The Secret to Treating Urinary Stress Incontinence

Does your body spring a leak when you cough, sneeze, or laugh? You have urinary stress incontinence. It’s no laughing matter when your underwear becomes soaked at the most inopportune times. 

Board-certified Dr. Patrick Blatchford with Chestnut Wellness in Arkansas City, Kansas, can treat your stress incontinence using a revolutionary advance in female wellness: Empower RF®. 

What causes stress incontinence? 

Strong muscles help to support your body. Pelvic floor muscles support the vagina and uterus in women and the bowel and bladder in both sexes. These muscles are located between your tailbone and your public bone. 

If you have weak pelvic floor muscles, your bowel and bladder aren’t well supported. Sneezing, laughing, coughing, or lifting something heavy places extra pressure on your bladder. So do physical activities like running or jumping. If you have weak pelvic floor muscles, your sphincter muscle in your urethra opens and urine seeps out from the pressure on your bladder. 

Who’s at risk for stress incontinence? 

Risk factors include the following:

• Pregnancy
• Vaginal childbirth
• Menopause 
• Being a woman over 65 years old
• Hysterectomy
• Chronic coughing
• Diabetes
• Obesity

Why do I have weak pelvic floor muscles? 

Urinary stress incontinence is more common in women, although men can have it too. About one-third of women may experience stress incontinence at some point during their lives. 

If you’ve been through pregnancy and childbirth, you may have weak pelvic floor muscles. These muscles stretch to support your growing baby. The extra strain weakens them. 

Constipation is also common during pregnancy, and the resulting strain adds to weakened pelvic floor muscles. If you deliver a baby vaginally, your pelvic floor muscles are under intense strain. The amount of strain and stretching can weaken them and lead to pelvic floor disorder. 

How does Empower RF treat urinary stress incontinence?

You may have tried pelvic floor exercises to relieve your stress incontinence. If that’s proved to be unsatisfactory, you’ll want to consider Empower RF. 

Empower RF is a minimally invasive technology using both radiofrequency energy and electrical muscle stimulation to re-energize and strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles. Dr. Blatchford uses a sterile handheld device that strengthens the muscles far more than any exercises you could ever do. You’ll feel some pressure and a warm sensation but no pain.

You don’t have to spend hours trying to strengthen pelvic floor muscles yourself with little to no effect. The treatment is quick, and there’s no downtime. 

Call Chestnut Wellness or book an appointment through our online portal today for effective treatment for urinary stress incontinence.