World Continence Week and Overactive Bladder (OAB)

One in three women experience urinary leakage.Just under 60% of women who never had a baby have had some sort of pelvic floor symptoms – this may be bladder or bowel control, pelvic organ prolapse or sexual pain.15% of Irish people experience overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.Half of Irish people don’t understand OAB.90% avoid visiting their doctor for help when the condition first occurs.Irish research shows that 22% of Irish people claim they would either do nothing or are unsure of what to do if they experience OAB symptoms – and almost 1 in 3 report embarrassment as the key barrier to seeking help for OAB.********************************************************To mark World Continence Week 2016 Irish experts shared tips on improving bladder control encouraging the public to take action and improve their bladder control.Specialist Chartered Physiotherapist In Womens’s Health & Continence Maeve Whelan went to Jumpzone and with a group talked about the pros and cons of pelvic floor exercising on a trampoline!   Trampolining is not for the feint hearted! The problem is that those who have real problems wouldn’t dare. The majority of women would think that they could n’t get up on a trampoline for even a minute, let alone stay there long enough to strenghten the pelvic floor. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT GOES WRONG?Every time you land on the trampoline, your pelvic floor has to contract to keep everything in place. Yes – if you have problems with bladder leakage, it might increase your symptoms. . The bounce generates a lot of intra-abdominal pressure, and if your muscles are too weak – you’ll leak.  Think of a ship in dry dock: the organs (bladder, uterus and bowel) keep going down and the support (the muscles or in this analogy the water) is not there to counteract that force. The neck of the bladder opens. However – you are up there with the highly trained:

• 80% of elite trampolinists have pelvic floor leakage
• 28% of all athletes have pelvic floor leakage

 WHAT DO I DO ? Learn how to do a  CORRECT PELVIC FLOOR CONTRACTION:

• Squeeze engaging from the back as well and up to the front across the vagina and towards bladder
• Lift up and in as if trying to stop passing wind and stop passing urine
• Don’t lift your chest & don’t squeeze buttocks
• Start by holding for 5 and drop completely
• Then progress to hold for longer and introduce breathing at the same time
• Do 10 reps x 3 times per day
• Do some in lying some in sitting and some in standing

 Engage your core muscles 

• Zip up lower tummy as if away from knicker elastic or tummy button to spine
• DON’T brace the tummy – that means you shouldn’t feel a popping out of the muscles under the ribs
• DON’T lift your chest
• Engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Practice with the pelvic floor 10 reps x 3 times per day

 Posture 

• Lift the chest – make sure you are not rounded at the middle back
• Use the buttocks to stand– don’t sag down at the pelvis
• Don’t brace the upper tummy

 HOLD while bouncing – Some gentle rebounding – your feet don’t even have to leave the surface at first and build up impact all the time working on contracting the pelvic floor at impact. Be careful – don’t over brace the core or the pelvic floor – you might leak more. BUT Conscious, active “zipping” of the core is only required when you are increasing your activity levels – bouncing, lifting, running, pushing, bending, weight training etc. DON’T FALL IN TO THE TRAP  

• Oh well I have had a baby – that’s the way it is now
• I thought it was the menopause – it’s the hormones
• Oh well I am too old – its too late for me

70-80% of women will do well with bladder retraining and pelvic floor exercises – have a look at http://www.oab.ie . FINALLY – TRY EVB SPORT SHORTS FOR EXTRA SUPPORT http://evbsport.com  !