Author: Randeep Singh / go to all articles on Yoga cure
Yoga for urinary incontinence:
Incontinence literally means involuntary release of the urine from the bladder, though incontinence is not only confined to the urinary tract, sometimes fecal matter is also expelled involuntarily due to certain reasons. Leaking urine problem can be pretty embarrassing in case it happens in the presence of others.
Yoga poses for urinary incontinence, if practiced regularly, can save one from this embarrassment.
This happens because the muscles which one contracts for controlling urine – urinary sphincter – go weak, or the individual loses control over these muscles. Women are more prone to urinary incontinence between the age groups of 30 – 60 years than men. Generally urination happens due to simple coughing, or sneezing, coughing can enhance the intra-abdominal pressure which squeezes the urine out of the bladder.
This type of incontinence is known as stress incontinence. This issue is present more in ageing individuals but its definitely not a natural outcome of the process of ageing in humans.
Another form of incontinence is known as urge incontinence: the urine here leaks one’s will to do so immediately after an urge to urinate is felt. This type of incontinence is mostly caused by some urinary tract infection , or some neurological disorder, or diabetes.
In overflow type of urinary incontinence the bladder does not empty completely after urination, and thus small amount of urine continue dribbling without ones knowledge of it. Functional incontinence is when one is not able to relieve oneself of the urge for urination on time due to the presence of some inability to do so, like due to an handicap the person is not immediately able to reach the toilet.
Mixed incontinence is the term given to the condition where multiple type of urinary incontinence is present. Temporary incontinence can be caused by taking certain drinks like alcohol, coffee, certain spices, carbonated drinks, muscle relaxants, or overdose of vitamin C. Sometimes constipated stools stimulate the nerves around the bladder to empty itself without warning.
Stress incontinence is common during pregnancy. Urine bladder prolapse tilts the bladder outwards from the vagina rendering containing urine in it difficult. Drop in estrogen levels after menopause can cause the inner lining of the urinary bladder to deteriorate leading to incontinence.
Enlarged prostate gland can cause stress , or urge incontinence , and can also result as treatment of the same. In case the nerves which help control the bladder get damaged due to Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or multiple sclerosis voluntary control over urination is lost. Being overweight and smoking can increase the risk of the problem of incontinence.
Yoga for Bladder Leakage
Apart from benefiting the overall health yoga can help control incontinence as well. The pelvic floor exercises for incontinence help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles which have to constantly bear the downward pressure due to the openings of urethra, vagina, and anus into it.
The tone, and resilience in the pelvic floor muscles can prevent any prolapse of the organs located within the pelvic girdle and the lower abdomen. Most of us are not aware of the muscles of the pelvic floor at all. An average individual carries the impression that the pelvic floor, in case he has heard the word before , is a single muscle.
Pelvic floor is made of 16 muscles which act together as a compact unit. One has to become aware, and discover how to single out these muscles and make movements with them the right way. Yoga pranayama play a crucial role in exercising the pelvic floor muscles. Respiration involves the use of the abdominal diaphragm, as well as the pelvic floor muscles, or the pelvic diaphragm.
One can become aware of the pelvic floor muscles just by sitting and becoming conscious of the location of the movement in the pelvic while inhaling ( these muscles press down) and while exhaling ( these muscles push upward. Now one can consciously contract and relax these muscles by coordinating their movement with each inhalation, and exhalation to strengthen them up.
Full and half squats form the best yoga poses for urine control as these poses stretch the pelvic floor and the muscles around it horizontally or outward as they receive a pull from the stretching muscles of the inner thigh in a squat. Practicing mula bandha, or pelvic lock, while doing the yoga for bladder leakage as well as while practicing pranayama can help strengthen the pelvic floor in a much better way.
All the standing back bending asanas when done , either with feet together or away from each other pull the pelvic muscles towards the abdomen as the chest if lifted up for releasing the upper back down posteriorly. This provides the vertical stretch to the muscles which are responsible for providing control to the movement of the urinary bladder.
Yoga poses for urinary incontinence also benefit by strengthening the neuromuscular coordination of the pelvic area. Stronger are the nerves which stimulate their target muscles for action, muscles of the bladder in this case, more effective is the voluntary control on that particular action, emptying of the bladder in this case.
Yoga poses for Urinary Incontinence
Dribbling Urine Problem has a Cure
It is very important to know that the loss of bladder control is not a disease itself, but a sign of something else happening in the body. It could be the result of muscle damage from pregnancy, infections, injury, or one of the several other conditions. Incontinence is sometimes the first and only symptom of a urinary tract infection. Curing the illness will usually relieve or clea up the incontinence.
Certain medications, as well as caffeine and alcohol can often make bladder problems worse. One should never think of incontinence as something one just have to put up with, or as a part of growing old.
Even though older people tend to suffer more from incontinence, losing control of your bladder is not a natural part of ageing. There is usually a good chance that your bladder control problem can be cured or greatle improved. One can and should do something about it as the dribbling urine problem has a cure, definitely.
