OSF St. Francis Hospital Rehabilitation Department established a program to treat members of our community with incontinence. Urinary incontinence affects almost 13 million Americans and is the number one reason for nursing home admission among the elderly. Incontinence can occur at any age, but is not a normal symptom of aging.

Stress Urinary Incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence is characterized by the involuntary loss of urine following an abrupt increase in intra-abdominal pressure, typically caused by sneezing, coughing, jumping or any form of physical exertion. The amount of urine lost is usually small.

Stress urinary incontinence occurs more frequently in women than in men, and is often seen with hormonal changes, such as during and after the onset of menopause, and following multiple vaginal deliveries or pelvic surgery. It can also occur with a history of chronic constipation or even with excessive consumption of fluids. Stress incontinence affects one in 10 women in the United States.

Urge Urinary Incontinence
Urge urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine associated with an abrupt and strong desire to void. It occurs when the bladder contracts abnormally. This contraction creates a sensation to urinate that becomes progressively stronger, resulting in a sudden loss of urine, which may be small or large. Urge incontinence can render a patient incapable of travel for any extended period of time where there are no available rest rooms. The problem can occur at any age, but is more common among older adults.

Physical Therapy for Male Incontinence
The incidence of urinary incontinence for men under the age of 64 is very low, about 1.5 to 5 percent of the general population. All men after prostate surgery have some urinary incontinence. One-third to three-fourths of men can be helped by treatment for incontinence following prostate surgery.

Treatment Options
Treatment for incontinence is centered on patient education. Instruction in proper exercise techniques, anatomy, behavior modification and dietary changes are all included in this program. Bio-feedback and electrical stimulation may be incorporated in the treatment plan.

Therapy can be used to maximize surgical procedures for incontinence, either before or after surgery, or as an alternative to surgery. There are no surgeries for the treatment of urge incontinence.

For more information about incontinence treatment, talk to your primary care physician, obstetrician/gynecologist or urologist, or call OSF St. Francis Hospital Rehabilitation Services at 906-786-5707 x5300, or toll-free in the Upper Peninsula at 1-800-786-2040 x5300.