URINARY INCONTINENCE TREATMENT IN SINGAPORE
What Is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary Incontinence (UI) is when a person accidentally leaks urine because they cannot fully control their bladder. Incontinence can affect both women and men and occurrences may increase with age.
UI may be caused by dysfunctional (overactive, weak, altered tone) pelvic muscles, nerve problems, prostate issues, medications, or other health conditions. However, urinary incontinence is common and treatable with the correct intervention.
What Are The Types Of Incontinence And Their Causes?
Stress Incontinence
Stress Incontinence (SUI) is when a person involuntarily passes urine with coughing, laughing, sneezing, jumping, or lifting heavy things because these actions put increased pressure on your bladder. And due to a dysfunction with the muscles that support your bladder and control urine flow (such as the pelvic floor muscles or the urinary sphincter), these muscles are not able to support your bladder with the additional pressure hence leakage occurs.
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Who Gets It:
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More common in women 1 in 3 women may experience SUI at some stage in their life times. Often associated with vaginal childbirth, larger babies, forceps and or vacuum deliveries.
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Ageing and menopause
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Men age related, post surgery or pelvic injuries, heavily lifting sports.
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People with chronic coughing
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Overactive Bladder (OB) (Urge Incontinence)
Overactive bladder is a condition where you feel a sudden, strong urge to urinate, even if your bladder isn’t full. You may also experience urine leakage before you reach the toilet. This may affect both men and women and often disrupts daily life due to frequent bathroom trips. OB occurs when the bladder muscle (called the Detrusor muscle) contracts too early and or too often. This is known as Detrusor overactivity.
What Causes It:
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Nerve damage (from Stroke, Diabetes, Spinal Injuries, Parkinson’s, or Multiple Sclerosis)
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Urinary tract infections, bladder irritation, or enlarged prostate (in men)
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Ageing and menopause
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Pelvic pain disorders, such as myofascial Pelvic Pain Syndrome
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And sometimes, there’s no clear cause​
Mixed Incontinence (MI)
Mixed Incontinence is when you experience both Stress Incontinence (leaking urine during activities like coughing or lifting) and Urge Incontinence (a sudden, strong need to urinate). More common in women, especially as they age, and often occurs in men after prostate surgery. Managing MI can be more complex, as it involves symptoms from both types.
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Overflow Incontinence
Overflow Incontinence occurs when your bladder doesn’t empty fully, causing urine to leak out, sometimes without any urge to go.
What Causes It:
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Blockages, such as an enlarged prostate, tumours, or bladder stones
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Weak bladder muscles, often due to Diabetes, nerve damage, or ageing
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Severe pelvic organ prolapse in women
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Medications that reduce bladder muscle activity
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More common in men, often occurring post prostate surgery
Functional Incontinence
Functional Incontinence occurs when your bladder works normally, but physical or mental challenges may prevent you from reaching the toilet in time.
What Causes It:
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Mobility issues (e.g., arthritis, being bedridden, or far toilets)
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Cognitive problems (e.g., Dementia or confusion)
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Medications that increase urine output or reduce awareness
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May appear more among elderly or hospitalised individuals.
Reflex Incontinence
Reflex Incontinence is when the bladder empties on its own without warning or urge. It happens when nerves that control the bladder are damaged.
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What Causes It:
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Spinal cord injury
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Neurological disorders
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Surgery or radiation
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Leaks are often large and sudden.
How Can You Prevent Urinary Incontinence?
These easy adjustments can go a long way in helping you prevent urinary incontinence:
Pelvic Floor & Bladder Training:
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Do the correct Kegel exercises daily to strengthen pelvic floor muscles.
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Train your bladder by gradually increasing time between bathroom trips.
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Don’t hold urine too long, aim to urinate every 2.5–3.5 hours.
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Diet & Hydration Habits:
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Avoid bladder irritants like caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and artificial sweeteners.
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Drink adequate water, but avoid overhydration.
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Prevent constipation with a high-fibre diet and hydration.
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Lifestyle & Physical Health:
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Maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on your bladder.
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Stay physically active with low-impact exercises.
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Quit smoking to prevent chronic coughing and bladder irritation.
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Medical Awareness & Early Action:
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See your doctor regularly to manage any underlying health issues.
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Watch for early signs like frequent urgency, leakage, or nighttime urination.
How Do We Treat The Various Forms Of Urinary Incontinence At PhysioMatters Singapore?
✅ Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (Kegels)
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What it is: Education/ Re-eduction of your pelvic floor muscles.
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Who it helps: Effective for ALL Bladder Incontinence
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How to do it: Every person's needs are different, we use Real Time Ultrasound and may/ may not require internal pelvic floor muscle assessment to retain your muscles.
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Tip: Our physiotherapist can guide you with correct training for your condition.
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✅ Bladder Training
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What it is: Looking at what your bladder is showing us on a 3- 5 day chart and retraining your bladder, you and your bladder habits.
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Who it helps: Mostly All bladder conditions
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How it works: Keep a bladder diary to track patterns, progress and a corrective treatment plan for you​
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​✅ Lifestyle & Behavioural Adjustments
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What it is: Daily habits that improve bladder functioning.
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Helpful for: All types of Incontinence.
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What You May Need To Change:
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Limit caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and artificial sweeteners.
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Maintain a healthy weight.
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Treat constipation and chronic coughing.
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Quit smoking to reduce bladder irritation and pressure.
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Breathing pattern/ way in which you breathe - especially with sport/ lifting
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Hormonal review to support your ageing, changing muscles and tissues
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Review your medications that may be affecting your bladder and you have no idea!
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​✅ Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
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What it is: Education/ Re-education from Qualified and experienced Women's and Men's Health Physiotherapists.
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Who it helps: Everyone
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Tools involved:
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Biofeedback: Real-Time Ultrasound Imagery - feedback to help activate the correct muscles.
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Electrical stimulation: Mild currents to stimulate muscle contractions.
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Possibly a vaginal and or anal pelvic floor muscle assessment
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Other visual teaching tools - pictures, charts and more.
Are Surgical Treatment Necessary For Urinary Incontinence?
For most people, non-surgical treatments like pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, medications, and lifestyle changes are enough to significantly reduce or even eliminate symptoms.
When is Surgery Considered?
Surgical treatment is generally considered only when:
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Non-surgical methods have failed
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Incontinence is severe and persistent
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The cause is anatomical (e.g. SEVERE bladder or urethral prolapse, sphincter dysfunction)
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The condition is interfering with daily life and emotional well-being
What Are Some Common Surgical Options?
Some of the more common surgical options such as:
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Midurethral Sling (for women): Supports the urethra to prevent leaks.
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Artificial Urinary Sphincter (for men): A device to control urination.
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Bladder Neck Suspension: Lifts and supports the bladder and urethra.
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Bladder Augmentation (rare): Expands bladder capacity in severe cases.
Surgery options should always be the last resort NOT the first treatment option!
Take The First Step Towards Urinary Incontinence Recovery
Don't let incontinence hold you back from living your best life. Take the first step towards recovery by scheduling a consultation with our team at PhysioMatters. Together, we will develop a personalised treatment plan to help you overcome urinary incontinence and reclaim your confidence and vitality.
Contact us today to learn more about our non-surgical treatment options. Start your journey towards a stronger and healthier you.