Some women struggle with urinary incontinence, especially during pregnancy, after childbirth, and during the hormonal changes of menopause. This study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine led by researchers from Stanford Medicine and the University of California-San Francisco suggests that older women with urinary incontinence benefited from regular, low-impact exercise, yoga, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Addressing urinary incontinence
This study was part of an effort to identify effective, low-risk, low-cost ways to treat one of the most common health problems women face as they age. According to the researchers, after a 12-week low-impact yoga program the participants experienced 65% fewer episodes of incontinence, and those in the stretching and strengthening exercise groups experienced similar benefits. More importantly, these benefits are on par with the effects one would receive from taking medications to address incontinence.
“Our study was testing the kind of yoga that just about anyone can do, with modifications for different physical abilities,” said the study’s senior author, Leslee Subak, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford Medicine. “What I love about it is that it’s safe, inexpensive, doesn’t require a doctor, and accessible wherever you live.”
One of the most common problems
Close to 80% of 80-year-old women and over half of middle-aged women are affected by urinary incontinence, which can lead to a range of other issues such as falls, bone fractures from falls, and social isolation. But women don’t have to silently endure this, help is available. Not only is there medication, but this study shows that yoga, stretching, and strengthening exercises can also help.
Overcoming the stigma
“Part of the problem is that incontinence is stigmatized; we don’t talk about it,” said Subak, the Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor III. “Or we hear folklore about this being normal when you get older. In fact, it’s very common but it’s not inevitable, and we have very effective ways of treating it.”
While there are certain factors that contribute to the risk of incontinence that can’t be changed, like having children or aging, others are modifiable, and as this study demonstrated, there are steps you can take to improve your situation.
Incontinence should be treated because it can interfere with a person’s life. People avoid activities that could improve their well-being, like visiting with friends and family or going on excursions that might be vigorous. They are also more likely to be admitted to a nursing home or suffer certain medical problems.
“It takes away independence,” Subak said. “My patients will say, ‘I can’t stay with my kids or grandkids because I’m afraid I’ll wet the bed, and I can’t talk about it; it’s too embarrassing.'”
“Incontinence and overactive bladder are among the biggest risk factors for falls and fractures among older women,” Subak said. “You’re rushing to the bathroom at night — with the lights off — tripping and falling, and breaking a hip.”
Staying active helps
“A lot of my research has focused on weight loss and physical activity, which in fact are effective treatments,” said Subak, noting that she became interested in studying yoga as a treatment after some of her patients told her it helped them.
For this study, 121 women with a mean age of 62 years old were randomly assigned to a yoga group, and 119 were assigned to a physical conditioning group for 12 weeks. All of the participants were between the ages of 45 to 90 years old and experienced urinary incontinence at least once a day.
Those in the yoga group learned 16 hatha yoga poses which were intended to help strengthen the pelvic floor. They participated in 90-minute sessions, twice a week, and were asked to practice for at least one hour a week outside of their classes and to maintain a practice log.
Those in the control group (physical conditioning classes) participated in an equal amount of time in classes, but these exercises focused on non-specific stretching and strengthening exercises that did not specifically engage the pelvic floor. These participants were also asked to practice for an hour outside of classes and to keep a log.
All of the participants recorded when they had an episode of urinary incontinence when it happened whether it was urgency, stress, or response to pressure, as well as answered questionnaires about their bladder function.
Before and after
Before the study participants experienced on average 3.4 episodes of urinary incontinence a day, including 1.9 urgency-type episodes and 1.4 stress-type episodes. At the end of the study, on average the women in the yoga group experienced 2.3 fewer episodes of incontinence per day, and those in the physical conditioning group experienced 1.9 fewer episodes per day.
Effectiveness
The two treatments were similarly effective, with both approaches decreasing the episodes of urinary incontinence by close to 60%. For comparison, nonsurgical treatments and medications for urinary incontinence generally result in a 30-70% improvement.
To sum it up
If a patient asked whether yoga could help with incontinence, “I would say that I think it’s a great idea to try it if you’re interested,” Subak said. “It’s very low risk, and there’s potential for benefit not only for incontinence but also for your general well-being.”
Anyone looking to try these approaches to improve their urinary incontinence by strengthening their pelvic floor can search for low-impact Iyengar yoga or low-impact exercise classes in their communities or online.
Additionally, Kegel exercises are a series of contractions and relaxations designed to help strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel, and can help with urine and bowel control.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/09/yoga-exercise-incontinence.html
