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What is Incontinence and How Physio can Help

Many people are aware that physiotherapy can help with injuries from sports or car accidents, but did you know there is physio that can help with your bladder problems? Not just any physiotherapist can assist you with your leaky bladder, we need to take a little bit of extra training to become a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist (PHPT). Depending on the courses that have been taken, PHPT can treat a variety of pelvic floor disorders including urinary incontinence.

There are a few different types of incontinence that pelvic health physiotherapy can address including stress urinary incontinence (leaking with cough and sneeze), urge urinary incontinence (leaking when rushing to the washroom), mixed urinary incontinence (a mix of stress and urge) and functional urinary incontinence (leaking due to other limitations).

In years past incontinence was an issue associated with an elderly woman who had likely had children at some point, and now we recognize that it is an issue not only in women, but men and children as well!

In some instances the leaking starts as just a small amount and only with certain activities, and in some instances it is a large amount and seeming to be all the time!

Stress Urinary IncontinenceLaughter is one of the frequent causes of stress incontinence

Usually occurs when intraabdominal pressures exceed the ability of our internal and external urethral sphincters to counteract these pressures on the bladder. This will happen most often during laughing, sneezing, coughing, lifting, or yelling. The muscles that control keeping urine in while the pressure around the bladder increases is our external urethral sphincters, a part of our pelvic floor musculature and they are under our control. When there is weakness in these muscle, possibly a problem with timing of the contraction of these muscles, or ‘bearing down’ vs ‘lifting up’, then some leakage can occur. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help by teaching techniques and strategies to get the best recruitment of the pelvic floor muscles and timing of the contractions with these increases in intraabdominal pressure.

 

Urge Urinary Incontinence

Developing urge incontinence on the way home or upon arrival is a common "key in the door" presentation

This leaking is associated with the increased urge to void without being able to make it to the bathroom in time. This may start with “photo finishes” and just making it to the washroom in time, to having the entire bladder empty at the first urge to void. Often a higher toned pelvic floor and/or overactive bladder may be the cause.  Pelvic floor physical therapy can help by teaching strategies for retraining of the bladder reflex responsible for the urge to urinate or by helping to decrease a higher toned pelvic floor with manual therapy techniques to the lumbosacral spine or pelvic floor and breathing/relaxation exercises.

 

Mixed Incontinence

As it sounds, this is usually a combination of the first two: stress and urge urinary incontinence. Depending on what the assessment finds, various techniques and strategies can be utilized by the pelvic floor physiotherapist to help address the issues. Each individual will get their own unique program no matter what type of issue they are coming in with, but this type in particular can have some very unique features for each client!

 

Functional & Overflow Incontinence

Generally will have leaking occur when there are other factors at play. Mobility or cognitive issues that prevent a person from making it to the bathroom in time are the biggest culprits  here. Physical therapists can help address mobility issues and provide manual therapy, teach exercises to help increase mobility, strength, balance as well as recommend certain mobility aids that can assist the client to reduce incontinence secondary to functional limitations. Often associated with the more elderly client, this can also affect younger individuals as well.

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash - demonstrating one reason for functional incontinence (mobility issues)

Urinary incontinence can also be due to overflow incontinence.  The hallmark symptoms of this type of incontinence are frequent leakage of urine without the urge to void, or the inability to have normal volumes of urine. This is when the bladder remains full due to its inability to empty, which causes the urine to leak out when the bladder capacity is overfilled.  This type of incontinence is not a form that physical therapy typically addresses and NEEDS to be medically investigated first as there are a variety of medical reasons that may be causing this type of incontinence!

 

We have talked about what to expect in a pelvic health appointment before, and with these appointments as with all our assessments we get a detailed subjective history, followed by a scan exam of the low back, as well as an internal assessment of the pelvic floor is usually required in order to fully appreciate what is causing the urinary incontinence. This will help the therapist to formulate a treatment plan that will be individual and specific to each person being assessed. If someone is experiencing urinary incontinence and wishing to have this addressed by a pelvic health physiotherapist, no physician referral is required.

 

Have you been struggling with urine leakage? Not sure if your symptoms could be part of a pelvic health issue? Please feel free to contact us and we will help chat you through what you are experiencing as best we can.

Don’t delay start your road to recovery today in Warman or Saskatoon!

