When suffering from stress incontinence it is most important to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and sphincter by muscle training. In many cases training of the pelvic floor muscles itself leads to remarkable improvements. However, sometimes it may be neccessary to use additional medication or treatments.
Strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles
Pelvic floor muscle training serves to strengthen the muscles inside the pelvis which are mainly responsible for supporting a leakproof bladder.
It may be very useful to start training seeking professional advice from specialist physiotherapists. However, once you have located the right muscles you can do the training yourself.
Vaginal cones
To support effective training of your muscles weighted vaginal cones are very suitable. These small cone-shaped weights are being inserted into the vagina and held there for a few minutes by contracting the pelvic floor muscles.
Biofeedback
This method helps you to better perceive your body functions. A small probe inside the vagina or bowel electronically measures the muscle-force inside the pelvis and reports it to a small computer. With its help you are able to know whether you are training the right muscles and how high their tension is.
"Stress"-attitude
Create a list of all situations that have made you leak urine involuntarily. Sometimes sport, coughing or sneezing may be responsible. Now, next time you are about to experience such a situation, try to contract your pelvic floor muscles prior to the leakage-causing action takes place. Breath out whilst contracting. Remember to have your back straight, this will support your pelvic floor muscles. If you train regularly, your pelvic floor muscles will often start to contract automatically in such situations.
Medication
If neccessary, your physician will prescribe oestrogens or alpha-sympathicomimetics which stimulate muscles and sphincter.
Surgery
Sometimes the only way of treating incontinence is by surgery, e.g. a prolapsed uterus. However, pelvic floor exercises will ensure a long-term success of the surgery and should be started already prior to surgery.
Pads and incontinence-briefs
Products, like pads (e.g. MoliMed) or incontinence-briefs (e.g. MoliCare Mobile) will make life much easier. They provide excellent security until the treatment is successfully completed or even if it should not be treatable. Incontinence pads and briefs have proven successful and suitable for the different needs of many people.
