Non-Surgical Intervention to Treat SUI Including Behavioral Strategies

Marilyn-Lu Webb, PhD, NP, COO of The Center for Continence Care Inc.

Dr. Webb has disclosed that she has no financial interests related to this topic.

America’s hidden symptom costs over $27 billion a year. It is not obesity or diabetes, but it is incontinence. One type of incontinence is stress urinary incontinence (SUI). This is an involuntary urine loss caused by lack of support for the bladder neck and lack of the internal seal mechanism within the urethra. Causes of SUI are childbirth, loss of estrogen, pharmaceuticals, surgery, genetics, heavy lifting, sports, spinal injury, being overweight, and smoking.

Retraining an incontinent bladder is possible. Start by holding for 15 minutes every time you feel the urge to urinate. The effective “oops control” retraining exercise is extremely beneficial and successful. Stay still when you get that urge to go, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles quickly five times, distract yourself, wait, and then walk to the bathroom. You will feel a wave of urge. It will peak and then subside. Prompted voiding, pelvic muscle exercises, and keeping a voiding diary are other useful retraining tools.

No one is born continent. We have a cognitive component that makes our bladder work. It is important to know how a “normal” bladder functions to help in treatment and retraining. A normal bladder holds 10 to 20 ounces of fluid and needs to be drained six to eight times a day. There is a myth that incontinence comes with aging. This does not have to be true. Some helpful tips are to drink water, instead of other fluids, and use vaginal estrogen that come in cream, ring, and tablet form.

About The Author:

Marilyn-Lu Webb, NP-BC, PhD is a Continence Nurse Practitioner and Owner of The Center for Continence Care, Inc. in Fresno, CA. She holds national board certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner, as well as in Rehabilitation Nursing and has been certified as a Continence Care Nurse.