Men and women can use either a portable electrical stimulation device at home (such as Liberty, by Utah Medical) or a larger system in a health professional's office. A small electrode, placed inside a woman's vagina or a man's or woman's rectum, delivers an electrical current that can spur your pelvic muscles to contract painlessly. You will feel as though you are doing a Kegel (an exercise for the pelvic floor muscles). The instruments can be set for different strengths of stimulation and various time intervals of contraction and relaxation. For stress incontinence (leaking when coughing or jumping), electrical stimulation is believed to work by strengthening the muscle. For overactive bladder (frequent urination and urges to urinate), a different frequency may help reset your nervous system's control over the bladder muscle. Medicare will cover pelvic muscle stimulation if it is prescribed by your physician and you can document that you have tried standard pelvic muscle exercises for four weeks and not gotten relief.
Urinary Incontinence Treatment
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Johns Hopkins Medicine answeredAs an adjunct to pelvic floor training and medication, biofeedback modalities are often helpful for managing urgency and urge incontinence. This technique uses audible or visual reinforcement in developing control of the pelvic floor muscles. A device that can measure pelvic muscle pressure or activity is inserted into the vagina or rectum. Conscious contraction of the pelvic floor muscles causes a bell or beep to sound, or a series of lights to flash. This sequence helps to reinforce the proper responses for building muscle and bladder control.
Results of biofeedback vary from about 50 to 80 percent. This wide variation among studies is likely due to the differences among incontinence disorders in participating patients. Nevertheless, many people find benefit in this therapy, which is essentially non-invasive and free from side effects.
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredBy following a pelvic muscle rehabilitation program, you may be able to improve and treat your overactive bladder symptoms. These programs provide valuable information about urinary health. They teach men and women how to strengthen their pelvic muscles. These muscles support the bladder and are important for urination. -
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredA pelvic muscle rehabilitation program can help you strengthen your pelvic muscles, which can help you hold urine better. You learn how to perform daily kegel exercises. This program may also require other techniques, such as biofeedback. The goal is to help you identify and coordinate your pelvic muscles. Pelvic muscle rehabilitation also can strengthen the uterus and other pelvic organs.
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredIf you perform your pelvic exercises correctly, you will probably notice some improvements in about one or two weeks. If you have overactive bladder, a program of pelvic exercises can improve and treat your condition. You may find that you can better control and hold your muscle contractions. After a few weeks, you should set a goal of holding these contractions for a full 10 seconds each.
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredThere are two main pelvic exercises, and both improve bladder control.
The first builds a strong muscular dam to hold back urine. You slowly tighten, lift, and draw in the pelvic floor muscles, holding the position for a count of five. You probably will be unable to hold these positions for long at first. If not, just re-tighten the muscle. Your control should improve after about one or two weeks. The goal is to hold for 10 seconds, with a 10-second break between each contraction.
The second exercise is a quick contraction. Your muscles are quickly tightened, lifted, and let go. This strengthens those muscles that quickly shut off the flow of urine and prevent accidents. -
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredWhen successful, bladder training decreases the number of daily bathroom visits you need to make, and you may be better able to control your need to urinate. If your doctor has recommended a bladder training program for your overactive bladder, you can do it at home. The program involves sticking to a set bathroom schedule. However, the length of time between bathroom visits is gradually increased. Studies show that bladder training offers benefits for:
- Urge incontinence, in which urine leaks because of strong, sudden urges
- Mixed incontinence, involving both urge incontinence and stress incontinence, which is caused by movement or pressure -
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredDelaying urination is a part of bladder training for overactive bladder. Delaying urination teaches you how to wait to go to the bathroom. You are taught behaviors to help you overcome the urge to urinate. First, you try to wait 10 minutes every time you feel an urge. The main goal is to lengthen the time between trips to the toilet. Eventually, you may only urinate every two to four hours.
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Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answeredDelaying urination can help people with overactive bladder. Delaying urination is a key part of bladder training. It involves learning to put off going to the bathroom when you get the urge. You should discuss delaying urination with your doctor. He or she will help you decide if it’s helpful for you. Your doctor will also go over the best way to follow this program.
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See All 2 AnswersThe treatment of incontinence following prostate surgery depends on the duration of the problem and the severity of the leakage. Pelvic floor exercises and physical therapy are used for mild incontinence. Surgical reconstruction with male urethral slings and artificial urinary sphincter implants are utilized for more severe cases. Penile clamps are used by some who wish to avoid further surgery.