American and Canadian researchers are conducting a study that could bring an end to millions of men and women across the globe suffering from incontinence.

For the past 2 years researchers from the University of Toronto, William Hospital in Michigan and now from the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, are experimenting with a new technique that implants the patients own stem cell into the bladder muscle to prevent urinary incontinence episodes.

The stem cells are harvested from a muscle in the tight, these cells are then reproduced in a lab and then injected into the bladder muscle, where they will regenerate and repair the damaged muscle.

Urologists believe the procedure eventually could be used to repair other damaged muscles in the body.

Dr. Melissa Kaufman, assistant professor of urologic surgery at the Vanderbilt University said:

“This is an enormous public health problem that has been put in the shadow for so long. It is a delicate issue and it has been thought of as a normal part of aging, but it can be treated.”

It is to early to jump into conclusions but early results are proving to be very promising and Dr. Michael Chancellor from the Beaumont Hospital in Toronto, started researching this procedure about 10 years ago and stated that 2/3 of the patients saw an improvement greater than 50% and he estimates that another 3 more years will be needed before the FDS approves the procedure.

Those who deal with sudden losses of bladder control usually have more than a challenging time attempting to sleep at night due to the number of trips to the toilet at night. Losing control of one’s bladder often impinges on other areas of life; particularly public recreation sufferers become less comfortable in social situations with time and commonly recourse from society because of they feel a sense of shame because of their condition.

If you suspect yourself that you’re encountering lapses in bladder control, there are certain means you can take in order to treat it. Ordinarily, loss of bladder control is continually triggered by multiple internal factors which may be pushed out of your lifestyle, with relative ease. The solution for shaky bladder control usually requires certain lifestyle changes. Here’s a couple of straightforward tips to help curb the problem.

Steer clear of excess coffee, carbonated liquid (like soda) and alcohol consumption. Caffeine addicts who experience positive symptoms of urinary incontinence should cut down their coffee habits significant since it will exacerbate the condition without fail. And – if possible – avoid drinking coffee altogether because it’s the caffeine which acts as a diuretic that worsens the condition – carbonated beverages and alcoholic drinks can similarly cause a diuretic effect. Add to that, the proven link between coffee and bladder muscle contractions which can, additionally, augment how frequently one urinates.

That said we wouldn’t recommend decreasing your overall water intake. It’s often assumed – quite mistakenly – that decreasing the amount of water you drink invariably prevents loss of bladder control. Inversely, that drinking loads of water encourages incontinence. This is simply a myth. The consumption of water is important for maintaining a healthy body – period. Not drinking water leads to being dehydrated – or on the brink of dehydration – and you should therefore not decrease your water intake ever. We’d recommend drinking a minimum of eight small-to-medium glasses of water every day. This is more a general health tip, if anything. It just happens to be extremely relevant to the issue of taking control of your bladder.

Having a baby is one of the most magic moments a woman can experience in her life. After birth women experience a few unpleasant changes to her body like soreness and incontinence. These changes are in most cases reversible.

Recent studies revealed that by combining Perineal Massages and Kegel exercises – pelvic floor exercises – risks of urinary incontinence are reduced considerably.

To perform Kegel or Pelvic floor exercises first locate your urinary sphincter (muscle that controls urine flow). To do that sit on the toilet with knees as far apart as possible.  Start and stop the flow of urine. The muscle you use to stop the flow is the one you will be working on in the exercises. (Note: Stopping urine flow is not part of the exercise routine)

Now that you identified the muscle tighten it and hold it for 4 seconds and then relax it for another 4 seconds, this is one Kegel. Do 10 to 15 Kegels, 2 to 3 times each day. Kegel exercises can be performed during and after pregnancy.

Recently another technique that is proving to be quite effective to prevent incontinence during and after childbirth is Perineal massage, this technique is used to stretch the tissues around the vaginal opening weeks before delivery.

To perform Perineal Massages first wash your hands and apply lubricant to the area (vagina). Then place your thumbs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches inside your vagina. Pressing downward, gently stretch until you feel a slight burning or tingling sensation. Hold the pressure for about two minutes or until the tissue begins to feel numb. Repeat this towards the right side of the vagina for two more minutes and then to the left. Perform this technique daily starting at 34 weeks of pregnancy.

We would love to hear your feedback on these techniques and how effective they are to each one of you. So please share your results via our comments section.

Researchers have found that urinary incontinence is more common in caucasian women than in Asian and black women.

Researchers have calculated incidence rates of urinary incontinence by frequency and type in Asian, black, and caucasian women in the US using data from a four year study of 76,724 participants aged 37-79 years.

They found that incontinence was more common in caucasian women compared with Asian and black women.

The reseachers suggest further studies to confirm these results and identify the underlying reasons for these differences.

Source: Nursing Times

A report studying the effects of obesity in women has recently been published by the New England Journal of Medicine.  One of the key points highlighted in the study demonstrated how weight loss is a decisive factor in reducing the risk of developing many types of urinary incontinence.

338 overweight or obese participants part took in an intensive weight loss programme, between the participants, an average of 8% body weight reduction was achieved which had a medium reduction of 47% in levels of urinary incontinence.

The study also revealed that loss of weight correlates with a reduction in high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, mood and personal satisfaction and chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

In sum, the report concludes that weight loss is one of – if not the – most important treatments for treating urinary incontinence – regardless of the root cause.

When you undertake a new fitness routine, it’s important to not overlook internal exercises, as they can play a part in curbing ones incontinence. The best of which, are what’s known as Kegal exercises, which – in short – is about consciously contracting the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine: holding the muscles tight for several seconds and releasing. Think of doing these exercises as you would ‘reps’ and ‘sets’ for any other muscles you may work on, such as your biceps.

