What it is
Overactive bladder is a condition where you experience frequent and often sudden urgency to urinate, and it can be very difficult to control when it comes on.
How it is treated with physical therapy
Behavior modification and education are the primary treatments for this condition. Therapist will give a detailed explanation of the anatomy and physiology of the bladder and how you can use the physiologic relationship with the pelvic floor to retrain your bladder.
Being able to perform a pelvic floor contraction, or Kegel, is a critical part of retraining your bladder. Therapist will perform an internal exam, with patient consent, to coach the patient through how to correctly perform a pelvic floor contraction. If you demonstrate weakness in this muscle you will be given a series of exercises to add on to the basic pelvic floor contraction to help coordinate these muscles with the surrounding muscle groups.
Your Homework
You will be given specific behavior modifications for your daily life to regain control of your bladder. If you demonstrated pelvic floor weakness, you will also be given specific exercises to strengthen this muscle group.
How many sessions
Typically this is a single 1 hour session. Once I explain everything and you are able to use the knowledge gained, most of my patients see a complete resolution of symptoms over about a 2 week period and never need me again! If you find that symptoms persist, you will need to return for more strengthening exercises which can be given over four 30 min sessions, or two 1 hour sessions.
Pelvic Health Physical Therapy 