Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Therapy

Hello, Warriors! Welcome to The Breast Place blog and thank you for taking time out of your active schedule to visit! We appreciate our readers to the utmost degree, as we do our patients. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, we welcome you. We cover a range of topics here. From breast cancer management to anti-aging skin treatments to helpful tips for maximizing your overall health and wellness—The Breast Place is committed to sharing the best health practices and treatment options with you! Our offices are open and our staff is prepared to answer any questions you may have about your health, your breast cancer risk, and how to reach your aesthetic goals. 

At The Breast Place, we offer several oncoplastic surgical procedures, such as natural reconstruction, nipple-sparing mastectomy, Hidden Scar™, implant reconstruction, and breast lift with or without reduction. Oncoplastic surgery is distinct from both breast cancer surgery and plastic surgery–though you initially assume oncoplastic surgery to be a mixture of both. Rather, the aim of oncoplastic breast surgery is “to achieve good aesthetic outcomes for women with breast cancers who would have unacceptable outcomes with other BCS techniques, and in addition, enable breast-conserving surgery for larger breast cancers.” While breast cancer surgery prioritizes the eradication of cancerous tissue and plastic surgery prioritizes the cosmetic appearance of the breasts, oncoplastic surgery takes both of these aspects into account when planning for the final outcome. You can find out more information about what to look for in an Oncoplastic surgeon here. 

Our last article talked about common signs and symptoms of breast cancer, as well as the rarer signs that you should watch out for. Breast cancer signs and symptoms can vary, and some types of breast cancers produce no symptoms. Because of this, it is important to be aware of how your breasts normally look and feel, so that you can identify any changes such as new lumps or masses. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that various benign conditions can cause similar symptoms. We encourage you to check out our last post to make yourself aware of the possible signs and symptoms.

Before we dive into today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of a few promotions available at The Breast Place this April. Spring is here! The weather is beautiful and we hope you are feeling just as great. Mother’s Day is coming up, and we are offering a Mini Mommy Makeover Day event on April 26 from 9AM to 3PM! We will have goodie bags and VIP discounts on all of our services including Botox and filler, SecretRF microneedling, laser hair removal, and more! Score 20% off when you get two or more services! This event is by appointment only, so make sure you RSVP here! Availability is limited. Not a mom? That’s okay! This event is for everyone. Pamper yourself, your mom, your best friend, or make it a girls’ day and come together! We look forward to seeing you. Additionally, our product of the month is the ProHeal Serum from iS Clinical. This restorative and antioxidant-rich serum is 20% off this month, so stop by our office to snag yours, or contact us so we can ship it directly to you! 

Today, we’ll be discussing incontinence. Incontinence is a lack of bladder control caused by a weakening of the muscles in the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles that support the urinary and reproductive tracts. Incontinence in women is usually caused by childbirth, menopause, or the natural aging process. For breast cancer patients, medication given can start early menopause, therefore resulting in incontinence. Incontinence affects over 19 million women in the United States, but more than half of those who suffer do not seek help or discuss their concerns with anyone. We are here to break the stigma and educate others on this issue. If you’re interested in learning more about incontinence, we encourage you to continue reading!

The severity of incontinence can range from occasionally leaking urine when coughing or sneezing, or more severe cases such as feeling the urge to urinate suddenly and strongly and being unable to make it to the toilet in time. People who experience incontinence may also urinate while sleeping, or leak urine while bending, lifting, running, or exercising. There are several types of incontinence, including stress, urge, overflow, functional, and mixed incontinence. Women are most likely to experience stress incontinence, due to childbirth or menopause. Stress incontinence happens when a movement or other physical activity puts stress on the bladder. During childbirth, tissues or nerves can be damaged, which weakens the pelvic floor muscles. This can become apparent soon after delivery, or years down the road. Incontinence can also be caused by a change in hormones, such as estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone that helps regulate menstruation and helps keep the bladder healthy. As a woman nears menopause, estrogen levels begin to drop. The lack of estrogen can cause the pelvic floor muscles to weaken, and this may become worse as levels continue to decrease. 

While urinary incontinence itself is not a disease, it can be a symptom of an underlying medical issue. You should speak with your doctor if incontinence causes you to restrict your activities or otherwise negatively impacts your quality of life. Luckily, there are treatment options available. Treatment will depend on the type of incontinence you are experiencing and can range from lifestyle changes to medications and even forms of exercise.

One of the most effective ways to treat incontinence is through pelvic floor therapy. Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized type of physical therapy that focuses on the rehabilitation of pelvic floor muscles to relieve any dysfunction, such as muscle or tissue damage leading to incontinence. Not only is it effective, but it is also a natural and non-surgical option. The Breast Place is proud to offer EMSELLA, a breakthrough treatment for incontinence. EMSELLA is a chair that stimulates the entire pelvic floor region and musculature by rehabilitating the weak pelvic floor muscles. A single treatment is the equivalent of doing 12,000 Kegal exercises in just 28 minutes! (Yes, you read that correctly.) This is a non-invasive procedure that allows you to stay fully clothed– Say goodbye to the discomfort of undressing in an exam room! All you need to do is sit comfortably throughout the duration of the treatment. This procedure effectively treats stress, urge, and mixed incontinence. It also addresses sexual health and wellness concerns for both men and women. 

EMSELLA utilizes High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology to deliver thousands of supramaximal pelvic floor muscle contractions in a single session. This permanently increases blood flow to the pelvic floor and perineal area in women. These contractions re-educate the muscles of incontinence patients. The increase in blood flow can promote lubrication, resulting in intimate wellness. 

One treatment takes about 30 minutes, and it is recommended that someone receives 4 to 6 treatments total. You can receive up to two treatments per week. During treatment, patients may feel a tingling sensation, but it is completely pain-free. A course of 6 treatments in 3 weeks is equivalent to 12 weeks of pelvic physical therapy. Patients may see improvement after a single session, but results will improve over time as the pelvic floor muscles continue to get stronger. There is also no downtime– You can resume your regular daily activities immediately after treatment! EMSELLA is not covered by insurance, but the cost is similar to that of 12 weeks of physical therapy. 

As you can see, incontinence affects many women and can lower confidence, but you don’t have to suffer in silence. Treatments are available to repair and restore the pelvic floor muscles and get you back on track to living a happy and healthy life. We hope you found this article helpful and informative! Here at The Breast Place, we are so excited to offer EMSELLA treatment for incontinence, and we hope you will reach out if you have any questions or want to schedule a consultation. We also offer breast imaging services and provide consultations, clinical breast exams, and dedicated treatment plans. We strongly encourage you to reach out to us for a consultation if you have any questions or concerns pertaining to our service areas– We are committed to empowering women, and we are proud to offer treatments and products to help you look and feel your best. Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article and we hope you’ll check back in for future posts about treatments, wellness, and more!