Involuntary leakage of the urine (urinary incontinence) can happen as a result of weakening of the pelvic muscle floor muscles, and increased intra-abdominal pressure. Pregnancy in itself can predispose to urinary incontinence, and vaginal birth with tears or episiotomy can increase the risk. Those who do heavy physical labor (firefighters, nurses, construction workers) and athletes, for example trampolinists can also suffer from incontinence.

Hormonal changes during menopause also increase the risk of urinary incontinence. It may be, that you need to urinate more frequently and the urge becomes very strong even when the bladder is not very full. If you have dribbling from coughing, jogging, lifting, or laughing or if you can’t make it to the toilet on time, seek the help of a physiotherapist specialised in this area.

Occasionally, the pelvic floor muscles are overactive, for example due to pain, physical or mental stress. In these cases strengthening exercises for the muscles will not help the situation, but it can make it worse. It is advised not to do ‘Kegel exercises’ or ‘intimate exercise’. Instead, learning to relax the muscles will be the first step, and only then can you start to strengthen. Your physiotherapist will discuss the assessment findings with you, and will advise you and provide you with appropriate treatment.

Treatment is always patient specific, tailored to the individual based on the assessment and carried out on a one-on-one basis. Some modalities may include: increasing pelvic floor muscle awareness, control, strength and tone through exercise, biofeedback, electrotherapy and neuromuscular retraining.