Women are twice as likely as men to experience urinary incontinence — either in the form of spontaneous urinary leakage, loss of bladder control, or both. This distressing problem affects up to 30% of young women, 40% of middle-aged women, and 50% of older women.
Female urinary incontinence is often the result of many factors that act to relax pelvic floor muscles and/or weaken the nerves that control bladder function. These include:
As a board-certified primary care provider specializing in women’s health at Refine Medical in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Heather Kennedy, PA-C, and our expert team are here to help.
Read on as we discuss the ins and outs of female urinary incontinence — and how an innovative noninvasive treatment called Emsella® can help you overcome it.
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary and uncontrolled leaking of urine, either in the form of a few drops or something more. You may find yourself leaking urine:
Most cases of urinary leakage are diagnosed as one (or both) of the following types:
Stress incontinence accounts for most urinary leakage cases. It occurs when physical exertion puts pressure on the bladder — you may experience urinary dribble when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, have sex, or lift something heavy.
Urge incontinence is the strong, sudden urge to urinate, followed by uncontrollable leakage right away or before you can make it to the bathroom. Having an “overactive” bladder can also lead to nocturia, or waking several times at night with a strong urge to urinate.
Urinary incontinence can disrupt your day and diminish your quality of life, but luckily, it’s also a highly treatable problem. The standard care approach to female incontinence often includes some combination of the following strategies:
During menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may help restore better urinary control by counteracting the urinary tissue changes related to estrogen loss.
For women of all ages who are struggling with urinary incontinence, pelvic floor training is an essential component of care. Why? In virtually every case of urinary leakage, weakened pelvic floor muscles are largely (and sometimes completely) to blame.
Your pelvic floor “sling” consists of muscles and other tissues that span the bottom of your pelvis. It supports your uterus, bladder, and bowels like a strong, taut hammock.
Healthy pelvic floor muscles are firm, thick, and wrapped tightly around three pelvic exit holes (urethra, vagina, and anus). This basic quality supports normal bladder and bowel control.
Like any set of muscles, you can contract and relax your pelvic floor at will: You can consciously tighten it to “hold your pee” when you feel the urge to urinate, and you can consciously release it once you reach the toilet.
This action — contracting the muscles around your anus and vagina and lifting them upward — is how you perform pelvic floor training, otherwise known as Kegels. Doing at least three sets of these exercises each day is an integral part of incontinence treatment.
Emsella is a breakthrough noninvasive treatment for female urinary incontinence that takes pelvic floor training to a whole new level. It’s simple: All you have to do is sit on the Emsella chair for about 30 minutes, and your pelvic floor muscles get stronger.
How does it work? The Emsella device emits high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy to induce thousands of Kegel-like pelvic floor muscle contractions in a single treatment session. Clinical studies show that Emsella:
The typical Emsella treatment plan includes six 30-minute treatment sessions spaced out over the course of three weeks (two sessions per week). You’ll experience pelvic muscle tingling and contraction during your Emsella sessions; afterward, you can resume normal activities without restriction.
Essentially, Emsella condenses months worth of Kegel exercises into a few short treatment sessions, strengthening your pelvic floor for restored urinary control. It really is that simple.
Female urinary incontinence may be common, but it’s not an inevitable part of aging that you must accept. To find out how Emsella can help you regain control of your bladder and your life, call or click online to schedule a visit at Refine Medical in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, today.