Sometime coughing, sneezing, hard laughing, or lifting can cause you to “pee yourself” if you urinary continence.  Commonly seen with more elderly women, any woman of any age can experience urinary incontinence. 

 

Urinary incontinence comes in a variety of types:

 

• Stress incontinence – occurs when extra pressure is placed on the muscles and bladder from coughing, sneezing, laughing, heavy lifting and exercise

• Urge incontinence – the “overactive bladder” where leakage occurs when the bladder muscles suddenly contract, resulting in an unstoppable urge to urinate

• Mixed incontinence –a combination of stress and urge incontinence

• Functional incontinence – seen among the elderly leakage occurs with the knowledge and desire to urinate, but the inability to hold it in time to get to the restroom

• Gross total incontinence –involves a continuous leakage and/or large amounts of urine, typically resulting from an injury

 

Dr. Turner can utilize multiple modalities to treat urinary

incontinence and restore bladder control.  Non-invasive

techniques include kegel exercises to strengthen the

muscles of the pelvic floor to help with bladder control.

 A program for retraining the bladder may also be

effective.  Lifestyle changes such as limiting alcohol or

carbonated and caffeinated drinks, along with overall

liquid intake, can help alleviate urinary incontinence.  Medications can also be used to help bladder control as well as Botox® injections that have proven effective for relaxing bladder muscles to increase bladder capacity and reducing the potential for leakage.

 

If these non-medical and medical treatments are ineffective, non-invasive procedural options also are available.  Dr. Turner can use the BTL EMSELLA™ technology to help tighten and strengthen the pelvic floor for bladder control.  An FDA approved procedure, the treatment consists of six 30-minute sessions scheduled twice a week, where a device stimulates the muscles of the pelvic floor to regain bladder control.  Patient remain fully clothed during this in-and-out the door procedure.  Results are seen typically after the first treatment and improve over time.