Incontinence + Pelvic Floor — Physiotherapy London Ontario

Did you know that approximately 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 9 men in Canada experience urinary incontinence? This includes individuals from young adulthood all the way through to older adults.

There are several myths surrounding pelvic floor dysfunction:

1. It is normal to have urinary leakage after childbirth.

While this is common, it is NOT normal. It is due to dysfunction in the pelvic floor.

2. It is normal to have urinary leakage as you age.

This is also NOT normal. Again, it is due to pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help in restoring function of the pelvic floor to reduce urinary incontinence.

3. There is nothing that you can do about urinary incontinence.

This is NOT true. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help in assessing your pelvic floor and developing an appropriate treatment plan for you. This may include strengthening/endurance exercises, relaxation exercises, different strategies for optimizing bladder and bowel habits, etc.

4. Kegels will solve my problem!

Kegels are NOT always the answer! Kegels are exercises contracting the pelvic floor muscles to shorten the muscles. If your muscles are tight, this can sometimes cause increased pain and does not allow for lengthening of the muscles. In order for the pelvic floor to function effectively, it requires the ability to shorten and lengthen the muscles. An assessment with a pelvic floor physiotherapist can determine whether your muscles are tight, and prescribe you specific exercises to work on either relaxing them and/or strengthening them.

5. Going to the washroom ‘just in case’ to avoid urinary incontinence is a good idea.

This is often NOT helpful, especially if you already have to urinate frequently and urgently. It can actually make the urinary urge and frequency increase. If you urinate prior to your bladder being full, it will cause your bladder to send signals saying that it is full when there is only a small amount of urine in your bladder. This can create a poor cycle for urinating more frequently.

If you experience urinary leakage, or think you have some dysfunction of your pelvic floor, book an assessment with Jessica today online or give our clinic a call at 519-850-3733.