Okay guys! Since we talked about stress incontinence last month, we are excited to continue with the series about incontinence…
So– we’re going to talk about overflow incontinence (OI).
Sometimes called “dribbling,” OI occurs when your bladder doesn’t completely empty when you go to the bathroom. You may or may feel the urge *to go* with this type of incontinence. But it is very common for only small amounts of urine to be released throughout the day as your bladder refills- which means you go to the bathroom all the time because you aren’t really emptying.
Other common symptoms of OI include:
Difficulty initiating urination or a weak stream
Getting up a lot at night to go to the bathroom
Frequent UTIs
The main cause of overflow incontinence is chronic urinary retention, which is a fancy way of saying you can’t fully empty your bladder. OI is more common in people over the age of 65 and may be more common in men due to an enlarged prostate. Because urine remains in the bladder, this can cause the bladder to overstretch and the surrounding “sling” (aka the Pelvic Floor Muscles) to become too tight (you can read more about that here). Over time, this can cause the bladder to weaken and more urine to leak out. And then it becomes a neverending cycle.
Common causes of OI in both men or women may include:
Bladder stones or tumors (which block the urine from voiding)
Neurological conditions that affect central and peripheral nerves, such as MS, diabetes, or brain injuries
A history of pelvic trauma or surgery
Severe uterine (in women) or bladder prolapse
How does OI compare to stress incontinence?
The main difference is that stress incontinence is caused by physical activities, especially high impact ones like running or jumping. Usually more common in women, stress incontinence can be caused by weakened or damaged pelvic floor muscles, urethral sphincter, or both. But like OI, there is generally not an urge to urinate.
Just like stress incontinence, a pelvic floor PT can help you address OI.
You may be asked to keep a bladder diary for a week, tracking how much you drink, how often you urinate, how much you produce, whether you had an urge to urinate, or if any leaking occurred.
Your pelvic floor PT may place you on a bladder training program – or “timed voiding” (e.g., you go to the bathroom at designated times).
You may also practice double voiding, where you urinate and then wait a few minutes before urinating again.
Lastly, your therapist will give you exercises and a specific treatment program to address any possible pelvic floor deficits that may be affecting your OI.
The most important thing we cannot stress enough: any type of incontinence is not normal!
Although the kind of incontinence may inform the path of treatment, the most important thing is to get treated. You don’t have to live with it!
<3 The Recharged Performance Therapy Team
321-208-1630
www.RechargedPerformanceTherapy.com
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/symptoms-causes/syc-20352808
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22162-overflow-incontinence
https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-conditions-and-symptoms/overflow-incontinence/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/bladder-and-bowel/types-of-urinary-incontinence