Urinary and Fecal Incontinence

Physical therapists are experts in treating the muscles, joints, and surrounding tissues of the body. Urinary or fecal incontinence can be caused by pelvic floor muscle weakness and dysfunction. A specially trained pelvic floor therapist is the ideal provider to help both women and men who suffer from urinary or fecal incontinence.

Did you know …  More than 25 million Americans have urinary incontinence. These conditions affect men and women; they also affect the young and the old.  Urinary incontinence is more prevalent in women and the likelihood of having it increases as you age.  However, incontinence is NOT a normal process of aging and treatment can restore normal function. p>

Specially trained pelvic floor therapists can evaluate and treat:

• Improper alignment or impaired mobility of the pelvic bones and joints

• Overactive pelvic muscles (muscle spasms)

• Underactive pelvic muscles (muscle weakness)

 

Specially trained physical therapist can also help with:

• Urine leakage with normal activities or with sneezing, coughing, or laughing

• Trouble starting the urine stream (hesitancy)

• Difficulty holding urine when feeling a strong urge

• Frequent urination 

More than 5.5 million Americans have fecal incontinence. It is more common in older people and in women. However, many people do not like to talk about fecal incontinence, and it may not be apparent that fecal incontinence is relatively common. If you have fecal incontinence and have not discussed the symptom with a physician or family members, you are not alone and there may be help for you.

  (more than every 2 hours during the day or getting up more than once to urinate at night)

• Leaking stool / feces

• Constipation related to anismus (the failure of pelvic floor muscles to relax with defecation)

• Pelvic floor dyssynergia (uncoordinated contraction of the pelvic floor muscles)

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Spastic colon Abdominal pain

What should I expect during my first visit?

• Review your medical history

• Screen for other musculoskeletal issues

• Develop an individualized exercise treatment program

• Educate on your role in the treatment 

• Internal Pelvic Floor Muscle Exam to assess strength, motor control, and the endurance of your pelvic floor muscles as well as their ability to relax. Most accessible if done through the vagina or rectum.

Physical therapy treatment may include:

• Education on foods that aggravate symptoms

• Behavior and activity modifications

• Exercises to strengthen and relax the pelvic floor and other supporting muscle systems

• Myofascial release for tight pelvic floor muscles

• Electrical stimulation (mild generated current) to both strengthen and teach relaxation of muscles

• Biofeedback (an instrument that gives you visible feedback to help you understand how well your muscles are working)

• Bladder diary and or bladder re-training

• Tips on decreasing urgency

 

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (March 18, 2008) reports that pelvic floor muscle training, in conjunction with bladder training, resolved the symptoms of urinary incontinence in women.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), proper preventive measures and treatment by a physical therapist can help patients manage, if not alleviate, this often debilitating condition.

 

You can access our services in Salt Lake, Summit, or Davis counties in one of our outpatient clinic locations
Salt Lake City | Murray | Draper | Park City | Bountiful