Other treatments for urinary incontinence include the following:

Behavioral Therapy

Bladder retraining is often an initial treatment for incontinence, and requires that you have at least some control over bladder function. For example, if you know that you tend to leak urine three hours after you urinate, you could empty your bladder every 2½ hours, then gradually increase the interval between trips to the bathroom.

Exercises

Not all the muscles involved with bladder control are automatic. You have control over the sphincter that holds urine in. Therefore, you can exercise it to strengthen it by doing ]]>Kegel exercises]]> :

  • Tighten the muscles in your bottom as if you were holding in urine and bowel movements. These muscles contract together.
  • Hold them as tight as you can for a slow count of ten.
  • Relax.
  • Repeat 10 times each session and several sessions each day.

Devices

Pessaries are devices inserted into the vagina. Most are designed to improve the function of the bladder sphincter by supporting the floor of the bladder.

Catheterization

Regularly emptying the bladder by inserting a tube (catheter) keeps the urine from spilling uncontrollably. Patients with neurogenic bladders learn how to do this by themselves. Those who are incapable of caring for themselves may have professional caregivers, such as nurses, perform this procedure regularly. It must be done under sterile conditions to avoid causing a bladder infection.

Biofeedback

By using electrical sensors, it is possible to make the contractions of the sphincter muscle visible or audible. While attached to such a device, you are encouraged to increase the signal, which strengthens the involved muscle. This form of treatment has not yet become widely accepted.

When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider

Except for catheterization, these methods are relatively safe. If you are doing your own catheterization, you will have a thorough training course that will teach you when to call for help, such as: