WOMEN'S HEALTH

Millions of women have uncomfortable and embarrassing urinary symptoms that make it difficult for them to enjoy full and active lives. While urinary incontinence is very common, experts say it isn’t an inevitable part of aging.

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“Many people don’t talk with their doctor about urinary incontinence because they’re embarrassed, they think it’s something they need to learn to live with or they think surgery is their only option,” says Anna Lasak, MD, medical director of the Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic at the Jack D. Weiler Division of Montefiore Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “They don’t realize that there’s a lot we can do to help relieve their symptoms.”

Rehabilitation specialists at the hospital offer pelvic floor rehabilitation services that can help women whose urinary incontinence is the result of a weakened pelvic floor— the small muscles and connective tissue that hold the pelvic organs and structures in place. Pregnancy, childbirth and obesity are some of the factors that weaken the pelvic floor muscles and lead to urinary incontinence and other problems.

STRENGTHENING PELVIC MUSCLES

Kegel exercises are the first line of treatment for women with urinary stress incontinence who leak urine when they sneeze, cough or do other activities that put stress on the bladder. They are also an important therapy for some women with urge incontinence who often can’t hold their urine long enough to make it to the bathroom.

“These exercises are very effective if performed the right way,” says Dr. Lasak. “But many women don’t know which muscles to contract or don’t contract them properly. Most women get better results if they have some type of instruction.”

EXPERT HELP

Doctors at the Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic educate women about the correct way to perform Kegel exercises. They may also perform a digital exam while patients try the exercises to determine whether patients are contracting the muscles properly.

“Patients usually need only a few sessions to learn how to perform Kegel exercises correctly,” Dr. Lasak says. “Most women who master the technique say their urinary symptoms improve dramatically.”

Pelvic rehabilitation services are also available for women with vaginal or pelvic pain, men who have urinary incontinence following prostate surgery and both women and men who have fecal incontinence or rectal pain.

Exercise Your Body and Pelvic Muscles

“Exercising your pelvic floor muscles regularly helps keep them strong and plays a key role in women’s health and well-being, regardless of age,” says Anna Lasak, MD, medical director of the Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic at the Jack D. Weiler Division of Montefiore Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Try contracting the muscles that you use to control the flow of urine for three seconds then relax. Repeat 10-15 times, three times a day. Ask your doctor for advice about the right way to do these exercises or visit www.nlm.nih.gov and search for “Kegel” for helpful information.