Bladder Retraining Gives You the Control
September 20th, 2011 by abby
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Do you feel like you spend a lot of time trying to find and get to a bathroom? Have you found you have a strong urge to urinate but when you get there, you don’t void much? Some call this overactive bladder. Doctors call it interstitial cystitis. I call it annoying and frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be. Have you considered bladder retraining
So what exactly is bladder retraining? It is a pattern of behavior that helps you establish a urination pattern that is more normal. Often times when you have the urge to go, you head straight to the bathroom. This alleviates the feeling of needing to go. But this is a problem if your bladder isn’t actually full. When this pattern continues, your body becomes accustom to an unusually frequent urination schedule. Urges become more intense when the bladder does not need to be emptied. Over time, a problem pattern of urges and frequent bathroom breaks can occur.
The goal of bladder retraining is to create and maintain a more normal urination schedule. You will begin by scheduling urination at specific times. This means you will ignore urges that intrude between your set bathroom breaks. You might have to begin with many breaks but as you progress, the time between breaks can be extended. This teaches the bladder to respond less urgently when it is not full and helps increase the amount of urine the bladder can hold. As the bladder is retrained, your urges will decrease.
Before beginning any type of retraining program, it is important to discuss your issues with your doctor. True physical issues must be addressed or you could make them worse. If your doctor feels you are a candidate for bladder retraining he/she will develop a program for you. If your urges are compounded by a stressed pelvic floor, your doctor might suggest a biofeedback unit that will help you learn to relax those muscles. There are many types of machines available but the most common is the U-Control.
Whether you need the help of a biofeedback machine or not, your first step will be to create a bladder diary. Record how often you go to the bathroom and how much urine is expelled. Once you have this diary, you can begin to develop a schedule for urination throughout the day. Your first schedule should be one that is slightly longer than your typical needs. Extend your breaks by 10-15 minutes. Maintain this schedule for about 4 weeks. This gives you time to really be successful and gives your bladder time to adjust. Continue to extend your breaks and don’t give up. It can take 3-4 months for a typical person to successfully retrain their bladder