Maja Stroh is a physiotherapist that has a particular interest in pelvic health and perinatal care. She graduated from the U of S MPT program in 2009 and has been working with pelvic health populations since 2013. Maja’s interest in helping her clients and spending quality time with her family has brought her to Warman Physio where she will be providing services in the Warman location.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

The Canadian Continence Foundation <www.canadiancontinence.ca>

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Perineal Tearing Reduced – Avoiding Coached Pushing During Labor

We have mentioned before about the predicament with completing ‘kegels’ (or the contraction phase of the kegel alone is what most end up doing). This has an inherent potential impact on labor and delivery.

Now there is new research out of the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology about the impact that there can be had when removing what is often referred to as ‘coached pushing’ during labor and delivery in addition to a few other key factors.

At Warman Physio we want to set women up for the best success possible during labor and delivery, and know that knowledge is power!

So let’s run through some of the background here.

The Facts From the Research

An article in Return to Now outlined the results from EJOG in a thought-provoking post. There is an 85% reduction in 3rd and 4th degree tears (the ‘worst’ of the available 1-4 scale) when women are not coached to push during labor. The amount of severe vaginal tearing was reduced from 7% to 1% within the study.

The researchers completed a review to determine what the main contributing factors were for third and fourth degree tears, and implemented a series of measures to try and reduce these risks.

Some of the risks include a larger than average baby, baby being born ‘face-up’, forceps use, previous perineal tear history, as well as maternal age and weight

This program is referred to as STOMP (Stop Traumatic OASIS Morbidity Project) and implemented within the hospital unit by the midwives and OB GYN teams over the following year. This program includes laboring in different positions to deliver the baby such as squatting, kneeling, and standing, as well as breathing through contractions instead of pushing and applying counter pressure to the perineum during delivery of the baby.

A total of 3902 vaginal deliveries occurred during the 1 year following the launch of full STOMP implementation, with the most significant and immediate results occurring in the first 5 months.

What Does This Mean?

We have seen before in a video demonstration how the uterus does it’s job to push a baby out, coached pushing is shown to lead to closure of the perineum on the descending baby. Allowing women to follow their instincts, without coached pushing, is proven to reduce severe perineal tearing. This will not eliminate all perineal tearing, but gives additional information into how we can best support mothers during labor and delivery.

Physiotherapists are uniquely positioned to assist with mothers during this phase of life, particularly pelvic floor physiotherapists.

Although seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist is not the standard of care here in Canada, there are many women choosing to see one prior to labor and delivery for a variety of reasons such as leaking, pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, and low back pain or sciatica among others. There is also a large trend to see women post-natally as well due to the same reasons in addition to injuries sustained during labor and delivery such as perineal tears.

 

How can Physiotherapy Help?

Pelvic floor physiotherapists, like those we have at Warman Physio, are able to provide prenatal evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles, coordination, and information on labor and delivery preparation activities. Many women will have been practicing kegels throughout their pregnancy since there still is a significant amount of mis-information regarding what is ‘best’… (remember, a tight pelvic floor isn’t really what we are going for, a functional pelvic floor is what we want!)

In Saskatchewan women are provided an immediate referral to physiotherapy if they have received a third or fourth degree tear (which is GREAT!), however, any woman who has been pregnant into the second trimester may benefit from seeing a pelvic floor therapist after delivering baby.

We have seen that in France, the standard of care is that every woman who has a baby is entitled to Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy appointments postpartum.

Reducing injuries during labor and delivery, and having research to support theoretical working knowledge is critical to advancing health and wellness for women of childbearing years.

Wonder if Physiotherapy can help you for labor and delivery? We recommend an appointment 32-34 weeks gestation. (For those with contraindications to a pelvic exam, we would complete various education and external assessment components).

 

Our Pelvic Health Therapists:

Kendra Usunier

Maja Stroh

Scott Golding

Haylie Lashta

 

 

 

 

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Male Pelvic Health – Incontinence and Pelvic Pain

You’ve already read all about WHY pelvic health is also important for men, now let’s dive into a case study!

Case Study – Male Pelvic Health

CT is a 43 year old male seeking help because he is having problems with leaking urine whenever he does physical activity. He has also been experiencing consistent sharp/burning pains around his rectal area. In the beginning he was leaking only a few drops of urine and feeling slight discomfort in his pelvic floor… but after a few months CT is leaking his full bladder and his pain has greatly increased. He is afraid to participate in golf, fishing, and jogging because this is when he leaks the most urine.

