Angela Yamaoka
Product Specialist, Mothers Choice Products & TensCare Canada
Solutions for incontinence are helping Canadian women experiencing leakage take back their independence.
We’ve all experienced that unassuming moment when — suddenly — you’ve got to get to the bathroom. But, for some women, these feelings aren’t limited to once-in-a-while situations. Thousands of women across Canada suffer from incontinence when the urge to urinate becomes a constant part of their every day. Others worry that when they sneeze or laugh, they will experience leakage that results in an embarrassing wet stain.
Defined as the lack of voluntary control over bladder function, incontinence can be caused by a weak pelvic floor — the muscles that support the bladder. Like other muscles, the less you exercise your pelvic floor, the weaker it gets.
Incontinence can manifest as one of three types:
- Stress — when your pelvic floor is not strong enough to hold urine back.
- Urge — when the nerves in your pelvic floor are overworking.
- Mixed — a combination of both.
Incontinence goes beyond the physical effects
While physical in nature, the impacts of incontinence can go far beyond that. The ongoing threat of bladder leakage can lead many women to adopt a less social, more isolating lifestyle, impacting their mental health. Yet, as a society, incontinence tends to be accepted as part of the natural aging process. “People think they have to just live with incontinence,” says Angela Yamaoka, Product Specialist for Mothers Choice Products and TensCare Canada . “It’s your body’s way of telling you it’s not working properly.”
Perhaps one of society’s greatest kept secrets: treatment options to strengthen the pelvic floor can provide long-lasting relief and hope for those experiencing incontinence.
People think they have to just live with incontinence. It’s your body’s way of telling you it’s not working properly.
Tools to help you perfect your pelvic floor
“The pelvic floor is a hard muscle to isolate. Our bodies usually work to keep our pelvic floor together; it never fully relaxes,” says Yamaoka. Health Canada-approved Class II medical devices, like the TensCare Perfect Pelvic Floor Exerciser (PFE), are designed by medical professionals with this in mind. These devices use electrical stimulation to safely teach the body to complete a Kegel exercise, which can help relieve incontinence symptoms. With settings customized to each type of incontinence, these devices train the pelvic floor to fully contract and fully relax, building strength with the hope that, eventually, the body will recognize how to complete these motions without the device. The Perfect PFE is designed to be easy to use, effective in eliminating symptoms and can help avoid or prolong the need for surgery. These devices are cost-effective over time versus the cost of containment pads, and they’re a worthwile investment in your health and wellness.
