Natural and Alternative Treatments for Bladder Leakage

By Paul J. Watkins

If you’ve been diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), you may be wondering what options are available to regain more bladder control. Some women immediately opt for medications and other non-surgical treatments, while others prefer to avoid both surgery and prescription medications and instead try a natural or alternative treatment.

Perhaps the most well-known natural treatment for SUI is pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegel exercises. "This exercise is designed to target the muscles of the pelvic floor and region to train or re-train the musculatures and supporting structures of the pelvic region, thus the muscles that control urination," says Phieu Lam, N.D., a licensed and board-certified naturopathic doctor in Brooklyn, New York. Lam says Kegel exercises are an effective treatment for many women living with bladder leakage. Melissa Bennett, N.D., a traditional naturopathic practitioner in Lilburn, Georgia, agrees. "I personally feel Kegel exercises are extremely beneficial in preventing urinary incontinence." She adds that, in several clinical studies, 50 to 75 percent of patients who performed only Kegel exercises noticed a substantial improvement in their symptoms. In addition, a 2006 review suggested that Kegel exercises are especially helpful for women in their 40s and 50s who experience stress incontinence.

Other treatment options for SUI include relaxation exercises such as meditation and yoga. "Yoga is an exceptional way to keep your body in tune with its inner self," says Bennett. Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association, says a yoga exercise called the stomach lock can help strengthen muscles in the lower abdomen, increasing bladder control. Her instructions for the exercise are as follows: Lie on your back, and take a deep breath. Breathe out until the breath is completely gone, and then pull in your buttock, groin, and stomach muscles. Hold for a count of three, then release your muscles. Alice cautions that this exercise should not be performed if there are any contraindications such as a hiatal hernia or lower back issues.

Biofeedback is another treatment, which Bennett claims may be effective: "Biofeedback is a safe, noninvasive, painless, and effective use of instruments, now usually computerized, to provide continuous information about subtle changes in aspects of your body's functioning related to your symptoms.” With bladder weakness, it is used to help teach people how to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles using Kegel exercises. The doctor or physical therapist uses surface electrodes to monitor the action of the pelvic floor muscles. Some therapists use an internal probe to monitor the muscles. The electrodes or the probe are connected to a computer, which gives the therapist a readout that corresponds to the strength of the muscle contraction. Bennett explains that biofeedback can be described as both a medical intervention and an educational experience because the patient really comes to understand what it feels like to have her muscles activated or relaxed.

Homeopathic remedies may be a viable treatment option for some women as well. Causticum, Natrum muriaticum, Zincum, Sepia have all shown promise in treating stress incontinence. Some women also turn to acupuncture. According to Bennett, "The primary therapy consists of stimulating certain areas along the fourteen meridian channels that are located throughout the body. Acupuncture experts believe that bladder weakness is caused by a lack of energy in the kidney and spleen and their related meridians. To combat this imbalance, they work on the points that correspond to these areas and to the bladder."

If you’re looking for natural or alternative treatments for SUI, a naturopathic physician can help you decide which treatment is best for you based on your medical history and individual needs. Here is a list of questions Lam stresses every woman should ask a prospective naturopathic physician:

1. What naturopathic medicine school did you attend?
2. Are you a board-certified ND?
3. Do you hold a valid state-issued license as a naturopathic physician?