Bladder training techniques are a form of behavioral therapy aimed at enhancing your urination control to alleviate symptoms of urinary incontinence. It involves gradually training your bladder to retain urine for longer periods and reducing the frequency of urination.

Urinary incontinence often causes embarrassment, discomfort, and social limitations, significantly impacting the quality of your life. Managing urinary incontinence focuses on regaining control over your bladder function and decreasing the occurrence of involuntary urine leakage.

Bladder training techniques offer a non-invasive and effective approach to addressing urinary incontinence. 

Bladder training, also called bladder retraining, is a non-pharmacological approach to managing urinary incontinence. It works by helping you become more aware of your body's urinary cues and optimizing voiding patterns to improve your bladder control. Voiding is the process of emptying urine from your bladder.

Bladder training can help with urinary incontinence and overactive bladder by:

• Improving your bladder control
• Reducing the urinary frequency 
• Increasing your bladder capacity

It is often used alongside medications or other treatments for alleviating stress and urge incontinence. 

Bladder training can effectively mitigate the symptoms of incontinence in various ways. This includes:

• Redirecting your focus away from the urge to urinate
• Reducing anxiety associated with frequent urination and promoting a calmer mindset.
• Strengthening your ability to resist sudden urges and control your urination frequency
• Increasing your physiological endurance to hold urine

Bladder training techniques can include various strategies to improve bladder control and reduce urinary incontinence symptoms.

A bladder diary, also known as a voiding diary or bathroom diary, is a helpful tool that is used to track your urinary habits and patterns. In your bladder diary, you'll record:

• The date and time of each urination.
• An estimation of the amount of urine voided.
• The level of urgency or sensation experienced before urination.
• Instances of urinary leakage or accidents.
• Your fluid intake throughout the day.
• Activities or events that influenced your urinary habits, such as exercise or stressful situations.

A bladder diary helps better understand your bladder function and urinary incontinence symptoms.

Scheduled voiding involves establishing a regular schedule for emptying your bladder, regardless of whether there is an immediate urge to urinate. You can determine the frequency and timing of your bathroom visits based on your bladder diary entries. Over time, the interval between your bathroom visits will gradually increase as your bladder adapts. 

Another important aspect of scheduled voiding is double voiding. After urinating, you wait a few minutes and then attempt to urinate again to ensure the bladder is completely emptied.

Scheduled voiding aims to train your bladder to hold urine for longer periods and reduce the frequency of urination.

Delaying urination involves intentionally holding off on urinating when the urge arises and emptying the bladder at a scheduled time. You aim to gradually extend the time between bathroom visits by resisting the immediate urge to urinate.

You can use various distraction techniques and relaxation exercises to help delay urination. These may include deep breathing exercises, focusing on tasks or hobbies, or engaging in conversation to shift your attention away from the urge to urinate. 

Initially, delaying urination starts with mild attempts. You start by holding on for an extra few minutes when the urge strikes. Eventually, you increase the duration to last for at least 2-3 hrs without going to the bathroom. 

With consistent practice, you may be able to strengthen your ability to resist the urge to urinate and gain better control over your bladder function.

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can play a crucial role in improving bladder control and complementing the effects of other bladder training techniques.

Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic floor exercises, target the muscles responsible for starting and stopping the flow of urine. When combined with other bladder retraining techniques, pelvic floor exercises can be highly effective in managing incontinence, especially in women.

Monitoring your drinking habits and managing your fluid intake throughout the day to optimize bladder function can help alleviate urinary incontinence symptoms.

This involves avoiding consuming large quantities of fluids, especially before bedtime. This can effectively help reduce urination frequency and enhance the quality of your sleep. 

Additionally, drinking fluids in smaller quantities evenly throughout the day can be beneficial. This practice can help prevent sudden increases in bladder volume and minimize urgency and leakage.

Certain foods and drinks have the potential to irritate your bladder, exacerbating urinary incontinence symptoms. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid bladder irritants, such as caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods, to strengthen bladder control and improve overall urinary health.

Bladder training offers several benefits over other treatment options for improving bladder control and enhancing their quality of life. Benefits of bladder training include:

• Non-invasive and cost-effective: Bladder training is an affordable treatment approach that doesn't involve the use of drugs or undergoing invasive surgical procedures. This makes it a safer and more accessible option.
• Long-term management: Bladder training addresses the underlying causes of incontinence for sustained benefits. It focuses on modifying your behavior and habits, which leads to long-term improvements. 
• No side effects: Since bladder training doesn't involve the use of medications, there are fewer or no side effects associated with it. This minimizes the risk of adverse reactions and complications compared to other treatment options. 
• Complementary to other treatments: Bladder training can be used alongside other treatments, such as pelvic floor exercises, dietary modifications, or medications. It complements these interventions and enhances the overall treatment outcomes.

It is crucial to note that while bladder training can be a beneficial treatment approach, it may not be effective for everyone. For people who do not experience relief from bladder training, more advanced treatments for urinary incontinence may be recommended.

Bladder training involves education on your bladder function and urination to improve your overall symptoms. At the Northwest Continence Center, our dedicated team provides personalized care to help you live a worry-free life.

We specialize in offering Axonics Therapy as a minimally invasive treatment option tailored to alleviate symptoms of incontinence.

To arrange a consultation with our team, please call us at 503-885-1515 or request an appointment online. We look forward to assisting you on your journey to improved well-being.