Incontinence by Emily Smyth

Incontinence is a topic often shied away from in our daily life. Few people like to admit they suffer from this problem. Many will not speak about it and find it an uncomfortable area to address. Many even are under the impression that it is normal to have incontinence to a mild degree. In face it is not a problem that we should live with and it is not a normal part of pregnancy or aging.

In modern society there is a lot of emphasis on promotion of products. There are incontinent pads advertised on the TV, the radio and even popping up in different television programs where they speak about needing and using them. While many people applaud this as an invitation to speak about this ‘taboo’ topic and encourage openness, unfortunately this type of promotion also acts to normalise a problem which is not ‘normal’ and is something you should not have to live with.  Leaking is not ‘normal’. It is not part of ageing and it is not something we should live with just because you are a mother.

There are plenty of home exercises which a Physiotherapist can prescribe to improve your incontinence. Sometimes adding in these simple exercises in throughout the day can make a significant improvement to your quality of life. If you have any concerns it is always worth a trip to a  physio who can give you further advice.