Conservative Treatments for Female Urinary Incontinence

Noninvasive Treatments for Incontinence

Before considering surgery or other therapies, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following noninvasive treatment approaches:

Lifestyle Changes

For women with mild incontinence symptoms, a few simple lifestyle modifications may be all that is needed to restore or improve bladder control. You may be advised to reach and maintain a healthy weight; avoid foods and beverages that irritate the bladder, including caffeine, alcohol and acidic foods; eat more fiber to prevent constipation; and, if you’re a smoker, seek help to quit.

Behavioral Techniques

If lifestyle changes alone fail to manage your incontinence symptoms, your doctor may recommend the addition of certain bladder training techniques, including:

• Delayed urination. This technique teaches you to temporarily resist the urge to urinate. This can strengthen the bladder neck muscles and expand the time between trips to the bathroom. In the beginning, you may be advised to hold off for ten minutes when you first feel the urge to urinate. Ideally, the time between voidings will be expanded to 2-3 hours.
• Double voiding. Double voiding can help you learn to empty your bladder more completely and avoid overflow incontinence. This simple technique involves urinating, stopping the flow and then trying again a few minutes later.
• Scheduled bathroom visits. Build urination times into your daily schedule rather than waiting for the urge to go. Training yourself to empty your bladder every two to four hours may help prevent leaking.

Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Therapy

For many women, pelvic floor physical therapy will be prescribed to help strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles, which can help prevent leakage and improve bladder control. The therapy may involve special exercises (Kegels), biofeedback techniques and/or the use of a medical device called a pessary – a flexible silicone ring that is inserted in the vagina to help support the urethra and prevent leakage.

Medications & Hormonal Therapy

There is a wide range of medications that may be prescribed to help manage urinary incontinence. These medicines are often used in conjunction with other treatments to help calm the bladder muscle, increase the amount of urine the bladder can hold and/or help the bladder empty more completely.

Topical estrogen therapy may also be recommended for older women. Available as a cream, vaginal ring or skin patch, estrogen can help tone and rejuvenate the urethra and vaginal tissues in peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women.