Luckily, there are a number of conservative treatments for urge urinary incontinence or overactive bladder. Some of the most commonly used treatments include:
– pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels (see our ebook)
– bladder retraining
– fluid and diet management–
– oral or skin patch medication
For many women with urge incontinence or overactive bladder, one or more of these treatments may greatly improve or even cure their urine leakage symptoms. But for other women, these therapies don’t quite take care of the problem.
Should You Consider Botox for Urinary Incontinence?
For those women whose symptoms of urge urinary incontinence or overactive bladder do not respond to the above therapies, another option includes Botox injection. Normally used to get rid of lines and wrinkles on the face, Botox injections can produce excellent results for women with unresolved urine leakage issues when injected “down there.”
During this procedure, which is performed under local anesthetic, Botox is injected in small doses into the bladder wall in five to thirty locations, as well as into the urinary sphincter muscle. This paralyzes the detrusor muscle, one of the bladder muscles responsible for causing the bladder to empty suddenly and on its own.
Women with overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence may still get sudden urges to urinate, but the bladder muscles become desensitized so that there is time to reach a bathroom.
Most women report that the procedure isn’t painful. Instead, some women experience a “pinching” sensation in the abdominal area, but feel no pain after the procedure is complete.
Is Botox Right for You?
Botox injections, while not currently FDA approved, do help women with urinary incontinence. A Swiss study conducted in 2004 reported that all participants were able to hold more urine in their bladders after the injections. Plus, participants emptied their bladders on average only four times a day instead of the typical twelve times per day.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that effects of Botox injections only last for six to twelve months. After that, women have to go back to the doctor for another series of injections. Each series of injections can cost upwards about $1,000, and most insurance companies will not cover this form of treatment.
If you are considering getting Botox injections to deal with your women’s urinary incontinence, weigh the pros and cons carefully. For some women, for whom more conventional treatments offer no relief, Botox injections are an attractive option for relieving urine leakage symptoms. Just be sure to find a competent surgeon who specializes in this kind of procedure. Your local beauty salon or medical spa won’t know how to handle this procedure!
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