“I have to go to the toilet 20 times a day” “I plan my trips around the toilet stops”
“When I need to go, I need to go NOW or I will wee myself”
Urinary Urgency is defined as the ‘sudden, compelling, difficult-to-defer desire to pass urine’.
Usually the urge to wee is a feeling that gradually increases, and if you hold on for too long, the need to go increases. When you get to the toilet you will pass a good volume of urine.
Women with urinary urgency often describe a variety of symptoms such as:
An urge to pass urine that’s so strong they have to suddenly stop what they are doing and race to the toilet
Their bladder filling feels like it goes from empty to full suddenly
Not being able to hold on when the urge happens and sometimes leak urine
Going to the toilet multiple time a day and/or night
Waking with the urge to go to the toilet in the night.
Leaking urine when they get the urge to go to the toilet
Symptoms coming on when putting the house key in the front door, hearing running water, leaking in the shower.
Often these symptoms get classed as a patient having an Over Active Bladder (OAB). OAB is simply the term for this collection of symptoms – it does not explain why you have them, or how to get rind of them. OAB has a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life including sleep deprivation, less interest in activities in case they leak, worry they will be stuck like this forever.
There are lots of reasons women experience urgency symptoms. For example:
Front wall/anterior wall prolapse
Constipation
Urethra not closing enough
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Increased sensitivity of the bladder
Bladder not emptying fully
Neurological conditions (stroke, Parkinson’s Disease)
Endometriosis
We have tons of research showing how awesome and effective physiotherapy is for OAB. Figuring out what’s causing the OAB is key to making a treatment plan that is going to work…and it will be different for everyone. I’ve had patients who needed to manage their constipation and were cured, others who needed some local oestrogen cream to help with hormonal changes around the urethra. Others need some bladder retraining and some even need to use TENS machine to stimulate a nerve in their leg to help…I know, how amazing is that!
If you have been bugged with any of the symptoms mentioned above, no matter how long you have had the symptoms for, get in touch and lets get you on the road to recovery!