During the pelvic assessment it is found that CT has a weak pelvic floor (2/5 strength), and a lot of tension/tightness of his pelvic floor muscles. He is educated that he needs to strengthen his pelvic muscles in order to close his urethra (tube which pee comes out), so that he does not leak before he is able to get to the bathroom, or when participating in golf, fishing, and jogging. CT also requires training in relaxation exercises, and stretches for his pelvic floor, which will decrease the tightness and therefore stop the pain that he has been experiencing.

After the assessment CT is sent home with a breathing exercise, several pelvic floor stretches, and a muscle strengthening exercise.

At the next session CT reports having decreased episodes of leaking and reduced pain in his pelvic area. During a follow up evaluation CT now has 3/5 pelvic strength and a decrease in muscle tension. The therapist manually releases his pelvic muscles and he is once again sent home with progressed pelvic floor strengthening exercises and stretches.

After a few more weeks and 2 or 3 more sessions CT is no longer leaking and feels no more pain and discomfort in his pelvic floor. He is educated to keep up with his exercise program occasionally to maintain strength and proper length of his pelvic floor.

 

Not all pelvic health issues will present the exact same, and as such there is no one-size fits all program that will work for everyone. Need help with your pelvic health complaint? Don’t hesitate to contact us or book an appointment. Not sure if your issues can be helped by a physiotherapist? Give us a call, or send a message, we are happy to help you sort through it.

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Pelvic Health for… Men?!

Pelvic floor dysfunction is not just a problem for women… after all, everyone has a pelvic floor!

A study by MacLennan et al, reported that 4.4% of men have self reported problems with urinary incontinence (inability to control urine) (1). If you take the population of Saskatoon, which in July of 2018 was reported at 278,500 and divide that in half you have approximately 139, 250 males (2). 4.4% of the Saskatoon population will give us 6, 127 men that have problems with leaking or controlling their bladder. Keep in mind that urinary incontinence is only one of many potential issues with the pelvic floor.

The crux of the issue is that pelvic floor health can be a big problem for both women and men.

  There has always been a stigma around men seeking help for any issue, let alone their leaking bladder, erectile dysfunction, and pelvic pain. Men need to understand that they do not need to live with these stressful and often embarrassing problems.

Pelvic Health Therapists are specifically trained to help men and women with a vast majority of their pelvic floor dysfunctions. The pelvic floor is a bowl of muscle that surrounds the external openings, in men that is the urethra (the tube you pee out of) and the rectum.

The muscles are the same as any others in the human body and therefore they are treated similarly.  In a good number of cases urinary incontinence is related to the lack of strength, coordination, and increased tension/tightness of the pelvic floor muscles that close the urethra. Then when the bladder is full, or someone has the urge to pee they cannot stop themselves. By simply teaching someone to relax, strengthen and coordinate their pelvic muscles, urinary incontinence problems can often be resolved.

If the pelvic muscles are too tense it may cause pain in the perineum, abdomen, low back or inner thigh. Relaxation exercises and manual therapy skills can be applied to achieve relief. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles and addressing other contributing factors can often lead to the resolution of erectile dysfunction and healthier sex lives (4). Men need to understand that the tools and resources are out there to help them with their pelvic floor dysfunction, part of which may be pelvic health physiotherapy assessment and treatments.

In short, we are asking that men take it upon themselves to seek out help for their pelvic floor dysfunction and in return understand that they will be treated with privacy, respect, and compassion. Waiting and suffering in silence doesn’t need to be the case; we are here to help you, help yourself.

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Saskatoon Location OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

At Warman Physio we have been working hard behind the scenes to get a secondary location going for all the clients that are unable to get out to Warman. We are pleased to announce that as of May 23, 2022 we will be located in Saskatoon!

To top it off, we are not only opening a second location, we are also searching to find qualified health professionals to assist you  with all your needs.

Our physiotherapists Shannon Domres and Haylie Lashta are here to serve you!

 

The schedule for physiotherapy assessment and treatment can be found HERE.

 

Spread the word and make sure you share this fantastic news with your friends! As per our vision – the Saskatoon location will be infant and child friendly, providing compassionate, comprehensive, and personable care to each and every client.

 

Location of the Saskatoon clinic is: Unit #120, 1260 Baltzan Blvd, Saskatoon
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