Urinary Incontinence
Pelvic Floor Therapy for Urinary Incontinence
About Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine. Whether it is a single drop or a more substantial amount, both are urinary incontinence. It is a very common condition that people of all genders and ages can experience, but is definitely not something to be considered normal, despite what much of society claims. No need to worry though, urinary incontinence is very treatable. But first, let’s learn more about this condition:
Incontinence can happen when you cough or sneeze, become uncontrollable after a sudden urge to urinate, or a mix of multiple symptoms. There are actually different types of urinary incontinence that have slightly different causes—both of which involve the pelvic floor. The different types of urinary incontinence include:
- Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI): This type of leakage is often experienced when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or when other pressures are exerted onto the bladder.
- Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI): This refers to leakage after an intense, uncontrollable urge to urinate. Often called overactive bladder, this type of incontinence may also cause frequent restroom trips, even into the night.
- Mixed Urinary Incontinence: A combination of more than one type of incontinence, most commonly stress and urge incontinence.
- Overflow Incontinence: Leakage caused by a bladder becoming too full and overflowing, either from holding the urine for too long or because the bladder is not emptying completely.
- Functional Incontinence: Leakage resulting from a variety of barriers, such as being physically unable to reach the restroom, or other underlying conditions.
How do these types of incontinence relate to the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor controls your ability to urinate and hold urine. In cases of incontinence, the pelvic floor muscles may be weak, uncoordinated, or even both. This can make it difficult to stop the leakage, and also creates other symptoms such as urgency. A pelvic floor therapist can help you address these issues—learn how below!
How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help
Pelvic floor therapy helps address your problems and struggles with incontinence by identifying possible causes and working to improve the health of your pelvic floor muscles. Incontinence can not only present itself in different forms, but can also be caused by a variety of factors. Dr. Meihofer will thoroughly discuss your symptoms with you and examine the health of your pelvic floor in order to determine a root cause.
Treatment will involve working to improve the length, strength and coordination of your muscles, so that you can control urges and stop leakage! This will require a variety of therapies, exercises, and lifestyle changes to improve the health of your pelvic floor muscles and regain control. Because she takes a holistic approach to treatment, Dr. Meihofer can provide a variety of resources and will recommend tools or exercises to help you manage your symptoms better at home, too.
Some patients may have tried at-home exercises before without success. This is because the pelvic floor is actually rather complex, and not every person’s pelvic floor dysfunction is the same. Allowing a professional to help guide you in the right direction can be incredibly beneficial and will greatly increase your likelihood of decreasing symptoms. Not only will you have a clearer understanding of your pelvic floor and your unique condition, but you’ll have a highly trained pelvic floor specialist to help lead you back to optimal health!
Dr. Meihofer has experience helping many patients overcome urinary incontinence. Whether you are recovering from surgery or childbirth, experiencing incontinence from age, or simply experiencing leakage with an uncertain cause—she’s seen it all! Check out all the different ways you can work with her below!
Or, you can learn more about Dr. Laura Meihofer on her bio page first.
Dr. Laura Meihofer is an out-of-network provider and does not accept insurance including Medicaid or Medicare. You are responsible for full payment at the time of services. Documentation for out-of-network insurance benefits will be provided upon request.
Choose a Service That’s Best for You!
Dr. Meihofer’s pelvic floor physical therapy for urinary incontinence can be provided in multiple ways! Explore Dr. Meihofer’s service options below to find one that best fits your health goals, availability, and needs.
You can choose to get started immediately by booking an in-person or telehealth evaluation, or have your questions answered with a free discovery call!
Conditions Related to Urinary Incontinence
Not seeing your specific condition or symptom here? No worries, Dr. Meihofer has experience with many different pelvic floor conditions! For questions regarding your unique case, you can schedule a free discovery call to see if pelvic floor therapy is right for you.
