Women and the little problem they don’t have
Bladder weakness is generally considered to be an ‘older female problem’, and it actually affects millions of Australian females of all ages each year1. In fact, bladder weakness is more common than hay fever. If you experience an uncontrolled leak from time to time, you have light bladder leakage.
Many women don’t realise that they’re not alone. This is a modern day issue that is actually more common among younger women than most people think. 1 in 4 Australian females experience bladder leaks at some stage in their life2 and 1 in 3 over the age of 35 suffer from light bladder leakage.
Despite being so common, 59.6% of Australian women admit to feeling too embarrassed to talk or do anything about bladder weakness3.
Women lead busy lives and it’s so easy from them to ignore light bladder leakages and pretend it’s not happening. By acknowledging the problem however, women can seek a solution and take control of their situation. It’s important for women to understand that there are several ways to regain control and in many cases, prevent leaks happening altogether
The causes of bladder weakness can include anything from childbirth, lack of or too much exercise, weight issues, irritations, infections, hormonal changes as well as some medical issues.
All it takes is a few steps and some persistence and you can start to take control of your little problem:
Find your Pelvic Floor
The Pelvic Floor runs from your pubic bone at the front of your pelvis to the coccyx at the back. Imagine this sling of muscles is like two elevator doors. As you lift it, imagine the doors closing together and then lifting towards your head. The rest of your body should stay still.
Practice gentle lifts throughout the day
Practice lifting during the day at your desk, or at the sink while washing your hands, not just lying down at the end of the day. Work on connecting with it and then seeing if you can hold it for 5 seconds. As it is an internal exercise, no one will know you are working out.
Combat coughs and sneezes
Strong contractions are needed to resist higher loads on your pelvic floor, such as coughs or sneezes. So if you feel a cough or sneeze on its way, lift your pelvic floor as strongly as you can and try and keep it lifted while you sneeze. If at first this is a bit difficult, scrunching your toes in your shoes can help you to get a little bit more oomph!
Practice practice practice!
If you don’t use it, you will lose it! Imagine a hose flowing with water lying on a trampoline. If the trampoline is floppy, when a foot comes and steps on the flowing hose, the flow will continue as there is no resistance from the trampoline. Now imagine the trampoline is strong, a foot stepping down on the flowing hose will be met with some resistance so the hose will be bent and the flow will stop.
Light bladder leakage is not something women should be expected to surrender to, take control of your body and take pleasure in a more care free lifestyle.
1Continence Foundation of Australia
2Continence Foundation of Australia
3According to a new survey of over 1,000 Australian women carried out by lights by TENA®
About the author
Jane Le Fevre
Written by Jane Le Fevre, Physiotherapist Expert for lights by TENA®. Physiotherapist Jane Le Fevre graduated from Sydney University in 1997, and has since worked within hospital systems and private clinics in both Australia and England. Jane has lectured in the treatment and rehabilitation of lumbopelvic and spinal pain through the UK, Australia, Finland, Ireland and Scotland. She currently treats incontinence and associated symptoms on a day to day basis. Jane helps clients in all stages of life, from children to adults, prenatal and postnatal women, sporting and sedentary lifestyles.
For more expert tips and video demonstrations on how to strengthen the pelvic floor, visit www.lightsbyTENA.com.au.
