Overactive Bladder Treatment
Do you suffer from an overactive bladder? If so, you're not alone!
More than 33 million people (in the United States alone!) are affected by this bladder disorder.
What is an overactive bladder?​
An overactive bladder (OAB) causes a frequent and sudden urge to urinate that can be difficult to control. Also known as “spastic bladder” or “irritable bladder,” this condition can interfere with daily activities and often leads to feelings of frustration, embarrassment, or shame. In some cases, it can even contribute to anxiety or depression.
It’s important to know that an overactive bladder is NOT a normal part of aging — and it’s something that can be effectively treated. With the right care, you can regain control and return to living life with confidence and comfort.
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What are the symptoms of an overactive bladder?
Common symptoms in those who suffer from an overactive bladder include urinary urgency that is difficult to control, Urinary Incontinence (the unintentional loss of urine immediately following a strong urge to urinate), frequent urination (urinating more than 8 times in 24 hours), and Nocturia (a condition that causes you to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night just to urinate).
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What causes an overactive bladder?
An overactive bladder occurs when the muscles in your bladder become overly active, resulting in the bladder muscles contracting to pass urine before the bladder is full. Causes of an overactive bladder include abdominal trauma, infection, nerve damage caused by pelvic trauma or surgery, drug side effects, certain neurological diseases such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and Parkinson's Disease, urinary tract infections, and certain types of cancers such as prostate and bladder cancer.
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What are my treatment options?
There are many options available to help reduce, manage, and eliminate the symptoms associated with an overactive bladder. The most highly recommended and non-invasive treatment for an overactive bladder is pelvic floor physical therapy, specifically focusing on behavioral modification, which consists of several lifestyle changes. Some of these changes include diet/fluid intake management, scheduled toileting, bladder retraining, and, most importantly, pelvic muscle exercises.
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How can pelvic floor physical therapy help me?
During therapy, a pelvic health physical therapist will help you retrain the muscles involved in bladder control and restore proper coordination between your bladder and pelvic floor. Treatment often includes gentle pelvic floor exercises, bladder retraining strategies, relaxation and breathing techniques, and education on lifestyle and fluid habits. Each plan is tailored to your individual needs to help reduce urgency, frequency, and leakage — so you can regain confidence and control in your daily life.
Sources
1. What is an Overactive Bladder (OAB)? National Association for Continence (NAFC). https://nafc.org/overactive-bladder/
2. Overactive Bladder (OAB). Urology Care Foundation. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/o/overactive-bladder-(oab)
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“I'm so glad that I decided to go to see Dr. Soni. I have suffered with bladder, side, and bowel discomfort for years and she has helped me so much. The exercises, diet recommendations and relaxation techniques that she recommended worked great and I feel like myself again. I love her comfortable office atmosphere and focus on my specific issues. She is very knowledgeable and helped me to find relief in areas other than the pelvis that were contributing to my problem. She offers solutions that conventional doctors do not. This gave me a unique and better way of dealing with my pain. I was looking for more holistic healing rather than typical testing and medications and I found that with Dr. Soni. I highly recommend Pelvic Elements!”
— Kathy M