Peeing Your Pants - How Yoga Can Help
Experiencing urinary incontinence (urine leakage) is quite common. As reported by The National Association for Continence, over 25 million American adults face bladder leakage every day. While urinary incontinence is a widespread issue, it is not regarded as normal and should not be treated as such. With the right treatment, this medical condition can frequently be managed effectively.
There are three main types of urinary incontinence:
Stress incontinence - occurs when leakage happens during activities like laughing, jumping, having an orgasm, sneezing, or coughing.
Urge incontinence - characterized by a sudden and urgent need to urinate, such as when arriving home and inserting the key in the lock.
Mixed incontinence involves a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
How Yoga Can Help Manage Urinary Incontinence
In 2014, researchers from UCSF School of Medicine conducted a study to assess yoga's effects on incontinence. Nineteen women with a history of incontinence for at least three months took part in the study. Half of the participants engaged in a six-week yoga program, while the other half did not. Those in the yoga group saw a 66% reduction in urine leakage frequency, compared to a 13% improvement in the non-yoga group.
Some beneficial yoga practices include:
1. Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga can help in relaxing pelvic floor muscles that might be excessively tense (hypertonic). Imagine the pelvic floor as a supportive hammock for the bladder, with its tissues also sealing the bladder's opening, the urinary sphincter. The pelvic floor muscles need to activate and relax at the right times to function properly.
2. Breath, Meditation, and Gentle Movement
These methods can activate the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous system, which has a direct impact on the bladder. Studies show a link between the nervous system and bladder function. Employing yoga techniques can assist in controlling urge incontinence by engaging the body's relaxation response.
3. Alignment and Posture
Yoga classes highlight that correct alignment and posture greatly impact breathing patterns and the coordination of the pelvic floor, diaphragm, multifidus, and transversus abdominis.
4. Strengthening
Yoga exercises can target and strengthen the core muscles and other supportive pelvic floor muscle groups in the body.
5. Awareness
Yoga practice enhances the awareness of both physical and emotional states. Identifying patterns of tension or stress is vital in tackling urinary incontinence, which frequently indicates an underlying bodily issue. Yoga offers a chance to heed these signals.
Who Can Help Manage Your Urinary Incontinence?
If you are experiencing urinary incontinence, seek a diagnosis from a healthcare provider specializing in this condition. If you're interested in exploring yoga and in an effort to help, please contact me for private coaching, or get on the waiting list for the class coming soon!
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