Incontinence Awareness Week

‘Can’t wait, don’t wait, seek help now!’

Around 1.1 million Kiwi’s do not have full bladder control and experience leakage of urine, in amounts that vary from a few drops to large volumes, twice or more a month.

Incontinence is a symptom that one of the mechanisms, which keeps us dry, is not working appropriately. Incontinence presents itself in different ways depending on the cause.

The most common causes of incontinence are:

Stress Incontinence

The involuntary leakage of small amounts of urine with exertion such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, straining, lifting or playing sport, in the absence of any desire to go to the toilet.

Urge Incontinence

Urgency is a sudden, overwhelming urge to pass urine. If a person is unable to get to the toilet in time, and experiences an involuntary loss of urine they are said to have "urge incontinence."

Some of the reasons for incontinence include:

• Heavy lifting
• Chronic coughing (e.g. from smoking, bronchitis or asthma)
• Being overweight
• Lack of general fitness
• Menopause
• Age related changes
• Disuse (not doing pelvic floor exercises)
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Constipation
• Medications
• Urinary infection (consult your GP)
• Diseases which affect the nervous system and muscular control
• Diabetes

Seeking professional help in the form of a women’s or men’s health physiotherapist can help find the cause and address the issue(s) leading to incontinence. They will provide an individualised assessment with an individualised treatment plan.

If you think you have urinary incontinence book an appointment with Ingrid, our women’s and men’s health Physiotherapist at Back In Motion,Centre City.

Remember, it is NOT normal to leak…it has just become NORMALISED in our society and we want to help!