what are 3 treatment options for Stress INCONTINENCE
Stress incontinence
Whether it's leaking when you laugh, sneeze, run, or dance—is a common but frustrating condition. The good news? It’s highly treatable with the right approach. At Empower Physical Therapy and Wellness, we believe in individualized care that addresses the root cause of your symptoms—not just a temporary fix.
In this blog, we’re sharing three effective treatment options for stress incontinence that we use in our pelvic floor physical therapy practice. These methods focus on restoring coordination, mobility, and strength—three essential components of a healthy, functional core and pelvic floor.
1. Pressure Management & Coordination
One of the most overlooked causes of incontinence is poor pressure management throughout your core canister. If your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, back muscles and pelvic floor aren’t working together, it can lead to excessive pressure bearing down on your bladder—causing leaks.
To learn exactly why we leak with coughing and what is happening with your pressure management system check out our blog : Say Goodbye to Urine Leakage: Effective Tips to Stop leaking When Coughing
How do you learn to manage pressure?
We often use a balloon as a tool to teach proper breathing and pressure regulation. This helps clients learn to coordinate their breath with pelvic floor activation and relaxation.
When done correctly, blowing up a balloon:
Promotes diaphragmatic control and coordination with you pelvic floor
Enhances pelvic floor strength
Improves pressure regulation with coughing, laughing, sneezing
This training builds strength and function from the inside out—no endless Kegels required.
2. Mobility
Stress incontinence isn't just about strength—it’s also about mobility.
Imagine if you were trying to do a bicep curl but you could only bend your elbow half way? That would greatly affect your ability to complete a full curl, wouldn’t it?
Something similar can happen at your pelvic floor. If your pelvic floor is tight and is already resting higher than it is supposed to, it will have limited ability to contract and fight against downward pressure. This limited ability to move through its full range and contract will full force and can lead to unnecessary leaks.
So how do you gain full range of your pelvic floor? 360 breathing!
Give this a try and see if you can feel you pelvic floor descend on the inhale and ascend on your exhale!
Not as easy as it looks? Give us a call at 678-413-5587 and we can help you connect into your pelvic floors potential
3. Lower Abdominal Strengthening: Building Deep Core Support
Your lower abdominals—especially the transverse abdominis (TA)—are crucial for providing core stability and pelvic organ support. The TA acts like a natural corset, wrapping around your torso and working synergistically with your pelvic floor to manage pressure and maintain bladder control.
When the TA isn’t activating properly—which is common in people with incontinence, especially postpartum or during menopause—your body loses its internal support system. This can lead to uncoordinated movement, pelvic pressure, and yes, bladder leaks.
Why the Mind-Muscle Connection Matters
It’s not just about strengthening the muscle—it’s about retraining your brain to connect to that muscle. Many people have a “disconnect” in this area and unknowingly over-recruit their upper abs which can actually increase pressure down on the pelvic floor.
That’s why at Empower PT and Wellness, we take a intentional approach to reconnect the core and pelvic floor through targeted, functional movement.
Try these exercises to see if you can get a deep burn from your belly button down!
Iso press and extend
Bear plank with inner thigh squeeze
These foundational exercises retrain your body to activate the right muscles at the right time—whether you’re sneezing, lifting your toddler, or sprinting toward the bathroom. They’re simple but powerful steps toward regaining confidence, bladder control, and a stronger connection to your core.
how pelvic floor physical Therapy helps
Pelvic floor physical therapy involves much more than what we discussed in this blog and can help you put all the puzzle pieces together to find the root cause of your dysfunction
Give these tips try and let us know if you feel a difference in your stress incontinence
And remember: these are just starting points. When guided by a pelvic floor physical therapist, we can build a customized plan that progresses your strength safely and effectively, tailored to your life and goals.
Hi! We are Dr.Aimee and Dr. Lauren
We are the owners of Empower Physical Therapy and Wellness. We are pelvic floor physical therapists who specialize in helping women from pregnancy, into postpartum and through perimenopause, menopause and then beyond! We believe all women deserve to do all of the things they love without symptoms!
You can contact us via our website, email at hello@weempowerpt.com or social media!
The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or symptoms. Never disregard professional medical advice or p in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any medical or healthcare institutions.
