Retraining Your Bladder

• Your doctor will most likely want to start with the least invasive care first and that involves retraining the way your bladder works. The key of bladder training is delaying the need to urinate after you feel the urge. You will want to start out with a short period of time, such as waiting 10 minutes after you feel the need to go and then slowly increase that period of time. Your doctor may also suggest what is called double voiding, which involves waiting a few minutes after urinating to try and clear your bladder again. Double voiding will give you time between bathroom trips as it helps clear out any leftover urine. Learning deep relaxation techniques can help distract from the urge to urinate as well.
  
  

Physical Therapy

• A physical therapist can help you strengthen the muscle of the pelvic floor and your urinary sphincter, which also can help people with urinary incontinence. These exercises, called Kegels, work by squeezing the muscles you would use to stop urine and holding for three seconds, releasing and repeating. Though it may be difficult at first to know if you are properly doing Kegels, a physical therapist can help ensure you are doing them effectively.
  
  

Medication and Other Treatments

• In some instances, drugs are necessary to treat incontinence. Drugs called anticholinergics are used to calm your bladder while a low dose of the antidepressant Imipramine may also be helpful. Sometimes a topical estrogen cream can also help tone muscles in women.
  
  In more severe cases, the implantation of medical devices and surgery to strengthen the muscles around the bladder may be necessary. Your doctor will not recommend surgery unless all other avenues of therapy are exhausted.