While you may feel that urinary incontinence rules your bladder, did you know that your bladder may not actually be the problem? For many people who experience urinary incontinence, the underlying problem is actually a weak pelvic floor.
At Spa 29, we help you find the right solutions, so you don’t always have to worry about knowing the location of the nearest bathroom. Here, we’ll talk about how the pelvic floor impacts your body and explain some options for urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, GA.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor, a network of muscles, connects from your tailbone to the front of your pubic bone. These muscles help strengthen and stabilize your core and protect your organs and bones from internal impacts, like sneezing, coughing, jumping, and more. They also hold up your organs, and they even support some of your bodily functions, like urination, defecation, and sexual intercourse.
When it is working properly, you’re not really meant to be aware of your pelvic floor. However, you quickly become aware of it when it becomes weak, since it causes issues like urinary incontinence.
The Pelvic Floor & Urinary Incontinence
Because the pelvic floor supports functions like urination, issues like urinary incontinence can occur when the pelvic floor muscles become weak. There are 3 main types of urinary incontinence.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence most commonly affects women, since it results from a weak pelvic floor. The pelvic floor can become weaker for many reasons, but the most common ones include:
- Pregnancy
- Giving birth
- Surgery in or around the pelvic floor (including C-sections)
- Frequent UTIs
- Aging
- Obesity
- Hormonal changes
- Chronic constipation
Typically stress incontinence occurs after the pelvic floor stretches beyond its normal capacity. Like any muscle, the pelvic floor can stretch, but if it goes too far or stays too long, that action damages the muscle.
A stretched-out pelvic floor cannot fully support your body like it once did, and you can experience issues with sexual dysfunction, fecal incontinence, and urinary incontinence.
We typically characterize it as stress incontinence when you experience small leaks when your core experiences some type of impact—like laughing, jumping, sneezing, coughing, and more. You also may feel the urge to urinate frequently.
With our treatments for urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, we focus on non-surgical methods of repairing and strengthening the pelvic floor. When you visit our team for a consultation, they talk with you about your best options for treating stress incontinence and help you create a plan that fits you.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence, more commonly associated with men, typically occurs when an underlying illness has affected the nerves. Common causes of urge incontinence include:
- Overactive bladder
- Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Diabetes
- Certain medications
- And more
Urge incontinence is characterized by having the sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate and occasionally the inability to make it to the bathroom in time.
This happens because the bladder suddenly contracts without you actively trying to urinate, causing urine to leak out. While our options for urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick can help improve some of the symptoms of urge incontinence, you cannot completely resolve the issue without the underlying causes.
Mixed Incontinence
Some of you might be asking the question: “What if I experience both?” If you think you experience both types, then you may have mixed incontinence. This combines the causes and symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence.
While this type of incontinence may seem harder to treat, it really isn’t. It just requires a more highly specialized treatment plan that really looks at the causes of your incontinence and provides solutions to those root issues. At Spa 29, our providers deliver well-rounded care for your urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, GA. While you work with your primary care provider to discover and treat the underlying cause of your urge incontinence, we can use our treatments to improve your symptoms and prevent them from causing major issues in your day-to-day life.
Your Cornerstone for Care: Emsella
Most urinary incontinence treatments use Emsella. This noninvasive device emits high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy to stimulate rapid contractions within your pelvic floor. These contractions provide an intense workout equivalent to around 11,000 Kegels—all in just 30 minutes. These contractions build up muscle mass, tightening and strengthening them so your pelvic floor can function as it once did.
The Emsella Process
The Emsella treatment process is fairly straightforward. Here is what you can expect when you come to Spa 29 for urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, GA.
Consultation
For your first appointment with our team, you meet for a one-on-one consultation with one of our expert providers. They take the time to listen to your symptoms and help you identify which type of incontinence you are experiencing.
Once they understand your needs, they talk with you about different treatment options, making sure to thoroughly explain even the small details. Together, you and your provider can discuss if Emsella is right for you and create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your needs.
Treatment
For your Emsella appointment, your provider asks you to remove any metal before having you sit down in the Emsella chair, including jewelry, piercings, and any clothes that may have metal zippers or buttons. You should also let your provider know if you have any metal or electronic implants in your body before undergoing Emsella.
Once you are ready and seated in the chair, your provider starts the device. You remain fully clothed while the device stimulates rapid muscle contractions within your pelvic floor for about 30 minutes. While this sensation might feel odd, it should not feel uncomfortable or painful.
Results
Many patients notice improvements in their urinary incontinence after just one session of Emsella, but we typically recommend undergoing about 4 to 6 to fully treat your pelvic floor. Your improvements can continue to build with each session, until you can laugh, sneeze, and jump without fear of having to run to the bathroom.
Your provider talks with you about how long you can expect your results to last, as you most likely need maintenance treatments to upkeep your pelvic floor strength.
Treatments to Pair With Emsella
While Emsella usually forms the cornerstone of urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, GA, most treatment plans include multiple services to improve your results and help them last longer.
Hormone Therapy
While hormone changes may not be the root cause of your urinary incontinence, they may be worsening your symptoms. At Spa 29, if your provider determines that you make a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy, they talk with you about including it as part of your urinary incontinence treatment.
Weight Loss Injections
Being overweight can also worsen symptoms of urinary incontinence. That is because excess weight strains your pelvic floor muscles, causing them to lose strength over time. By pairing your Emsella treatments with medical weight loss injections, you can simultaneously strengthen your pelvic floor and prevent excess weight from straining it again in the future.
Commonly Asked Questions
Still have questions? No problem! We’re more than happy to provide the answers you’re searching for. Here are the most commonly asked questions we hear about urinary incontinence treatment, and their corresponding answers.
If you don’t see your questions covered here, then we encourage you to reach out to one of our team members, who can provide the information you need regarding treatment.
Will I need to undress for Emsella?
No! You will be able to sit fully clothed on the Emsella chair and receive treatment. This treatment doesn’t require probes, dressing gowns, or injections.
How long do Emsella results last?
The duration of your results really depends on the condition of your pelvic floor when you first come to us for treatment and how many treatment sessions you undergo.
However, most of our patients see their results last anywhere between 6 to 12 months. Once you start to notice symptoms of your urinary incontinence returning, you can call your provider, and they can help you schedule multiple maintenance sessions to keep up your results.
Can men use Emsella?
Yes! Emsella is an FDA-approved treatment to improve urinary incontinence in both men and women.
Are there any side effects to Emsella?
Emsella has very few side effects. For a few hours after treatment, you may experience some muscle spasms, soreness, or increased sensitivity in and around your pelvic floor, but that should resolve itself within 24 hours.
Make Plans Without Needing Bathroom Breaks
You shouldn’t let your need for a bathroom dictate your day. At Spa 29, our experts help you determine the best choices for your urinary incontinence treatment in Brunswick, GA.
You can either request an appointment with one of our team members or use our virtual consultation tool to take the first step in improving your urinary incontinence.
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