36% of Women Age 45 and Older Suffer from Incontinence
A very large number of women suffer from incontinence, but that does not make it normal. The good news is that it’s curable.
I became interested in this topic after experiencing incontinence in my early 40’s after the birth of my son. Like most women, I ignored it and guess what? It got worse. I spoke with a PT (physical therapist) colleague who treated this problem and then took an extensive training course so that I could help other women with this problem. As a result of my own experience and now knowing how effective treatment can be for this problem, I have pledged to educate as many women as I can about incontinence and what they can do to regain control of their bladders. And yes, regardless of your age, you can benefit.
So let’s start with identifying if you suffer from incontinence, as many women think that their bladder habits are “normal”.
Do you go to the bathroom more than 6 times per day and once per night?
When you urinate, do you go a “good” amount (300 to 400ml or 10 to 14oz)?
Do you leak when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise?
Do you know where every bathroom is in town?
Do you avoid going out due to fear of leaking and/or wear a pad?
Do you leak on the way to the bathroom?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you may suffer from stress or urge incontinence.
Beyond Kegel’s
Many women know that doing Kegel exercises (strengthening the pelvic floor muscles) can help with incontinence. However many women have tried doing them to only become frustrated that they are not working. This lack of improvement may be due to multiple reasons. Kegel exercises need to be done properly, need to address slow and fast twitch muscle fibers, and need to be done at the appropriate number of repetitions and frequency. In addition, treatment of incontinence needs to include bladder retraining and dietary changes. All of these components are essential in successfully treating incontinence.
Your First PT Visit
At your first visit I will gather a medical history, ask you specific questions related to your incontinence and examine your pelvic floor and muscle strength. I will also have you begin a home program of pelvic floor strengthening based on your findings and have you keep a log of your fluid intake and output for 2 to 3 days before your next visit. At your next visit we will review and progress your exercise program, discuss your log and recommend changes you need to make, and teach you techniques to help gain control of your incontinence. Most women are seen for 3 to 6 visits over a period of 8 weeks and are significantly better if not cured by the end of 8 weeks.
If you wish to schedule an appointment with me please call 860-1358.
Sally Drudi, PT is a 1986 graduate of University of Vermont’s PT program. She works at the Physical Therapy Center of Vermont in the Williston Sports and Fitness Edge. In addition to incontinence her areas of practice include orthopedics, musculo-skeletal disorders, biomechanical foot evals and orthototic prescription.
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