How to Treat Incontinence With Alternative Remedies

There are four types of urinary incontinence. Urge incontinence, caused by urinary tract infections, Alzheimer's disease, injuries to the spinal cord or an enlarged prostate, involves not being able to wait to urinate, once you feel the urge to do so. Stress incontinence, caused by vaginal childbirth, poor muscle tone in the pelvic area or prostate enlargement, involves urine being leaked involuntarily when you exert yourself, laugh suddenly or cough. Overflow incontinence, caused by the prostate pinching the urethra, causes you to have a weak urine stream, even when your bladder feels full. Reflex incontinence, caused by strokes, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries, involves having to urinate unexpectedly. Each of these can be debilitating, both physically and socially-speaking. Your doctor may want to prescribe medications to help relax your bladder or strengthen your pelvic muscle and may even recommend surgery. There are also special adult undergarments you can get to safeguard against embarrassing situations. Should you decide to seek alternatives to deal with your condition, there are plenty of options.

Things You'll Need

• A weight loss plan
• Kegel exercises
• Non-irritating beverages
• Devil's claw
• Acupuncture

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Instructions

• 1

  Get rid of extra weight, especially abdominal fat. Excess weight can cause pressure on your bladder and contribute to your incontinence. Eat a healthier diet that is lower in fat, with more fresh vegetables and fruits, lean poultry, fish, brown rice and whole grains. Avoid fried foods, processed foods, sweets, white flour products and fatty meats. Walk or do some other type of aerobic exercise daily to help you get in better shape. Knocking off a few pounds may actually aid in getting rid of your incontinence.

• 2

  Do Kegel exercises four times daily. These are pelvic exercises that were designed by urologist Arnold Kegel, back in the 1940s, to help strengthen and recondition the pelvic-floor muscles of women, thereby improving bladder control. Contract and release your PC muscle, which is the muscle you use when you want to stop urinating in midstream. Contract this muscle for 10 seconds, followed by relaxing it for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. This can be a very effective method of getting rid of incontinence.

• 3

  Sip beverages that won't irritate your bladder, such as cranberry juice, apple juice, cherry juice and grape juice. Stay away from carbonated drinks, caffeinated drinks and alcohol, which can irritate your bladder and contribute to bladder leakage. Do not discount the importance of drinking water, since it can dilute acid in your urine.

• 4

  Try Devil's claw to strengthen your bladder and help prevent urine leakage. Devil's claw is a herb extracted from the pods of a South African plant that has been used for several centuries for its medicinal properties. You cannot take devil's claw if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an ulcer, suffer from gallstones or take the blood-thinning drug Warfarin. Individuals who take other prescription blood thinners should consult their doctor, to see if using devil's claw is safe. Take the dosage suggested on the package or bottle of the product you choose.

• 5

  Schedule a consultation with an acupuncturist. Acupuncture involves having extremely thin needles being stuck into specific points or meridians on your body that deal with individual organs or systems. Acupuncture may be helpful in resolving your bladder issues. The number of sessions needed to improve your condition depends upon the severity of your problem. Make sure you find a licensed, certified practitioner, to ensure safety.