Non-surgical Treatments for Incontinence

Dr. J. Kyle Mathews Offers Several Non-Surgical Treatments for Incontinence

Dr. J. Kyle Mathews, a board-certified urogynecologist, specializes in identifying and treating incontinence (the leakage of urine). When you see Dr. Mathews, he will discuss the treatments that are right for your condition, some of which may include non-surgical treatments for incontinence.

Lifestyle Modification

Some women with mild cases of incontinence may be able to alleviate their symptoms with simple lifestyle changes. Dr. Mathews may recommend that you:

  • Lose weight—being overweight puts extra pressure on the bladder.
  • Quit smoking—nicotine is a bladder irritant.
  • Eliminate or cut back on alcohol and caffeine—these substances are diuretics.
  • Avoid bladder irritants–i.e., citrus fruits, spicy foods and carbonated beverages.

Behavior Modification 

Women with mild to moderate symptoms of incontinence may find relief with non-surgical treatments for incontinence that involve behavior modification. Dr. Mathews may try:

Bladder training (also called bladder retraining)—most commonly used for urge incontinence, this behavior modification technique involves keeping a bathroom diary, where you record each time you feel the urge to go to the bathroom, as well as when leakage occurs. After you have determined your bathroom schedule by using the diary, you will begin to schedule your trips to the bathroom, increasing the time between trips gradually, hopefully improving your bladder control. Dr. Mathews and his compassionate staff will guide you during the training.

Pelvic muscle therapy—(also called pelvic floor muscle exercises or Kegel exercises). Our staff will teach you to perform these exercises properly, and over time, performing them will help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support your bladder.

Biofeedback—a physical therapist or nurse specialist guides this technique to help patients correctly perform pelvic muscle therapy. Sensors are placed on the muscles being used to alert the patient when they correctly perform the strengthening exercises.

Medication 

There are several different medications available that may help with the symptoms of incontinence, and they may be used alone or combined with other non-surgical treatments for incontinence. Some of the most common medications are prescribed to inhibit the bladder muscles from contracting. Dr. Mathews may prescribe:

  • Detrol
  • Ditropan XL
  • Oxytrol patch
  • Vesicare

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Many women find that their incontinence symptoms are relieved by minimally invasive procedures that Dr. Mathews performs in his office, including:

Nerve Stimulation—Urination, including the urge to go and the spasms that make urine flow into the urethra, is controlled by the nervous system. Nerve stimulation helps to control the bladder muscles and contractions. There are two types of nerve stimulation treatments: 

Sacral Nerve Stimulation and Modulation—(InterStim Therapy). This minimally invasive procedure involves placing an implant in the low back that will stimulate the sacral nerve, located near the tailbone, helping to restore control of the urinary bladder muscle.

Tibial Nerve Stimulation—this 30-minute procedure does not involve an implant. During treatment, we stimulate the tibial nerve in your ankle, which affects the nerves that control the bladder. We initially recommend a series of 12 treatments, followed by maintenance therapy treatments.

Urethral Bulking Agents—this treatment is specifically used for patients who have problems with the urethral sphincter muscle. The patient is usually treated in the office under local anesthesia or mild sedation. Dr Mathews injects bulking agents into the tissues around the urethra to help the sphincter muscle close without obstructing the muscle.

Once Dr. J. Kyle Mathews has diagnosed the cause of your urinary incontinence, you can rest assured that he and his dedicated staff are committed to finding the right combination of non-surgical treatments for incontinence, or in some cases, surgical techniques. Our goal: Alleviate the symptoms that cause you problems, embarrassment or pain. Contact us to set up an appointment and find out how we can help you with your incontinence issues.