Speaking Up about Urinary Incontinence - by Tara mund

Our thanks to Women’s Health Specialist Tara Mund, DPT of Alpine Physical Therapy for this blog post.

************

Urinary incontinence is very common among women, especially following childbirth. It is also a subject that most people are reluctant to talk about. Because it is common, it gets mistaken for “normal,” when in fact it isn’t normal and it can be easily treated. 
​
Talking about you leaking is actually the best thing you could do. Telling your doctor or physical therapist is the first step toward taking control of you health and being proactive about your treatment.

Many people are familiar with Kegel exercises, and if you have been leaking you have also likely tried these exercises at some point in your life. Interestingly enough, the majority of my patients when tested aren’t doing them correctly or as effectively as they could be. Once you learn how to do the exercises correctly, it will take you less than 5 minutes of your day to train your muscles and put a stop to leaking.

By the time you have completed your treatment, this won’t be a subject you want to keep quiet anymore. You won’t be whispering to your friend about your embarrassing problem; rather, you will want to shout at the top of your lungs that you are dry and the treatment was easy, effective, and painless!

********
​
Watch this brief video in which Tara details approaches used by physical therapists with advanced training to address this important aspect of care.

For additional information, visit our webpages on this topic by clicking here.