FYI

Found at the Minot Daily News

The Souris Valley Care Center in Velva and the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Mohall have begun a new physical therapy program to treat urinary incontinence and other related problems.

The program focuses on simple exercises individuals can do to help with urinary incontinence without the use of surgery or drugs. Physical therapists from Souris Valley Care Center, Krista Becker and Teressa Brock, have completed several courses of specialized training for the program.

“We have established the main exercises (to help with urinary incontinence) into our exercise program. There’s also a tremendous amount of information we can give someone, so they can make educated choices,” Brock said.

Incontinence, Becker said, is the second most prevalent reason individuals enter a nursing home, next to dementia. Preventing and easing the incontinence problem can help individuals stay at home longer.

The program isn’t focused solely on the elderly, either, but on men, women, and children of all ages who suffer with the problem.

“It can happen to anyone. It can happen in children, athletes, and women who are pregnant, postpartum, premenopausal, or menopausal,” Becker said.

“It happens in people who exercise a lot. There are even aerobics instructors, people who do a lot of jumping, who have to wear a pad when they teach. You always picture an older person, and it’s not,” Brock said.

The program can also help those who have pelvic pain, prolapses, or pelvic surgeries as well as those who have Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, or other peripheral neuropathies, cancer patients, children over age 6 with bowel and bladder problems, and chronic constipation sufferers.

Individuals will learn the exercises through a series of one to four physical therapy sessions, and will continue to practice the exercises at home. The exercises work to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, called the pelvic rotator cuff. Brock said individuals are usually eager to continue practicing the exercises.

“People are usually very motivated. They’re willing to stand on their head if they think it would help. After they come in, they’re so glad they did,” Brock said.

In addition to the exercises, Brock and Becker offer information on lifestyle changes such as dietary changes that will help with preventing incontinence.

“We educate them about bladder irritants, such as caffeine, carbonated beverages, citric foods, acidic foods like spaghetti sauce, spicy foods, and chocolate,” Becker said.

“Sometimes, people will find there are one or two things they are sensitive to, so they might want to eat those foods more sparingly,” Brock said.

Along with the program, Becker and Brock will offer community presentations on preventing urinary incontinence. They have already presented at several assisted living facilities in Minot, and hope to continue presenting in other areas in northwest North Dakota. They are in the process of securing grant money for community presentations.

“We have specific programs, and a general program for going into group meetings called “Bones, Bottoms, and Balance.” It’s a little less stressful than saying, ‘We’re going to talk about incontinence prevention.’ They’re interested, and it’s a way to talk to them about it without scaring them and making them too embarrassed,” Brock said.