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Fighting the Urge:Treating Incontinence with Wyckoff Physical Therapy

Urinary incontinence, which affects around 25 million people in the United States, is one of the most common health problems facing Americans—and one of the least discussed. Although it can be embarrassing to admit having trouble controlling your bladder, seeking help is imperative. There is no reason to live in uncomfortable silence when noninvasive and relatively easy treatment is available with the help of physical therapy.

Despite the television commercials that suggest adult diapers and medication as the only solutions for incontinence, studies show that physical therapy can often help patients reduce or overcome symptoms in a matter of months. The first step is to identify the type and cause of your incontinence, which is described by one of two ways:

  • Stress incontinence is caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles, often due to pregnancy, childbirth, certain medications, prostate surgery or obesity. With stress incontinence, you may experience leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing—all activities which create abdominal pressure.
  • Urge incontinence is also referred to as “overactive bladder,” because sufferers feel an intense and uncontrollable urge to urinate before making it to the bathroom. Causes of urge incontinence include nerve or muscle damage, nervous system disorders and bladder infections.
  • It is important that you see your physician and rule out other underlying causes for your incontinence and to determine what type you are dealing with, so we can design a program to address your specific needs. For those with stress incontinence, this begins with pelvic floor training using Kegel exercises (repetitive contracting of pelvic floor muscles). We can also use biofeedback to help you identify and isolate the muscles needed for better bladder control. For urge incontinence, treatment might be a bit more intensive, utilizing behavior modifications, dietary changes and electrical stimulation to help reduce your sudden urges and train your body to hold urine more effectively.Even for those who do require additional treatment, physical therapy can speed up healing and the effectiveness of surgery or medications.

 Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation located in the Gabriel Realty Building at One East Ridgewood Avenue in Wyckoff, NJ provides orthopedic and sports physical therapy services for the greater Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Oradell, River Edge, Westwood, Ho-ho-kus and Bergen County region.  This blog is intended for informational purposes only and should not be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. The views expressed here are the author’s views and should be taken as suggestions. Always consult your physician or healthcare practitioner before engaging in a orthopedic, cardiovascular or sports physical therapy rehabilitation program.

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann is a premier physical therapist based out of Bergen County, New Jersey. He holds an MS in physical therapy from the University of Miami, is credentialed in the world-renowned McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), and holds an OCS (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist) certification. As of 2018, there are approximately 14,000 ABPTS certified specialists in the nation and less than 400 of them are located in the state of New Jersey. Tom is the owner and director of Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation in Paramus. He opened the clinic, which specializes in spine and sports injury prevention, in 2004 after many years of experience in the field. Tom’s caring interest in others and his strong belief in continuity of care, combined with his clinic’s ability to find solutions for the most difficult orthopedic problems, have earned Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation its excellent reputation with patients and medical professionals in northeastern New Jersey and beyond. A true “family man,” Tom takes pride in his clinic’s warm and welcoming environment.
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