No More Leaks: How Physiotherapy Can Help You Take Control of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a very common condition that causes unintentional urine leaks during activities like coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising. It can be frustrating and embarrassing, but you’re not alone—many people experience this, and there is help available.

Our experienced pelvic floor physiotherapists are here to support you.

What Are the Symptoms?

The main symptom of SUI is leaking urine when extra pressure is put on your bladder.

This can happen during:

• Coughing or sneezing

• Laughing

• Running, jumping, or other exercise

• Lifting something heavy

The amount of leakage can vary from person to person. Some may only notice a few drops, while others might experience more significant volumes.

Who Can Experience Stress Urinary Incontinence?

SUI can affect anyone, including teenagers, young adults, new mums, and older adults.

It is more common in women, especially during pregnancy, childbirth and around menopause. Men can also experience SUI, particularly after prostate surgery.

What Increases the Risk?

Certain factors can increase the risk of developing SUI:

Pregnancy and Childbirth: The pelvic floor muscles can become stretched and/or damaged making them less capable of supporting your bladder and keeping the urethra (tube that goes from your bladder to the outside) closed.

Birth trauma can sometimes cause damage to the supporting structures of the bladder and urethra, leading to SUI.

Significant hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy and the post partum period can affect a woman's capacity to prevent leaking.

Menopause: As women approach menopause they have decreasing amounts of the key hormone Oestrogen. Oestrogen is major player in maintaining continence on several levels.

Central Obesity: Extra weight around the mid section increases the pressure down on the bladder.

Chronic Coughing and constipation: This can strain the pelvic muscles and other structures over time.

Excessive high load exercise: High exercise loads seen in sports such as cross fit, gymnastics, trampolining and running can put significant pressure onto the bladder causing SUI. These activities may also be associated with significant increases in hip muscle tightness which may compress the nerve that go to the urethral sphincter (circular muscle around the top of the urethral that keeps it closed and prevents leaking).

How Can Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Help?

The good news is that pelvic floor physiotherapy can be very effective in treating SUI. Here’s how we can help:

1. Pelvic Floor Exercises We’ll teach you how to correctly contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles - note 1 in 3 women do these exercises wrong.

Individualised pelvic floor exercises programs strengthen and better coordinate the muscles that help control your bladder.

In some cases, we also focus on teaching the pelvic floor muscles as well as the hip muscles to relax and let go. This is especially important if there is too much tension in the pelvic area, which can prevent the urinary sphincter from working as it should.

2. Lifestyle Advice: Good bladder and bowel habits are an important part of managing SUI. This means avoiding constipation, staying hydrated, and urinating when you need to—rather than just in case.

We also focus on general exercise. For some women, increasing physical activity and strengthening the legs, hips and tummy can reduce effort during basic tasks.

For others, particularly young athletes, learning to relax overactive pelvic muscles is key.

3. Bladder Training: We also provide guidance on how to improve bladder control and increase the time between trips to the bathroom.

4. Support Pessaries: For some women, particularly those who have experienced birth trauma, a support pessary can be helpful. A pessary is a small device placed in the vagina to support the bladder and urethra, potentially reducing leakage and helping the pelvic floor muscles do their job more effectively.

Why See a Pelvic Floor Physio?

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is the first step in managing SUI because it’s effective and non-invasive. Our approach helps you regain control and get back to the activities you love without the worry of leaks. With our many years of experience, training and qualifications, our team understands how to make this process comfortable and supportive for you.

Don’t Wait to Get Help

If you’re experiencing leaks or worried about bladder control, know that you’re not alone.

Stress urinary incontinence is common, and it doesn’t mean there’s something seriously wrong. Our pelvic floor physiotherapists are here to help you take control and feel more confident—reach out to us today.