Can Incontinence Be Cured? Treatment Options Explained

You're dealing with bladder leaks. Maybe it's when you cough, laugh, or exercise. Maybe it's sudden urges you can't control. And you're wondering: Can this actually be fixed, or am I stuck with pads for the rest of my life?

The short answer: Yes, incontinence can often be significantly improved or completely resolved — but it depends on the type you have and which treatment approach you take.

Let me break down what actually works, what doesn't, and what your options are in Milwaukee.

Understanding Your Type of Incontinence

Not all incontinence is the same. Treatment that works for one type might not work for another.

Stress Incontinence

What it is: Leaks when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, or lift something heavy.

Why it happens: Weak pelvic floor muscles can't support your bladder properly. Common after childbirth, menopause, or surgery.

Cure rate: 60-90% improvement with proper pelvic floor strengthening.

Urge Incontinence

What it is: Sudden, intense need to urinate that you can't control. May not make it to the bathroom in time.

Why it happens: Overactive bladder muscles. Can be triggered by infection, neurological issues, or bladder irritation.

Cure rate: 50-70% improvement with combination treatment (behavior modification + medication + pelvic floor therapy).

Mixed Incontinence

What it is: Both stress and urge incontinence together.

Why it happens: Multiple factors — weak pelvic floor + overactive bladder.

Cure rate: Requires treating both issues. More complex but still very treatable.

Overflow Incontinence

What it is: Frequent or constant dribbling because your bladder doesn't empty completely.

Why it happens: Blocked urethra or weak bladder muscles (common in men with enlarged prostate).

Cure rate: Depends on underlying cause — may require medical intervention.

Do Kegel Exercises Actually Work?

The Truth About Kegels

Short answer: They CAN work, but most people do them wrong.

The problem:

• 70% of women do Kegels incorrectly (squeezing the wrong muscles)^[1]
• Hard to know if you're engaging the right muscles
• Takes months of daily practice to see results
• Easy to give up when you don't see progress

When Kegels work:

• Mild stress incontinence
• When guided by a pelvic floor physical therapist
• If you're consistent for 3-6 months
• If you're doing them correctly (huge if!)

Success rate: About 40-50% of people see improvement IF they do them correctly and consistently.^[2]

Why Kegels Often Fail

Common mistakes:

• Squeezing glutes or abs instead of pelvic floor
• Not holding contractions long enough
• Not doing enough reps
• Giving up after 2-3 weeks when results aren't immediate

The reality: Kegels require 100-200 daily contractions for months to see results. Most people can't maintain that commitment.

Medication Options

For Urge Incontinence

Anticholinergics (Oxybutynin, Tolterodine):

• Relax overactive bladder muscles
• 50-70% of people see improvement
• Side effects: dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, memory issues
• Not a cure — symptoms return if you stop

Beta-3 agonists (Mirabegron):

• Newer option, fewer side effects
• Helps bladder hold more urine
• Takes 8-12 weeks to see full effect

For Stress Incontinence

Truth: There's NO FDA-approved medication that effectively treats stress incontinence.

Duloxetine (antidepressant) is sometimes prescribed off-label, but results are modest and it comes with side effects (nausea, fatigue, dizziness).

The Medication Reality

Pros:

• Easy (just take a pill)
• Can help urge incontinence

Cons:

• Doesn't fix the underlying problem
• Side effects
• Symptoms return when you stop
• Doesn't help stress incontinence much

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

What It Is

Specialized physical therapy focused on strengthening and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles. A trained therapist:

• Assesses your pelvic floor function
• Teaches you how to properly engage the right muscles
• Uses biofeedback to confirm you're doing it correctly
• Creates a personalized exercise program

Success Rate

60-80% of people see significant improvement with consistent pelvic floor PT.

The catch:

• Requires 6-12 weeks of weekly appointments
• Daily home exercises (30-45 minutes)
• Not covered by all insurance plans
• Can be time-consuming and expensive

Best for: Motivated patients willing to commit to the work. Excellent for post-pregnancy or post-surgical recovery.

Emsella: The Non-Invasive Breakthrough

What Makes Emsella Different

Emsella uses electromagnetic technology to force your pelvic floor muscles to contract thousands of times in a single session:

• 11,000 Kegel-equivalent contractions in 28 minutes
• Sit fully clothed on the Emsella chair
• Technology does the work for you
• No guessing if you're doing it right
• Strengthens pelvic floor faster than any other method

Success Rate

95% of patients report improvement after a full treatment course:^[3]

• 75% reduction in pad usage
• 67% improvement in quality of life
• Results seen after 2-3 sessions
• Best results at 2-4 weeks post-treatment

Treatment Protocol

Standard course: 6 sessions over 3 weeks

• 2 sessions per week
• 28 minutes per session
• No downtime
• Return to normal activities immediately

Who It Works Best For

• ✅ Stress incontinence
• ✅ Mixed incontinence
• ✅ Post-pregnancy pelvic floor weakness
• ✅ Post-menopausal incontinence
• ✅ Men with post-prostatectomy incontinence
• ✅ Anyone who can't or won't do daily Kegels

Why Emsella Works When Kegels Fail

The advantage:

• Technology does the work — you can't do it wrong
• Targets all pelvic floor layers simultaneously
• Intensity you can't achieve voluntarily
• Faster results (weeks vs. months)
• No daily commitment required

When Surgery Is Needed

Surgical Options

Sling procedures (for stress incontinence):

• Mesh or tissue "sling" supports the urethra
• 80-90% success rate
• Outpatient procedure, 2-6 weeks recovery
• Risks: infection, mesh complications, urinary retention

Bladder neck suspension:

• Lifts and secures the bladder neck
• More invasive, longer recovery
• 70-85% success rate

Botox injections (for urge incontinence):

• Injected into bladder to relax overactive muscles
• Lasts 6-9 months, then needs repeating
• Side effect: may need catheter temporarily

When to Consider Surgery

Surgery makes sense if:

• Severe incontinence significantly affecting quality of life
• Conservative treatments have failed
• Anatomical issues (prolapse, severe weakness)
• You're willing to accept surgical risks

Try non-surgical options first. Surgery should be a last resort, not first line of treatment.

Which Treatment Is Right for You?

Treatment Decision Tree

If you have MILD stress incontinence:

• Try pelvic floor PT or Kegels first (if you're motivated)
• Consider Emsella if you want faster results

If you have MODERATE stress incontinence:

• Emsella is your best first option
• Combine with lifestyle modifications
• Pelvic floor PT if Emsella alone isn't enough

If you have SEVERE stress incontinence:

• Try Emsella + pelvic floor PT first
• Consider surgery if non-surgical options don't work

If you have URGE incontinence:

• Behavior modification + bladder training
• Medication (if behavior changes don't help)
• Emsella can help strengthen pelvic floor support

If you have MIXED incontinence:

• Emsella addresses the stress component
• Medication for the urge component
• Combination treatment usually needed

The Bottom Line

Can incontinence be cured? Often yes, especially stress incontinence.

Best outcomes come from:

• Identifying your specific type
• Starting with least invasive treatments
• Being consistent with treatment
• Combining approaches when needed

For most people, Emsella offers the best combination of effectiveness, convenience, and speed of results. It's why we offer it at our Milwaukee practice — because it actually works.