What is incontinence?
Incontinence is the loss of control over your bladder or bowel. If you have it, you cannot predict when you will urinate and/or have a bowel movement. This is a common problem for males and females of all ages. As many as 20 million people have it.

Some people never seek help because they are ashamed or embarrassed. Others think that nothing can be done about it. But incontinence can be treated.

What are the different types of incontinence?
Stress incontinence—a small amount of urine is released when you laugh, cough, sneeze, run or do other physical activities.

Urge incontinence – the urge to urinate comes on so quickly that you often cannot reach the toilet in time.

Overflow incontinence – your bladder is always full, causing it to release small amounts of urine at a time.

Reflex incontinence – nerve damage causes a loss of bladder control.

Fecal incontinence – problems with the rectal nerves or muscles cause the release of stool (bowel movements) or the staining of underclothes.

What causes incontinence?
There are many causes, including:
• Childbirth
• Infection
• Obesity
• Surgery

Incontinence may also be a symptom of another problem or disease, like diabetes, multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy.

At Fairview Health Services, we will do simple tests to find the cause of your incontinence. Once we know the cause, we can treat the problem.

How is it treated?
Physical therapy will help strengthen the muscles that support your pelvis. These muscles control your bladder and bowel. When the muscles are weak, over-stretched, hyperactive (over-excitable) or low in endurance, it can lead to incontinence.

You will learn simple exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles. These exercises play a major role in your treatment. You may also receive biofeedback. This is a simple, painless method for checking the muscles around your pelvis. It will tell us if a pelvic muscle is weak, hyperactive or has low endurance. It also gives you immediate feedback while you exercise the muscles of the pelvic floor.

What do I have to do to see a physical therapist?
First, see your family doctor to discuss your bladder or bowel control problem. Explain that you would like to see a physical therapist for further tests and treatment. Your doctor needs to write an order before you can begin physical therapy.

Contact us
Rehabilitation Services
Fairview Red Wing Medical Center
701 Fairview Blvd.
PO Box 95
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-267-5450