The Incontinence Myth…Leaking is not Normal!

Hi, my name is Corey. I’ve had a baby. I run and jump. And I DON’T pee myself.

Passing Down Wisdom?

I have some pretty great clients. There are many that I feel care at least as much about me as I care about them. While I was pregnant with my daughter, before pelvic health physiotherapy was one of my primary areas of practice, these great clients kindly and genuinely warned me. They warned me about interrupted sleep, diaper blow outs, car seats, and early day-care registration. They also hinted at loose skin, post-partum healing, and some urinary leaking. Many laughed at themselves and this ‘normal’ little bit of incontinence that happens after having a baby. A few went on and explained that as long as you don’t jump too much, “it’ll be fine; just avoid the trampoline…ha-ha.” I am serious. This exact conversation happened. And this exact message was repeated to me by several women.

Leaking is Common, not Normal

I did know better. I don’t know if it was my pregnancy fatigue that prevented me from using my knowledge to share with these women, that there was another way. That just because they had babies, didn’t mean they had to leak. Or, if it was because I was respecting their turn in being the experts and sharing their wisdom with me. Either way, I feel I need to apologize. I am going to tell you what I should have told them: Leaking is common; however, it is NOT normal or a necessary side effect of having children.

You Don’t Have to Accept Leaking as Your New Norm

There are several types of leaking, or incontinence. The reason why women think it is so normal is because it is so prevalent! 3.3 million Canadians (men too!) have urinary incontinence. Depending on the literature you read, one in three or one in four women are affected. Now hear this: 20-30% of young adulthood women leak. 30-40% of middle age women leak. And 30-50% of elderly women leak. Despite these statistics, accepting leaking after childbirth is a misconception. Accepting leaking as you age is a misconception. And accepting that there isn’t anything you can do about leaking is a HUGE misconception.

Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is going to be my focus for the rest of this post, although urge urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence are also quite common (more on those in another post!). SUI typically involves a small loss of urine due to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. In layman’s terms, leakage occurs as a result of laughing, sneezing, coughing, lifting, exercising—jumping!, or even transitional movements.

Pressure Management

This increase in intra-abdominal pressure causes leaking because the pelvic floor is not strong enough or coordinated enough to contract properly to cause a high enough pressure around the urethra that exceeds the pressure being exerted from the abdominal cavity. Let me back this up. You do not have fancy tiles sitting at the bottom of your pelvis. What you do have are layers of tissues and muscles that vary from superficial to deep that are designed to keep you dry when you want to stay dry! The pelvic floor and bladder work together, but in opposite fashion. When the bladder contracts to urinate (that’s right, your bladder contracts too-it’s a strong, trainable muscle!), the pelvic floor relaxes. BUT, when the bladder relaxes, the pelvic floor CONTRACTS. When this happens correctly, this helps to close the urethra (the tube that you pee out of). Not only this, but as the pelvic floor muscles contract, this signals a reflex message to the bladder to relax and not push urine out (this reflex is also trainable!!)!

Stop Paying and Start Investing

There is no need for you to pay for leaking anymore. Whether it be at a social cost: embarrassment, activity withdrawal, decreased engagement, among so many other areas affecting one’s quality of life. Or an economic cost: for those with incontinence, an average of $1000-1500 is spent annually on products just to live with this issue. Those costs are just too high when there is another option (and not a very complicated one either)! That other option is physio by the way ;)

Pelvic Health Physio for the Win!

In addition to making your pelvic floor stronger and more coordinated, there are so many strategies and lifestyle changes that have been shown both in the research and clinically to help improve stress urinary incontinence. Don’t stop jumping, and don’t stop drinking (water), but instead, start physiotherapy for your pelvic floor!

Ready to be Dry?

Call Ireland Manual Physiotherapy so we can help you leak less and maximize your quality of life!

Authored by Corey Ireland, BHK, MPT, Dip.Manip.PT, FCAMPT, CIDN, MPA

Registered Physiotherapist and Pelvic Health Therapist