Urinary incontinence affects over 3 million women each year and an estimated 1 in 10 in every workplace.
Women with urinary incontinence cannot control leakage of urine from the bladder and, with stress incontinence, they experience distressing "accidents"
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while exercising
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at work
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while travelling
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at social events
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during sexual activity
They have more urinary tract infections and skin problems than other women.
The risk of urinary incontinence in women is especially high during or after pregnancy, following childbirth, and during and after menopause
However it is also common in cases of obesity and cigarette smoking, following prostate enlargement and/or surgery, hysterectomy, radiation therapy to the pelvis, in cases of diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, back injury, cerebral vascular accident and dementia.
A second type of incontinence, urge incontinence, is characterised by desperate and repeated urges to pass water. Improving the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and pelvic floor training can help restore confidence and bladder control.
How Is Urinary Incontinence Treated?
Contrary to popular myth, urinary incontinence is not a normal part of ageing. It affects women of all ages.
Because of the personal nature of the problem, and the belief that no help is available, many women do not report their symptoms to their doctors. Yet today's health care professionals offer a number of treatment options for bladder control, such as pelvic muscle exercises, biofeedback, bladder training, and even pelvic surgery.
Doctors around the world recommend pelvic muscle exercises as the first approach to urinary stress incontinence in the knowledge that 80% of cases of stress incontinence can be cured or improved with an effective exercise programme. In clinical research pelvic floor exercises have been proven to be more effective than vaginal cones and electrostimulation.
For most women, weak pelvic floor muscles are the real problem behind an overactive bladder and diminished sexual stimulation.
Click here for more information about how to find your pelvic floor muscles.
Weak pelvic floor muscles can be a problem at any age but they may be improved through simple exercise.
If you do nothing then embarrassing leaks will become a regular feature of your life and you will need to resort to incontinence pads or the permanent use of hygiene products.
For an international perspective on the importance of pelvic floor exercises click here.
There are a number of products that can help you develop your pelvic floor muscles more effectively when you are doing your Kegel exercises. There are a number of weight systems available such as the Pelvicisor. The alternative is to use a progressive resistance vaginal exerciser such as the PelvicToner.
These approaches give you the option of choosing exercise to help relieve and even eliminate incontinence or improve the vaginal embrace instead of submitting to more complex surgical procedures.
87% of users surveyed reported an improvement in their bladder control within 4 weeks.
Every couple that has experienced the natural beauty of childbirth also knows the changes in the vaginal embrace after delivery. As ageing enters the picture, weakened muscles can affect the enjoyment and performance of both partners.
The Pelvic Toner can also restore youthful inner strength! 80% of respondents to a user survey said that they noticed an improvement in the sex lives within 4 weeks.
New clinical research has confirmed that the PelvicToner programme offers a very effective, low-cost, minimally invasive approach to significantly strengthen the pelvic floor muscles leading to greater bladder control and an improved sex life.
