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Leak Pee
4 Min Read
Leaking of any form sucks. It is a common problem that many people face and is not just a little pesky nuisance that’ll go away if you ignore it. Ignoring urinary leakage may actually lead to more complicated issues in the future, making it harder to manage. Severity of urinary incontinence ranges between a small leak when you sneeze, jump, or cough to sudden uncontrollable urges to urinate that its difficult to make it to the bathroom in time.
Many fitness and health gurus will most likely recommend kegels or exercises that seek to contract or tighten the pelvic floor. However, it isn’t always an issue with your bladder muscles or pelvic floor muscles. Yes, they may be affected or may be presenting the more noticeable symptoms, but more often than not, urinary incontinence is a whole body issue.
What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control that affects people in different ways. The most common types of urinary incontinence include stress incontinence and urge incontinence – an overactive bladder. Incontinence is likely to affect approximately twice as many women as men. This most often due to pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. Pregnancy stresses and strains the muscles in the pelvic region which may often lead to stress incontinence. However, urinary leakage is not a normal or natural part of aging and is often a sign of an imbalance in the body.
Looking for more tips to heal from pelvic floor symptoms?
Check out the RYC learning center
Looking for more tips to heal from pelvic floor symptoms?
Check out the RYC learning center
Leaking Bladder
If you are suffering from urinary leakage the chances are that this issue is part of a whole body imbalance. No need to freak out! A whole body imbalance merely means that incontinence is not about your pelvic floor alone. It is about the container that your pelvic floor lives in. Your body. Treating the pelvic floor alone is symptom-targeted rather than root issue focused.
Isolating symptoms can be unhelpful is truly finding and fighting the source of the imbalance. Often, the symptoms we notice did not originate in the affected area. Just like a foot injury may eventually lead to leg, hip, butt, and back pain, urinary incontinence can be a symptom that did not originate in the pelvic floor.
What are the Types of Urinary Incontinence?
The common types of incontinence include:
- Stress incontinence — More common in pregnant people or those who delivered vaginally. May be triggered by coughing, laughing, bending, lifting, jumping, or sneezing.
- Urge incontinence — More often an issue with aging and characterized by increased urinary frequency and urgency (overactive bladder)
- Overflow incontinence — Overflow incontinence is characterized by dribbling urine, increased frequency of urination, and inability or feeling of incompleteness after urinating.
- Mixed incontinence — It is possible to experience a combination of the symptoms and types mentioned above.
Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence
Some of the most common symptoms of bladder incontinence are:
- Leaking urine during exercise, lifting, bending, or other daily activities
- Sudden and strong oncoming urge to urinate
- Urinating without warning or feeling of urgency
- Urinating in your sleep
- Difficulty holding urine or making it to the restroom in time
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
Why is My Bladder Leaking all of a Sudden?
Urinary incontinence appears under various circumstances. However, it is not always a sign of something severely wrong. Often, the case may be related to changes your body undergoes during or post pregnancy or imbalances in your body. Some of the more common causes include:
- Pregnancy: Hormonal shifts and imbalances as well as your child adding pressure to your bladder muscles and organ may lead to incontinence.
- Childbirth: A vaginal delivery may weaken the bladder muscles required to control urination as well as lead to other issues such as pelvic organ prolapse, which often exhibit symptoms of urinary incontinence.
- Aging: Although incontinence is not a normal part of aging, the muscles may become weaker with age and bladder contractions may become more frequent as you get older.
- Menopause: During menopause, your body undergoes a lot of hormonal and physical changes. These changes may aggravate incontinence.
- Hysterectomy: A woman’s uterus and bladder depend on many of the same muscles, ligaments, and structures for support. Any surgical procedure that may involve or compromise a woman’s reproductive system may damage the pelvic floor and supporting muscles which can lead to incontinence
- Enlarged prostate: In men, an enlarged prostate can lead to male incontinence
You don’t have to live in
fear, pain or discomfort
Start your healing with the RYC program.
You don’t have to live in
fear, pain or discomfort
Start your healing with the RYC program.
How Do You Treat Leaking Urine?
Most often, surgical or medical procedures are unnecessary for treating urinary incontinence. Exercise and movement treatments have helped many people find relief from urinary leakage and regain bladder control. Below are a few exercises I teach in my program to help control flow of urine.
Supported Slight Backbend Pelvic Stretch:
This is a fantastic pelvic stretcher. Using a pillow or bolster of some kind, gently lower your back to rest on top of the pillow. Once in position, slowly bring your feet together so the soles of your feet are touching. Keep your knees bent, but gently allow them to open sideways. If you feel any discomfort at all in your back or inner thighs, you can use pillows for further support or get rid of the bolster. Relax after 30 seconds or more (roughly 15 to 20 breaths)
Supported Pelvic Squat:
This stretch is an incredible hip and pelvis stretch. Grab a low stool or a stack of books and with your feet spread wide and toes pointed out sideways, gradually extend your buttocks and lower yourself to the blocks. If you are struggling to balance yourself, it may be helpful to use a wall for back support. It is important that if you experience any discomfort during these stretches that you reposition yourself until you can firmly plant your feet and bend without pain. Stay in a squatted position for close to 30 seconds (5-10 deep breaths), stand back up, relax, and repeat several times. Please note, that for some people with prolapse – a deep squat can really irritate and aggravate things due to bearing down, so be sure to only do this one if you feel comfortable that you are not bearing down in a low squat.
Seated Side Bend:
Sit comfortably. Possibly on a block or some pillows. Hold a yoga strap or belt overhead. Bend your elbows slightly to take the stress off of your neck and shoulders. Exhale, blow candles, tighten your core and side bend right and then exhale to go left. Your core should not bulge, brace or push out as you do these. These are great for upper body mobility, torso length and strength and are a great way to work your core without strain.
