Approximately 1 in 3 women in the UK suffer with urinary incontinence. The Department of Health and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend that conservative treatment in the form of supervised pelvic floor muscle training and bladder training should be the first line of treatment offered.
Pelvic floor muscles can be damaged or weakened by pregnancy and childbirth, pelvic or abdominal surgery and the ageing process. It is important to restore the function of the pelvic floor muscles by a specific strengthening programme of exercise alongside management advice, bladder training and fluid/ dietary advice. Pelvic floor muscle training is effective for both urinary and faecal incontinence in both men and women.