Women's Health - Bladder and Bowel

Physiotherapy for Bladder and Bowel

There are many forms of bladder dysfunction it can present in any of the following ways.

• Stress incontinence when an increase in abdominal pressure such as with a cough or running overcomes the closure pressure in the urethra and a leak occurs.
• Urge incontinence when a strong urge to go to the toilet precedes the leak and there isn't enough time to get there.
• Urgency when there are frequent strong urges to go to the toilet and they are difficult to control.
• Frequency when there is a need to go to the toilet more  than 8 times in a 24 hour period.

Bowel dysfunction can present in the form of

• Urgency where the bowel has to be emptied immediately once the urge sensation is experienced and this is difficult to control.
• Fecal incontinence where there is loss of stool
• Anal incontinence where there is loss of gas or mucus
• Difficulty cleaning where there is poor control at the time of emptying
• Defecation dysfunction where it is difficult to pass a motion

Physiotherapy involves rehabilitation and strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles, retraining of the reflexes of the bladder and bowel and learning correct voiding and defecation techniques.