Goodness, have I just written the words “bladder weakness” on a public forum?  Surely that’s a topic that is not open to discussion in public – it’s just something that a whole lot of women (and sometimes men) put up with quietly.  According to the Tena website (and I only mention them because I’ve seen their ads on TV, see, advertising does work!) “1 out of 3 women experience the Unexpected Leak”.  One in three!  That’s a huge number. 

From what I’ve seen in my clinic the most common cause is pregnancy and childbirth.  Tena says “pregnancy, physical activity, medical conditions, being overweight or simply getting older”.  What a depressing thought – getting older is enough to cause bladder leakage?  OK ladies, better get started with those pelvic floor exercises – I’m doing mine now, can you tell?  How hard is it to concentrate on doing them properly?  I always start with good intentions and it’s as if I can be distracted by the slightest thing … oh, there goes a butterfly!  There is no doubt that those exercises are very beneficial at strengthening our pelvic floor muscles and we should definitely be doing them regularly.

I had someone come in to see me on Saturday who had been to an introductory course in the Emmett Technique and the instructor had mentioned that there is a bladder move and my client said her ears pricked up.  She’s 60 and has started noticing some light bladder leakage and has looked at the treatments for more severe cases and just doesn’t want to go there.  And who can blame her?  The thought of going to see a bladder physiotherapist scares the bejeebers out of me and bladder suspension surgery sounds even more horrendous.  Saying that, if I had to, I would because they can help you get your life back.  Imagine being able to sneeze, laugh or jog without having to think about whether or not you will have an embarrassing leakage.

Image

But I digress.  My client wanted to try the Emmett move to see if it made a difference for her.  After discussing her medical history we decided to do a full Emmett lymphatic treatment, followed by the bladder release and some general lymphatic drainage to help her eliminate toxins.  The bladder release is quite powerful and often you only need one treatment, but of course I can’t guarantee that result, so we usually suggest a wait and see approach – if you see an improvement but it’s still not right, then come back for another session.  If there’s a remarkable change, come back when you feel the need.  She asked whether to continue her pelvic floor exercises – definitely!  As she left she said she felt different and promised to let me know how she went.

Well, I had a text on Sunday morning at 8.30 am … “thanks, it’s a great improvement.  Will see if another visit is needed as days go on.  Very happy!”

Another success for the Emmett Technique.