kinda get my goat. Please don’t get lulled in to thinking incontinence is normal, because it is absolutely preventable. You don’t have to worry about bladder leakage now and forever. Yes 1 in 3 women experience it at some time in their life. I happened to be one of them. I am also happy to say I am not anymore. I have both knowledge in the area of the body and personal experience to guide me. So please, let me help you, too.
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The saddest statistic is that 50% of women in nursing homes are there because of incontinence! Please don’t let it be you or someone you care about. So spread the word ladies, incontinence is not normal. Bladder leakage is a sign that the body needs a health and fitness check and possibly some repairs. It doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly become a major renovation task or a knock down job to get this fixed. What is happening is that your pelvic floor needs the proper attention.
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Lucky for you and the bladder leakage issue, I’m a women’s Physiotherapist who is passionate about the pelvic floor! If you are unsure of what the pelvic floor is, t’s a sling of muscle from your pubic bone to coccyx. Your pelvic floor is like any other muscle. If it it placed under pressure, given too much stress or given too little work, you can lose some of the benefits. Like when you stop going to the gym and your arm muscles recede, your pelvic floor also needs the right kind of exercise and regime to keep it healthy. One of the ways you can discover that your pelvic floor isn’t that fit and happy is through bladder leakage.
Here’s my best advice for women wanting to combat incontinence:
The 3 things to do to tackle bladder leakage and incontinence are:
- Pelvic floor exercises done properly – visit a Physio that specialises in Women’s Health and the pelvic floor. They are experts and know their stuff! There are lots of tools you can use to make sure you are doing them correctly like gauges telling you how strongly you’re contracting and funky weights to use for resistance. May sound kinky but they’re actually medical. [dt_gap height=”10″ /]
- If your ligaments are too stretched, exercises may network so there are non-surgical options to help, ask your Physio.[dt_gap height=”10″ /]
- As a last resort, consult a surgeon. Unfortunately their success rate with these surgeries are not as great as you’d think.
Knowledge is power, so do your research and learn about your pelvic floor.
There is absolutely no need to be ashamed…it’s just another muscle![dt_gap height=”10″ /]
Becky Dyer is a physiotherapist, Certified Studio Pilates instructor and the co-founder of Body Beyond Birth.
Becky specialises in working with pregnant and postnatal women with a combination of hands on physiotherapy and Pilates based exercise.
Starting her career treating the muscles of gymnasts, wrestlers and footballers at American colleges, Becky’s move to Australia saw her find her niche in physiotherapy, helping women gain control of and enjoy their body after birth.
Living in Sydney with her husband and two gorgeous girls, Becky established her own exercise classes focusing on pregnancy and post-natal fitness before opening her own Pilates studio, Birth & Beyond Pilates in 2012. Using her extensive experience treating postpartum women, Becky has created a unique regimen to increase her clients’ core stability and overall strength.
