Stress Urinary Incontinence refers to the leakage of urine in response to a sudden change in intra-abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, jumping or sometimes even changing position. When the abdominal muscles and/or diaphragm contracts, there is an increase in pressure pushing down onto the bladder. In response, the pelvic floor muscles need to contract quickly and powerfully to stop any leakage from occurring. If your pelvic floor muscles cannot respond quickly enough, or cannot contract strongly enough, you may experience Stress Urinary Incontinence.
Stress Urinary Incontinence is one of the most common forms of urinary incontinence. It can affect anyone, at any age, and is more likely to occur in individuals who:
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Are pregnant
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Have given birth
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Cough or sneeze a lot (due to lung conditions such as asthma, hayfever, sinusitis etc)
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Participate in high-level or high-impact exercise (e.g. running, jumping or heavy lifting, such as gymnastics, crossfit etc.)
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Are overweight
Casey Melville
APA Titled Continence and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
"Hi, I'm Casey and I am a Continence and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist here at WA Health Group. I enjoy working with individuals through all stages of life who may be suffering from continence and pelvic health issues. I'd love to see how Physiotherapy can help you".
To make an appointment, give us a call on 6162 2616 or book online.
How does Continence and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy help Stress Urinary Incontinence?
The presence of Stress Urinary Incontinence indicates dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles. It could mean that the pelvic floor muscles are weak and are unable to contract strongly enough to stop leakage; the pelvic floor muscles could be too tight and have difficulty relaxing, causing the muscles to fatigue and not be as effective when they are most needed; or the pelvic floor muscles might not be able to kick in quickly enough in response to a trigger, resulting in leakage. A Continence and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will assess you to find out exactly how your pelvic floor muscle dysfunction is contributing to your Stress Urinary Incontinence, and will prescribe a pelvic floor muscle training program targeted towards these impairments, improving the overall function of your pelvic floor and stopping your leakage. Pelvic floor muscle training is considered the first line of management of Stress Urinary Incontinence, and is often effective in reducing the need for surgical intervention. With the correct prescription, monitoring and compliance to treatment, results are often seen within 3-6 months, with noticeable improvements in as little as 6-8 weeks.
For further information, call WA Health Group on 08 6162 2616 or email info@wahealthgroup.com.au
