There are 5 types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress – leaking with increased intra-abdominal pressure.
• Urge – leaking preceded by sudden, compelling need to void.
• Mixed – a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
• Overflow – urinary retention leading to “dribbling” or leaking without urge.
• Functional – unable to access the toilet due to physical or cognitive barriers.

Urinary incontinence is common…

•   Over 25 million Americans have some form of urinary incontinence.
•   75-80% of these individuals are women.
•   1 in 4 women over the age of 18 experience episodes of involuntary leaking.
•   Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause may precede onset.

…But it is NOT normal…

• A few causes for urinary incontinence include abnormal muscle tone, mismanaged intra-abdominal pressure, altered motor control, and poor habits. 

…And you CAN fix it!

• Research supports pelvic floor physical therapy as a conservative and effective first-line of treatment for urinary incontinence.
• Individuals with stress urinary incontinence are 8x more likely to report cure of symptoms through pelvic floor PT.
• Individuals with urge urinary incontinence have been shown to report fewer episodes of daily leaking with pelvic floor PT.

Bottom line: Just because urinary incontinence is common does not mean it is normal. You can fix it, and we are here to help!