No matter what your age, becoming incontinent can disrupt one’s life. One may become afraid to leave one’s home, or stop seeing one’s friends and family, and even one’s sex life may not be the same. Untreated incontinence can also increase the chance of skin irritation and might raise the risk of developing bedsores.
The first and the most important thing one can do to begin getting one’s life back to normal is to see one’s doctor and get a complete examination done. The doctor can talk to one about one’s problem , find out what is causing it, and help one decide on the best way to treat it.
Sometimes the doctor may find out that that cause of the problem is only temporary. As preparation to the meeting with the doctor, for a day or two before one’s appointment, keep a short record of when you go to the bathroom and when you loose urine. You should not change your bathroom habits for this diary.
You should also make a a list of different medicines you are taking, as these could be making the problem worse. You can expect to be asked questions like these: How long have you had the problem? Is it better or worse at night? Do you leak when you sneeze or cough?
Urinary Incontinence Exercises – Bladder Training
For many people treatment can begin without the use of drugs and surgery. Sometimes, changing some of the foods one eats, and reducing the amount of caffiene and alcohol one drinks may provide the relief.
Bladder training, a part of urinary incontinence exercises, is a simple program which does not involve drugs or surgery. The doctor would provide you with the educational materials about how the bladder works, and teach you – over a period of few weeks – how to keep a strict schedule for using the bathroom. You are also taught how to distract yourself if you need to go to the bathroom before the scheduled time.
Research in the U.S., supported by it’s National Institute on Ageing, has found that a simple six-week program of bladder training improved incontinence in 57 percent of women studied. This programe works best for you if you experience the following problems – you leak when you bend over, lift heavy objects, cough, or sneeze (stress incontinence), or you get a very strong urge to go to the bathroom but can’t hold the urine long enough to get there in time (urge incontinence).
Here’s how to begin the training process:
For a week or so, keep a diary of how often you void, how often you leak, and what you are doing at the time of incontinencne episode. You are likely to notice a pattern, either in the length of time you are able to wait between episodes or in the circumstances surrounding these episodes. FI you find that you are wet every hour or two, empty your bladder as completely as you can every 30 to 60 minutes. Try to stop the urge to void at unscheduled times by relaxing or distracting yourself.
For example, if you are at home, try working on your monthly budget or cleaning your kitchen shelves until the urge to urinate passes. Then void on schedule, If you need to void off schedule, that is, if you become too uncomfortable to wait until the scheduled time, go ahead and use the toilet , but void again as completely as possible at the next scheduled time. Reward yourself for staying on schedule. It is hard work and requires time, effort, practice and patience.
Keep a daily log to track your progress. If you note fewer incontinent episodes and have been able to void on schedule for about a week, extend the times between voiding periods by 30 minutes or so each week. Extend the intervals until you reach a comfortable schedule, such as two and a half to three hours between voiding.
Pelvic floor exercises for incontinence are very effective urinary incontinence exercises. With pelvic floor exercises you can strengthen the muscles controlling the flow of urine by tightening them repeatedly, stopping urine flow voluntarily. Also known as Kegel exercises, these techniques have been emphasized for women with stress incontinence, but appear to be useful in men as well. Patients with mild symptoms may improve the most, but continued exercise is required for continued benefit.
Urinary Incontinence – Drugs or Surgery?
If the above techniques – the least invasive and the least risky – do not work, drugs or surgery may need to be considered, especially in incontinence caused by prostate disease, or bladder cancer which need to be treated promptly. A number of medications – from bladder relaxtants to estrogens – can be recommended for leaking urine problem, However, these drugs may cause side-effects such as a dry mouth, eye-problems, and build up of urine, therefore, they must be used as a last resort and under a qualified doctor’s supervision.
Several types of surgery can improve or even cure incontinence that is related to a structural problem such as an abnormally positioned bladder or blockage due to an enlarged prostate. Artificial devices that replace or aid the muscles controlling urine flow have been tried in persons with incontinence. Many of these devices require surgical implantation.
Dribbling Urine Cure – Last Resort
What are the options available if the above approaches either do not work or are inadvisable in certain cases? Sometimes incontinence cannot be cured but it can be managed in several ways.
The Catheter: Dribbling urine problem can be managed by inserting a flexible tube known as catheter into the urethra and collecting the urine into a container. However, long term catheterization – although sometimes necessary – creates many problems, including urinary infections. In men, an alternative to the indwelling catheter is an external collecting device. This is fitted over the penis and connected to a drainage bag.
The Injectable Collagen implant: The injectable implant (used in India, but expensive because it is imported)works by adding “hulk” to the tissues around the urethra, the opening from the bladder through which the urine passes. The urethra can then contract tightly enough to prevent the urine from leaking out. The result is very similar to the way body functions naturally – the opening of the bladder into the urethra is closed off, but then expands normally when the bladder is intentionally emptied.
As there are potential side-effects with curing dribbling urine problem with collagen implants, you should discuss this option carefully with your doctor to see if this is the best treatment for you. There are many different treatments available for dribbling urine issue – but you can’t be helped unless you take that first step to getting back your independence, and talk to your doctor.
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