Stress and Urge Incontinence in Richmond
Leaking urine, whether it happens when you laugh and cough or when a sudden urge takes hold, is extremely common, but common does not mean you have to live with it. Incontinence is one of the most treatable women’s health conditions we see.
Our women’s health specialist identifies which type you have and builds a practical plan to rebuild your control and confidence.
What Is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. There are different types, and the two we treat most often are stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Many women experience a mix of both.
It can be frustrating and isolating, but it is very much something we can improve.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence is the most common form. It happens when a sudden rise in pressure inside the abdomen overwhelms the pelvic floor, so urine escapes during activities such as coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercising.
A healthy pelvic floor contracts automatically a fraction of a second before you cough or lift. When that timing is lost, leakage follows. A large part of our work is retraining that reflex, alongside building strength, so your body braces before pressure hits without you having to think about it.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence involves a sudden, intense and often overwhelming need to pass urine that you cannot hold long enough to reach a toilet, leading to leakage. It is closely linked to an overactive bladder and can significantly disrupt daily routines, work and sleep.
Treatment calms the bladder and rebuilds healthy habits:
- Bladder retraining and scheduled toileting: progressively deferring the urge using a staged plan until normal control returns.
- Urgency suppression: distraction, a pelvic floor contraction, relaxed breathing, curling the toes or rising onto them, and perineal pressure such as sitting on a firm chair.
- Optimised fluid intake and, where appropriate, intravaginal oestrogen.
- TENS stimulation to the tibial nerve, plus a joint approach with your doctor where medication is indicated.
How We Treat the Underlying Cause
Where to Find Us
Women throughout Richmond and the surrounding boroughs come to us to stop leaks affecting their exercise, sleep and confidence. We are based at Lawton Gate House, 7 Hill Street, Richmond, TW9 1SX, a short walk from Richmond Station and easily reached from Twickenham, Kew, Sheen, Teddington, Kingston and Barnes.
Meet Our Women's Health Physiotherapist
Breanna Walker is a Women’s Health Specialist who has guided many women through successful treatment for all forms of incontinence.
Her qualifications include the Australian Physiotherapy Association Women’s Pelvic Health Level 1 to 3 courses and the Women’s Health Through The Life Stages programme, which underpin both the pelvic floor work for stress incontinence and the bladder retraining used for urgency.
As a retired elite gymnast, Breanna understands how the pelvic floor must perform under load, which informs how she helps women return to running, jumping and sport without leakage. She is HCPC registered under PH154328.
