Help! I leak when I exercise, cough or sneeze. Is there a natural treatment to stop this?
My Pelvic Floor Therapy Journey
I'm sharing a totally embarrassing part of my life with you today because if it helps just one person, it will be worth it...
“OK, now, squeeze.” Dr. Shelby orders.
I lie on the cold hard steel of the gynecology table, my feet nervously cradled in the stirrups, and naked from the waist down.
“Now squeeze like you’re trying to hold back urine or gas.” I react with a laugh and am mortified. Up until I had urinary incontinence, laughing was enjoyable, now it’s embarrassing. Laughter, coughing, and exercising cause me to leak and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
“Sorry, I apologetically say to the urologist.” Thank goodness, she wears gloves.
The exam just takes a few minutes, but I feel like it’s been hours when she says to get dressed and meet her in her office. I immediately get scared and say to myself, “in her office, what could possibly be wrong?”
Anxiously I seat myself down and wait with dread. She starts with, “You have stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence is when you leak urine and have no control over it. Urge incontinence is when you have to urinate frequently.” She goes on to say, “You need surgery.” She casually explains how she’s going to insert this mesh inside my private area, like it’s an everyday occurrence. To her it is, but in my mind I’m thinking, “are you serious, you want to cut me up and insert what in where!”
She doesn’t offer me any other solutions. She said the medications don’t work in 8/10 women.
I hurry off to work to treat my patients who need rehab therapy for a variety of conditions, but the morning’s events keep interrupting my thoughts. I wonder how many women have this problem. I begin my research and find some medical classes to treat this problem – naturally! Why didn’t the doctor tell me about this solution? It’s so economical, it’s so easy and I can do it at home.
To make a long story short, I designed a program derived from the best medically proven pelvic floor exercises that are effective for both women and men. I knew it was a success when I sneezed and nothing leaked! I was smiling from ear to ear: people around me must have thought I was nuts. Now I can go for long car rides, go on social outings and not have to make sure there’s a bathroom nearby. And those expensive pads? Forget about them! Since that day I’ve traveled the country successfully treating thousands of patients with this problem. All of whom had no idea that they could do something about it – naturally. No pills, no surgery. All in the comfort of your own home.
Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.
