Let’s set the record straight once and for all.

Let’s set the record straight once and for all. It is not normal to pee when you laugh, cough, sneeze, exercise or have sex.

Bladder leakage is not a right of passage as we age, nor is it something you should have to live with. Peeing your pants is something almost nobody wants to admit, but it happens to many of us! It might be common, but it’s a medical condition that deserves to be treated. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) occurs when the pressure from above is higher than the pressure from your pelvic floor below preventing your body from holding the urine in.

There are many causes of SUI, including childbirth which makes you prone to weakness and can even cause nerve damage. Whether you are a new mom or gave birth 30 years ago you may experience SUI at any time in the aging process. Being overweight can also put extra pressure on the pelvic floor causing it to weaken. Chronic coughing or straining (while lifting or on the toilet) can weaken your muscles as well. Pelvic surgery can also make you susceptible to SUI. Unfortunately, most people do not pay much attention to the pelvic floor until there is a problem.

Strengthening the pelvic floor can help SUI. The pelvic floor is a hammock-like group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that runs from the base of your tailbone in the back to your pelvic bone in the front. Part of your core, the pelvic floor keeps your bladder, lower colon, cervix, uterus, vagina, and urethra firmly in place. There are very specific ways to strengthening the pelvic floor for both power and endurance. Pelvic physical therapy can help train these muscles properly. Why live with the condition when there is help out there!