Will I ever Get Off These Bladder Meds

I hear a lot of patients ask, "Will I ever get off these bladder meds?"  While they can be beneficial for incontinence, Bladder Medications should be used as a temporary solution while at the same time improving pelvic floor strength.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles the lie inside the pelvis and support organs like the bladder, bowels, uterus or prostate. Dysfunction of these muscles, where they are either too tight or too lax can lead to incontinence, erectile dysfunction, pelvic pain and other symptoms.

When clients come to see me, we often discuss the use of medications for incontinence and whether or not they've tried them. My goal as a pelvic floor physical therapist is to help get the pelvic floor strong enough so that you don't have to stay on medications. But in the early stages, medications can be incredibly helpful.

That's why I often recommend that clients stay on their medications while we start working on improving their pelvic floor strength. This way, they're not suffering from embarrassing leaks or having any issues regarding pads or liners while we're strengthening their pelvic floor.

As we progress through treatment, I work with my clients and their doctor to gradually wean them off the medications. This is done as I start to notice them getting stronger, and their core abdominal strength and support for their bladder and internal organs is improving.

It's important to remember that as a physical therapist, I cannot make medication recommendations. But by working with your doctor, we can develop a plan to get you off those medications completely.

In many cases, I am able to take women from being on bladder medications to being off of them as they progress through their exercises and physical therapy treatment with me.

Think of medications as a crutch in the beginning, like a crutch after fracturing a leg. The crutch helps you start to get moving again and start to get things going again, maybe your partial weight-bearing, you're starting to get some strength back in that leg but eventually you've got to ditch the crutch in order to get that leg strong enough for you to walk without it.

Check out these FREE resources if you want more information on how to fix incontinence with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy:

My Core Floor Online Program: https://www.nomorepads.com

Pelvic Floor Workshop: https://www.nomorepads.com/pelvicfloorworkshop

Our Incontinence Web Page: https://www.thesuperiortherapy.com/conditions/incontinence/

YouTube Pelvic Floor Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77YKOSXe8e4GowFW8yz8N_ursYwtrY11

More info on meds from Mayo Clinic: Bladder control: Medications for urinary problems - Mayo Clinic