 Peeing with coughing, sneezing, laughing, and exercising is one of the most common problems I am asked about as a pelvic physical therapist. Lets get to the good news first: there is treatment other than surgery! This issue is called stress urinary incontinence and physical therapy can help! For the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus specifically on postpartum women as that is who I primarily treat in my practice. However, this problem can happen to anyone and is more common than you might think!
Why is this happening in the first place? Whether you had a vaginal birth or c- section, your body has been through A LOT. Think about someone who severely pulled a muscle or had a major surgery... you’d expect them to do rehab, right? Because of the changes in your pelvic floor, abdominal wall, and honestly your entire body after delivering a baby, you may notice:
If it was all about a lack of strength, then kegels would be enough to solve the problem. But usually, they don't. It's about having the strength, the coordination, the timing, and the exercise form for the whole system to work properly. So what do people usually do when this happens? They drink less water, pee more often “just in case”, avoid the exercises that cause it, or wear a pad. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, all of these things can create new problems like a different type of incontinence (urge incontinence), decreased overall health and fitness, and infection. With a new baby in the mix, the LAST thing you need is more problems. One research study found that out of 290 women, all whom were exercising regularly, 47% were experiencing urinary incontinence. They also found that the more vaginal births a women had, the higher their risk. So what does this mean? So many women are dealing with this issue because they think it is “normal” after having a baby or because they are too embarrassed to talk about it. It also suggests that regular gym exercise is not enough to solve this issue. My hope is with more awareness, we can spread the message that you are not alone and there is help out there! A pelvic physical therapist will provide a thorough evaluation of, not only your pelvic floor, but also your abdominal wall, back, hips and more! There is no “one size fits all” treatment here. Every body is different and, as I mentioned, there are many different factors that can be contributing to your leakage. Your physical therapist can provide guidance on exercises and habits that are specific to you, your lifestyle, and your goals. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the contact form on my website, phone, or email address! With love, Dr. Marissa Aron PT, DPT 561-285-2833 [email protected]
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