An overactive bladder is above all a serious loss of comfort in daily life. It means feeling the need to pass urine far more often than usual, and that need becoming a compulsion, often a painful one.
People affected find themselves going to the toilet more and more frequently even though the bladder is not full. Many live with a constant fear of leaking, and with urine escaping on the way there.
It is most often caused by the bladder working abnormally. Patients with urge incontinence frequently also have a weak pelvic floor — which is why restoring good pelvic floor tone can resolve or considerably reduce the problem.
Therapy
- Detailed history
- Learning to keep an accurate bladder diary
- Assessment of pelvic floor function
- Learning correct posture for passing urine and opening the bowels
- Individual pelvic floor training
- Learning correct contraction and release
- Home programme
- Breathing work