Bladder incontinence affects millions of people around the world. This issue occurs due to a variety of different underlying causes, and some cases of incontinence are very hard to effectively address.
In this article, we will examine this troublesome condition and investigate whether or not chiropractic care can help you overcome your bladder incontinence.
What is Incontinence?
Incontinence can occur in the bladder, bowel, or both. However, bladder incontinence is a very common issue for many different populations. For instance, seniors, pregnant women, and many others routinely experience incontinence.
Complicating the matter is the fact that there are many different types of bladder incontinence. It’s important to determine what type of incontinence you have before you can develop an effective treatment program. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the common types of incontinence.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence is very common among the general population. This type of incontinence leads to leakage when a person coughs, sneezes, or attempts to lift a heavy object. Often, this issue will affect powerlifters when they attempt to deadlift a new personal record weight.
Urge Incontinence
This issue is very common in older individuals and those who suffer from frequent bladder infections. Essentially, urge incontinence causes a strong, sudden need to use the bathroom. For this reason, some older adults, who may have mobility issues, may find it difficult to reach the bathroom in time when the urge to urinate occurs.
Functional Incontinence
While this isn’t necessarily a “primary” form of incontinence, functional incontinence can still be correctly grouped under the umbrella of general urinary incontinence.
Functional incontinence refers to the inability to make it to the bathroom because of another injury or disability which makes it difficult to get to the toilet in time. For instance, a person confined to a wheelchair may experience functional incontinence.
Overflow Incontinence
When the volume of urine in the bladder exceeds its capacity, overflow incontinence can occur. Additionally, this issue may develop when one has weakness in his or her bladder muscles. This form of incontinence has been brought to the mainstream more recently, with the increase in awareness of pelvic health and bladder-related issues.
Treatments for Bladder Incontinence
There are a variety of ways to treat bladder incontinence, based on the specific details of the issue in question. For instance, if the incontinence is caused by weakness in the muscles of the pelvic floor, retraining those muscles through exercise may be the best treatment option.
Alternatively, if the person is experiencing functional incontinence due to a difficulty with transferring to the toilet, working on this specific transfer may effectively solve the problem.
Also, treatments such as chiropractic care can go a long way toward improving the nerve connection between the spinal cord and the urinary system. This alone may be able to reduce or eliminate instances of urinary incontinence.
Chiropractic Care and Bladder Incontinence
The spine is intimately connected to every part of the body. Because of this, our nervous system can have a significant influence over all of our body processes. When our spines are out of alignment, many connections between the central nervous system and the rest of the body are broken.
This is especially true when it comes to the urinary system, which relies heavily on nervous system input for optimal functioning. Luckily, chiropractors can help to reestablish this connection, improving many issues associated with incontinence.
By performing quick, painless manipulations of the spine, your chiropractor may be able to decrease your incontinence symptoms, allowing you to return to your life without having to deal with this issue.
Your Parker chiropractor at Awaken Chiropractic can help you with your incontinence issues today. We understand this isn’t the easiest or most comfortable topic to discuss, so we take great care in making each client feel as comfortable as possible. Book your first session today!
