Bladder Issues
Bladder issues can occur in people of all ages and genders. In fact, 30-50% of people experience bladder leakage at some point in their life. However, just because bladder problems are common does not mean they are normal and you shouldn’t have to “just live with it”. Some specific bladder problems that people have who benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy include:
Stress Urinary Incontinence: loss of bladder control or leakage with physical activity such as coughing, laughing, jumping, running, lifting, etc.
Urge Urinary Incontinence: you have an accident with a sudden, intense urge to urinate
Urinary Urgency: a sudden, intense urge to urinate that is difficult or impossible to delay
Urinary Frequency: you feel like you have to pee way too often
Incomplete Bladder Emptying: you have the feeling that you are not able to fully empty your bladder
Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS): a persistent condition that causes pain and discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region
Frequent nighttime bathroom trips
Dysuria: painful urination
Pain after urinating
Chronic Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) or you feel like you have UTI but you test negative
Treatments vary depending on your individual symptoms and goals but often include bladder re-training, manual therapy, strength and endurance exercises, relaxation and stretching exercises, education, and/or nervous system regulation training.
Want to dig deeper? Check out these blog posts to learn more: