The FDA has recently cleared a medical device that treats leaking bladder problems in women which could change the way incontinence is managed. Urinary incontinence is more common among women than men, and many different treatments exist to treat the issue, but the InTone device is the first of its kind.
Treating urine leakage
Women experience loss of bladder control for a variety of reasons, and the condition becomes more common with age. The inventor of InTone, Herschel Peddicord, says he believes the device will “effectively treat” incontinence in “most cases.” It is estimated that around 30 million American women experience urine leakage, women from all walks of life and all levels of health and fitness.
Stress incontinence is one of the most common forms of bladder weakness among women. Caused by the wearing down of muscles that support the bladder, the pelvic floor, stress incontinence occurs during sneezing, laughing and strenuous activity. Urge incontinence, another common problem, is an unexpected loss of control that’s causes by bladder muscle spasms. The trauma of childbirth is especially wearing on bladder muscles, but women who have never given birth may also experience these types of incontinence.
Bladder control exercises are one way to effectively strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder. Kegels are a popular method of strengthening these muscles, because they may be performed easily any time, anywhere. The InTone device helps monitor and promote the muscle activity that occurs during Kegels and other bladder control exercises.
The device delivers a current straight to the muscles in order to strengthen them. Physicians determine the correct setting for the device and instruct the patient how to use it at home. A sensor in the InTone shows whether or not the patient is doing their bladder control exercises correctly. Voice instruction guides users through the bladder control routine and reports on progress. Through 10-minute sessions a day, women may use the device to strengthen their bladder muscles and potentially solve their bladder weakness. The InTone device delivers results, in a majority of cases, after around 90 days of use. It’s currently available through prescription.
Other treatments do exist for urine leakage. Women may have small devices, pessaries, inserted directly into their bodies to lift and support the bladder when natural muscles just aren’t doing the job. Surgery may also be conducted to lift the bladder back into position. But in the majority of cases of female incontinence, bladder control exercises prove to be completely effective. You don’t have to have a special device to perform these exercises, but it certainly can help.
http://www.vibrantnation.com/health-fitness/bladder-control/fda-approves-device-to-treat-leaking-bladder-problems/