Lakeport, CA - December 28, 2006 - Sutter Lakeside Hospital is now offering a treatment program for individuals who experience urinary incontinence. The program is a new service offered through the Physical and Occupational Therapy Deptartment. Clients are treated in the private and relaxed setting of the Healing Waters Wellness House.
Peggy Landini OTR/L recently completed a specialized training program for urinary incontinence. The program, Beyond Kegels, is designed to prevent or eliminate incontinence through lifestyle changes, physiological quieting, exercises for the pelvic floor, and biofeedback.
Incontinence is the loss of urinary control and affects 4 out of 10 women, about 1 out of 10 men, and about 17% of children below age 15. The most common reason for admitting a family member to a nursing home is the family’s inability to cope with incontinence. (Fantl et al. 1996, Retzky and Rogers 1995, Baumann and Tauber 1991).
Some of the most frequently cited reasons for not seeking treatment for urinary incontinence are a belief that incontinence is a normal part of aging; a belief that incontinence is a normal sequelae of childbirth; and a lack of knowledge about existing treatment. (J Gerontol Nurs. 1992 Apr; 18(4):15-20).
Impairment of the pelvic floor in people of all ages causes leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, or lifting objects. Most silent sufferers are too embarrassed to seek help yet in most cases the pelvic floor can be rehabilitated and its function restored. Conditions and diagnoses this program is effective with include nocturnal enuresis in children, prostatitis and prostatectomy, pregnancy and postpartum, menopause, aging and elderly, MS, Parkinsons, CVA and total hip replacement.
In the short time the program has been in place, Peggy has treated several individuals in the outpatient clinic as well as through home health, ranging in age from 52 to 90. Individuals who have experienced leaking of urine are reporting a reduction or total elimination of leaking, on the average, within 3 visits. Some of the people report a 3-4 year history of daily or nightly leaking. The program components are simple and practical for individuals of all ages.
If you suffer from incontinence or know someone who does, please contact your doctor for a prescription. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Rehabilitation services Dept. at 262-5090.
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