Dr. Erik Schulte, OB/GYN and the Divine Savior Rehabilitation Department are pleased to share comprehensive treatment options for women experiencing various types of urinary incontinence.  Divine Savior offers surgical and non-surgical options, including physical therapy treatments, to help improve the quality of life for those seeking relief.

Urinary incontinence is a condition that affects nearly 13 million Americans, many of whom are women.  Women of all ages who experience this condition often feel embarrassment and are hesitant about speaking to their physician about it. The good news for women with urinary incontinence is that there is treatment available, and it may simply involve a few physical therapy sessions to learn how to strengthen and retrain the pelvic floor muscles, a medicine, or a simple outpatient procedure. The professionals at Divine Savior Healthcare understand this condition and are here to work with you to increase your quality of life by finding a solution to your incontinence in a respectful and dignified manner.

Stress urinary incontinence is the most common form of incontinence and is defined as the leakage of urine during bodily movement or activity such as sneezing, laughing, coughing, and exercise.  Despite what the name would imply, this particular type of incontinence is not brought on by psychological stress but rather by varied contributing factors such as hormonal changes stemming from menopause, prior gynecologic surgeries, pregnancy and natural childbirth, or strenuous activity. 

Urgency is the next most common form of incontinence and is often the result of lifestyle habits or pelvic floor weakness that have led to the inability to “hold your urine” in time to make it to the bathroom.  It is very common to have a mix of both stress and urge incontinence. 

While some forms of urinary incontinence may require the use of surgical intervention and medication to control, many types are treatable simply by the implementation of a physical rehabilitation plan that involves retraining of the pelvic floor muscles.  Physical rehabilitation of the pelvic floor is a specialty offered by the Divine Savior Healthcare Rehabilitation Department. The Rehabilitation Department currently has two Physical Therapists on staff, Sue Condon, PT, and Shana Beneteau, PT, who both specialize in the treatment of urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction.

Our physical therapy approach starts with a home exercise program and education on lifestyle techniques.  We will also consider pelvic floor function in relation to the chain of muscles, joints and bones above and below the pelvic floor and the influence these may be having upon function.  These treatments in the rehab department involve a minimal time commitment and are typically scheduled as 3-4 visits within a 2-3 month time frame.  Sue Condon, Divine Savior’s Rehabilitation Department Director, says, “We can help nearly 80% of the patients we see in the rehab department achieve improvement in their condition and often times, achieve complete relief.” 

While OB/GYN Dr. Erik Schulte believes that physical therapy works for most cases, he is here to treat those who require a different or more advanced treatment plan. Dr. Schulte may provide these patients with additional advanced incontinence management treatments, including medications for an overactive bladder, increased control through a bulking agent to improve closure of the urethra and other minimally invasive surgeries. 

Among the surgical options offered, Dr. Schulte is pleased to provide an effective urethral support system treatment that involves the surgical implantation of a urethral sling.  The sling acts as a support that can help by restoring urethral positioning to help prevent the leakage of urine from the body.  For most patients, the implantation of the sling is a 30 minute procedure performed under anesthesia, local, regional or general depending upon which is best suited for the patient’s particular health condition.  The sling procedure is performed here at Divine Savior and most patients are able to return home in a matter of a few hours.  Most surgeries are fairly simple and produce few complications for the patient although potential candidates for the surgery should speak to a physician to make certain they are aware of all risks involved with any surgery.

If you are not a surgical candidate for support in the pelvic floor region, Dr. Schulte also offers fitting for pessaries.  These are devices professionally fit, to support the organs of the pelvic floor and provide support to women in need.  If you have a history of pelvic organ “prolapse”, rectocele or cystocele, you may be a candidate for this minimally invasive approach. 

Preventative measures can be taken to lessen the risk and severity of urinary incontinence in women.  Condon suggests working to fight the immediate urge to empty the bladder, learning the proper method in performance of pelvic floor exercises that utilize the muscles associated with urination, and by simply adding a moderate walking program into a daily lifestyle.  “Many women experiencing urinary incontinence often avoid drinking water in hopes of controlling their bladder, “ says Condon, “when in essence, drinking more water can actually assist in increasing bladder capacity.”