Repeating these exercises once in the morning and once at night can strengthen perhaps the most significant muscle groups: your pelvic floor muscles – which control the bladder.

One point that’s often overlooked with Kegal routines is that it requires a lot of patience. Because it’s internal and therefore hidden, and because regular exercise may not yield the desired effect for a couple of months, it’s easy to get lulled into a sense of pointlessness. Resist this temptation. Kegal take time to come to fruition, but when they do the improvement is significant and the full benefits with regards to incontinence become apparent.

According to a market report from Marketstrat, the Urinary Incontinence devices market is expected to grow over 4% between 2008 and 2016 reaching the $2 billion mark by the end of 2016.

Despite the fact that the Urinary Incontinence market is one of the most under-penetrated medical markets, the technological developments are nonetheless very well developed and the report forecast and even greater development over the following years with the implementation of less invasive incontinence devices that include: artificial sphincters, urethral bulking agents, male slings, female slings, neuromodulators and urine drainage products (catheters and drainage bags).

Marketstrat’s report also does a detailed analysis of the global market share and market size forecast in US Dollar and segmented geographically – namely the US, Europe, Japan and the ROW.

About Markestrat, Inc.

Marketstrat specialises in medical market researches assisting companies with market, technology and best practice strategies and intelligence, through a unique combination of published reports, solutions and services.

Incontinence, as we all know is a common treatable medical condition that affects man and women. Every now and then, incontinence makes the headlines of major news sources, be it a revolutionary new treatment or a celebrity that comes forward to talk his or her incontinence experiences.

The headline this time was about an incontinence treatment used for over 30 years to restore urinary incontinence in almost 130,000 men around the world, and it has finally being approved in Japan.

The AMS 800 is an artificial sphincter which is implanted and completely concealed inside the patient’s body. This Gold Standard treatment has been tested in Japan since 2004 and according to a survey by the Japanese Urological Association, approximately 16,000 radical prostatectomy’s were performed with a high success rate which led to the approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

You might be asking, so what? this incontinence treatment is now available to Japanese men suffering from Urinary Incontinence. The point here is, in today’s world where any novelties or breakthroughs spread to all corners of the globe with lighting speed, only now after 30 years of success this treatment has been approved by the Japanese Medical authorities.

The Phoenix Medical Device and Diagnostic Conference for Chief Executive Officers is one of best known conferences of its segment, and every year during the conference the Phoenix Awards are presented for outstanding achievement in the Medical device and diagnostic industry to individuals and companies selected by industry CEOs and, this innovative, non-surgical treatment for female stress urinary incontinence was named the 2009 ‘Most Promising New Product’.

Developed by Novasys Medical, Inc., the Renessa treatment offers women afflicted with stress urinary incontinence an opportunity to resume activities that make their lives fulfilling.

The Renessa treatment can be performed in the convenience of a physician’s office, or in an outpatient setting, using local anaesthesia. There are no incisions, bandages or dressings required. Recovery is rapid and comfortable, with minimal post-procedure limitations.

More than 350 urologists, uro-gynaecologists and gynaecologists have been trained and have performed the Renessa procedure on nearly 3,000 patients.

About Novasys Medical

Novasys Medical, Inc. is a privately held, venture-backed company which develops innovative therapies in women’s health. The company’s initial focus is the development and commercialization of the Renessa System, a proprietary, non-surgical approach to the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

A study published on the renowned website UroToday suggests that Transobturator male slings can help manage stress urinary incontinence after prostatic surgery.

The study was conducted by the Department of Urology, Tenon Hospital, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire EST, Assistance Publique-Hpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), University Paris VI in Paris, France.

In total, 102 patients took place in the study where researchers were trying to determine the safety and prospectively evaluate the clinical outcome after prostatic surgery by placement of a suburethal transobturator sling.

With a minimum follow up of only 6 month, results cannot be considered relevant in conditions like incontinence, but results were pretty good. Of 102 patients, 64 were cured, 18 were improved, and 20 were not improved.

The final conclusion was that placement of a transobturator sling is a safe and effective procedure, giving durable results for stress urinary incontinence after >1 yr of follow-up.

This is the third and final part of our series about Alternative Treatments for Incontinence. As mentioned on Part 2, today we’ll cover some commonly used homeopathic remedies that can be use as incontinence treatments.

Before we list these homeopathic remedies, here is a light insight about them. Homoeopathic medicines are drug components made by homoeopathic pharmacies consisting of plants, minerals and animal extracts. Remedies (usually in liquid, tablet or powder form) are prescribed in accordance with a patient’s symptoms and health conditions while individual characteristics such as emotions and physical condition are also taken into account. Based on that, here are some homeopathic remedies commonly used in the treatment of urinary incontinence:

Arnica is great for involuntary urination that occurs after surgery.
Belladonna is helpful for people who tend to leak urine when they are cold.
Causticum is helpful when involuntary urination is worse in winter and better in summer. It is also useful for stress incontinence.
Equisetum is useful for those people that wet their pants or their bed for no known reason, other than out of habit.
Ferrum phos is helpful for daytime involuntary urination, especially when the urge is strongest while standing.
Kreosotum is useful when the person has a sudden urge to urinate but do not have enough time to get to the bathroom.
Lycopodium is useful for those that are so anxious that they always worry about what others think of them.
Zincum is useful for stress incontinence, urinary retention caused by prostate problems, and the inability to urinate while standing.
Pareira is good for the retention of urine from an enlarged prostate.
Sepia is good for stress incontinence with the sudden urge to urinate, especially with a prolapsed uterus and vaginitis.

Once again, it is important to highlight that the content of this article is aimed for informational purposes only and it is not intended to replace by any means your doctors recommendations.

This is it for our series of articles on Alternative Treatments for Incontinence, hope you enjoyed it and feel free to share your thoughts in our comments section.