The holidays bring family gatherings, conversations around the table, and hopefully plenty of laughter. But for some people, a hearty laugh also brings an unwelcome concern: bladder leakage.
Perhaps you cross your legs before sneezing, wear a pad during workouts, or plan outings around bathroom access. These adjustments can become so familiar that you stop questioning them. While bladder leakage is common, you do not have to simply accept it as part of getting older.
The Muscles We Rarely Talk About
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis that supports your bladder and bowel and helps control urination. These muscles also contribute to sexual function and work alongside your abdominal and back muscles to support your trunk.
Pregnancy, childbirth, aging, hormonal changes, and prostate treatment can affect pelvic floor function. Both women and men can experience symptoms.
Leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise is called stress urinary incontinence. Here, “stress” means physical pressure — not emotional stress. A sudden, difficult-to-control urge to urinate is another pattern, and some people experience both.
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Understanding Your Options
The first step is identifying the cause. Not every bladder problem comes from weak muscles; some people have excessive pelvic floor tension or another condition requiring a different approach.
Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, and pelvic floor physical therapy can help appropriate patients improve strength and coordination. Correct technique matters, as does knowing whether your muscles need strengthening, relaxation, or both.
An Additional Option: Emsella
At Dane Functional Health, we offer Emsella, a noninvasive treatment that uses focused electromagnetic energy to stimulate repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions.
You sit fully clothed on a treatment chair for approximately 28 minutes, with no recovery time typically needed. A series of sessions helps appropriate patients build pelvic floor strength and work toward better bladder control.
We have already helped many women and men improve this part of their lives. Patients have described sleeping better with fewer nighttime bathroom trips — and when those trips no longer wake their partner, everyone gets a better night’s rest. Others feel more comfortable playing with their children, jumping at a concert, or laughing with friends without worrying about leakage. Sometimes, one person’s treatment makes life better for two.
Benefits Beyond Bladder Control
Some of our patients have also reported improvements in sexual function and reduced back discomfort following treatment.
The pelvic floor contributes to sexual sensation and muscular contractions during intimacy. It also forms part of the body’s core support system. Back pain has many possible causes, so we evaluate it separately.
More Freedom to Enjoy Everyday Life
Before treatment, we review your symptoms, medical history, and any implanted devices to determine whether Emsella is appropriate.
If bladder concerns are changing what you do, start the conversation with us at Dane Functional Health. This holiday season, let the laughter flow — not your bladder.
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