Urinary Urgency

Many clients tell me that they do the ‘just in case wee’. For those of you with incontinence issues you will be well aware of what I am talking about. But did you know that by doing the ‘just in case wee’ every time before you go out you may be actually creating another problem…..urgency!

If you train your bladder to empty before you leave the house eventually it’s going to assume that this is the ‘new normal’. Leaving the house is now a ‘trigger’ to cause the bladder to contract and give you an urgency feeling telling you that you need to wee!

So don’t do the ‘just in case wee’.

It can be daunting leaving the house with the fear of urgency and leaking. While you are trying to retrain your bladder out of its bad habits it may be helpful to wear an incontinence liner. If you get the urge DON’T panic! Try to suppress it by:

• squeezing your pelvic floor

• curling your toes or doing some calf raises

• sit down, cross your legs, discreetly apply some pressure to your vagina

• do something difficult for your brain (count backwards from 100 by 7’s, make a shopping list)

All of these things will help to relax the bladder and reduce the sense of urgency.

Remember urgency and it’s associated incontinence is something you can seek help for so see your continence Physiotherapist for specifically tailored advice.