Is your first priority when you arrive somewhere to locate the nearest restroom?

Do you cough and leak?
Do you laugh and leak?
Do you sneeze and leak?
Do you avoid certain activities because you’re worried about having an accident?

If so, you’re not alone.

Urinary incontinence—the unintentional leakage of urine—is a common problem, particularly among women. It can be frustrating, embarrassing, and disruptive to everyday life. But leaking urine is not simply something you have to accept as you get older.

There are several types of urinary incontinence, and understanding what may be contributing to the problem is an important first step.

💧 What Is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. In other words, your bladder releases urine when you don’t intend for it to happen.

The bladder stores urine until you’re ready to empty it. A coordinated system involving the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bladder, pelvic floor muscles, and urinary sphincters allows you to control when urination occurs.

When that system isn’t working properly, leakage can occur.

Common examples include:

• 🤧 Stress incontinence — urine leaks when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, lift something, or otherwise increase pressure on the bladder.
• 🚽 Urge incontinence — a sudden, difficult-to-control need to urinate followed by leakage.
• 🔄 Mixed incontinence — a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
• 🌙 Overflow incontinence — the bladder doesn’t empty completely and urine may dribble or leak.
• 🧠 Functional incontinence — physical or cognitive difficulties make it difficult to reach the bathroom in time.

Women can experience more than one type.

👩 Why Is Urinary Incontinence More Common in Women?

Women experience urinary incontinence more frequently than men, and several factors can contribute.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnancy places additional pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor. Vaginal childbirth can also stretch or weaken the muscles and connective tissues involved in bladder control.

Some women experience leakage temporarily after childbirth, while others may continue to experience symptoms.

Aging and hormonal changes

The risk of urinary incontinence tends to increase with age. Changes in the pelvic floor, bladder function, muscles, and other tissues can contribute.

However, urinary leakage is not an inevitable part of aging.

Other possible contributors

Urinary leakage can also be associated with:

• Pelvic floor muscle weakness
• Obesity or increased abdominal pressure
• Constipation
• Certain medications
• Urinary tract infections
• Neurological conditions
• Diabetes
• Previous pelvic surgery
• Changes affecting the bladder or urinary tract

Because there are many possible causes, persistent or new urinary leakage deserves attention rather than being ignored.

🧠 Your Nervous System and Bladder Control

Here’s where Chiropractic becomes interesting.

Your bladder doesn’t operate independently. The nervous system plays an important role in bladder sensation and control. Signals travel between the bladder, spinal cord, and brain, helping coordinate the need to urinate and the muscles involved in continence.

The lower spinal region contains nerves that are involved in pelvic and bladder function.

This is one reason your overall nervous-system and musculoskeletal health matters when you’re experiencing pelvic or bladder-related symptoms.

However, it is important to make a distinction:

Urinary incontinence has many possible causes, and Chiropractic care should not be presented as a cure for urinary incontinence itself.

A Chiropractic evaluation can consider the spine, pelvis, posture, movement, muscle function, and nervous-system involvement as part of a person’s overall health picture.

If you are experiencing urinary leakage, mention it to your Chiropractor. It is useful information when evaluating your overall musculoskeletal and nervous-system health.

🏋️ Strengthening the Pelvic Floor

One of the most commonly recommended conservative approaches for certain types of urinary incontinence is pelvic floor muscle training.

You may have heard these called Kegel exercises.

The pelvic floor muscles help support the pelvic organs and contribute to bladder and bowel control. Learning how to correctly contract and relax these muscles can be beneficial for many people with urinary leakage.

Other approaches may include:

• 🏋️ Pelvic floor muscle training
• 🚽 Bladder training
• 💧 Managing fluid intake appropriately
• ⚖️ Maintaining a healthy body weight
• 🥤 Limiting bladder irritants when appropriate
• 🧘 Relaxation and breathing techniques
• 🏃 Modifying activities that trigger leakage while working on strength and control

The right approach depends on the type and cause of the incontinence.

🚨 Don’t Ignore New or Changing Symptoms

Although urinary incontinence is common, new or unexplained bladder symptoms shouldn’t automatically be blamed on aging.

If leakage suddenly begins, becomes significantly worse, or occurs along with other concerning symptoms, it deserves appropriate evaluation.

For example, seek prompt medical attention if bladder problems occur with:

• Blood in the urine
• Pain or burning with urination
• Fever or signs of infection
• New difficulty emptying your bladder
• Significant pelvic or abdominal pain
• New loss of bladder or bowel control accompanied by significant back pain, leg weakness, numbness, or numbness around the groin or inner thighs

These symptoms can sometimes indicate a condition requiring prompt medical evaluation.

❤️ Don’t Be Embarrassed to Talk About It

One of the biggest problems with urinary incontinence is that people often don’t talk about it.

They plan their day around bathrooms.

They stop exercising.

They avoid long drives.

They stop laughing as freely.

They carry extra clothing “just in case.”

And they may simply assume, “This is what happens as I get older.”

It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you leak urine, don’t be embarrassed. Talk about it.

There may be an identifiable cause and there are several conservative strategies that may help improve bladder control, depending on the underlying problem.

And if you’re already a patient at Body Traxx Chiropractic, let us know what’s happening. Your symptoms are important information and may help us better understand your overall health and musculoskeletal function.

💙 Your health is nothing to be embarrassed about.

💙 One Last Thing…

If you’re planning your life around the nearest restroom, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to be embarrassed about it.

Talk about it. Find out what’s contributing to it. And don’t assume that leaking urine is simply something you have to live with.

📍 Body Traxx Chiropractic
1010 Old Austin-Hutto Road
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
📞 512-647-8424

Office hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10 AM–7 PM
Saturday: 10 AM–2 PM

👐 Body Traxx Chiropractic — Helping you move, function, and live your best life.

Be Blessed,

Dr. Jeffrey G Boerger DDC

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is urinary incontinence normal for women as they age?

Urinary incontinence becomes more common with age, but it should not be considered an unavoidable part of getting older. Many different factors can contribute to bladder leakage, and some forms can improve with appropriate conservative care and lifestyle changes.

2. Can Chiropractic care help with urinary incontinence?

Chiropractic care should not be promoted as a direct cure for urinary incontinence because incontinence has many possible causes. However, Chiropractors can evaluate the spine, pelvis, posture, movement, and musculoskeletal system, while recognizing the important relationship between the nervous system and pelvic function. Discussing bladder symptoms with your Chiropractor can be useful as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

3. What exercises can help with bladder leakage?

Pelvic floor muscle training, commonly known as Kegel exercises, can help strengthen the muscles involved in bladder control and are commonly used for certain types of urinary incontinence. Proper technique matters, and more strengthening isn’t always better—some people have pelvic floor muscles that are overly tight rather than weak.

4. When should I see someone about urinary leakage?

If urinary leakage is persistent, worsening, interfering with your activities, or beginning for no obvious reason, it is worth discussing with a qualified healthcare professional. Blood in the urine, painful urination, fever, difficulty emptying the bladder, or sudden bladder changes accompanied by significant neurological symptoms require prompt evaluation.