Not OT: bladder retraining and jumping jacks

eyefit · 05-13-14, 01:34 PM

So, a few months ago I started a thread discussing my problems with interstitial cystitis as well as stress/urge incontinence. I had just stumbled upon the idea of bladder retraining at that time to help control the painful flares of IC. Around that time, I started with learning to hold it as long as possible to let my bladder fill as much as possible before voiding. I've been working on going longer and longer between bathroom visits and have had major success with decreasing my problems with IC flares and pain. I still avoid coffee, caffeine and other acidic food triggers and try to manage my reaction to stress to manage this problem as well. However, the bladder retraining philosophy has been a revelation.

Anyway, this leads to how this is not off topic.

My ability to do jumping jacks and several other jumping moves like it (including jumping on the rebounder) always led to embarrassing problems with leakage.

There. I said it!

Well, today my friends, I finally managed to do some jumping jacks with NO incontinence! I couldn't believe it! Then it dawned on me that I haven't been having problems when I use the rebounder lately, either...or at least not as much. I'm so excited!

I just wanted to share this concept with anyone else that has these problems in case it might be something you want to try. When I did the research, I realized that by voiding every time I felt the urge, I was making my problems worse by teaching my bladder to hold smaller and smaller amounts of urine...leading to a vicious cycle. I hope that this post can help someone else out there with these problems!!

catcrazy · 05-13-14, 02:19 PM

Thanks awesome advice, will try this starting now. I would love to do any kind of jumping moves!

SpiritSong · 05-13-14, 03:09 PM

More magazine just did an article on this very topic and I was surprised how my habits were affecting my bladder. I've been caught without bathroom access a few times in my life, and I think I developed a phobia of not being able to go when I needed to, so I go whenever I feel the slightest urge.

I guess it is time for me to start some bladder retraining myself. (I was wondering why some of the other women in the office pee like race horses while I just manage a five to ten-second trickle.)

eyefit · 05-13-14, 03:30 PM

Oh that's interesting SpiritSong! Do you have a link to the More article?

Here's a few links about bladder training:

http://www.womensbladderhealth.com/p...ertraining.pdf

http://www.ichelp.org/page.aspx?pid=368

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/bladder_training/

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.iuga.or..._btraining.pdf

What's so funny about this is that I always thought it was detrimental to hold it and not go as soon as I felt the urge. I think it may be one of those urban myths or something that I heard somewhere. It seems so counterintuitive when you are having a painful IC flare to hold off. It trains your bladder and brain to down-regulate the urge to void signal so although it seems unbearable at first over time it does get much easier. I started to realize that when I was having an IC flare, it felt SO much better if I held off and let the bladder fill. When I did finally void it didn't hurt nearly as much as if I went and there was only a small amount of urine passing.

cristinalatina · 05-13-14, 04:11 PM

Colleen,

are you sure you're not in danger of a uti with this practice?

Just a friendly question! I know bladder issues (had incarcerated uterus due to urinary retention when pregnant, it was so painful even with catheter in that I chose to give birth drug free to avoid the chance of it happening again! so I do understand

)

MomOf2Gremlins · 05-13-14, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpiritSong

More magazine just did an article on this very topic and I was surprised how my habits were affecting my bladder. I've been caught without bathroom access a few times in my life, and I think I developed a phobia of not being able to go when I needed to, so I go whenever I feel the slightest urge.

I guess it is time for me to start some bladder retraining myself. (I was wondering why some of the other women in the office pee like race horses while I just manage a five to ten-second trickle.)

Yes!!! Same here!
Thank you for sharing, Colleen!!!

Stephanie_B · 05-13-14, 04:18 PM

I had multiple kidney and bladder procedures growing up and we WERE told go ASAP with an urge. Fast forward 30 years where I was CONSTANTLY up every 60-90 minutes no matter when I stopped liquids and I don't really drink caffeine and talked to a doctor, lo and behold it was outdated. I am so glad and sleep much better too. It took about six months to undo 30+ years though.

eyefit · 05-13-14, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cristinalatina

Colleen,

are you sure you're not in danger of a uti with this practice?

Just a friendly question! I know bladder issues (had incarcerated uterus due to urinary retention when pregnant, it was so painful even with catheter in that I chose to give birth drug free to avoid the chance of it happening again! so I do understand

)

Well, I still go several times a day, just not constantly.

Instead of going 15 or more times a day like before I'm going more like 6-7 times which is a more normal frequency, really. I still make sure to drink plenty of fluids, so I'm not worried about a UTI. In fact, I've never actually had a true UTI. I always thought I was getting them before I figured out I was actually struggling with interstitial cystitis. Every time I would go in, my urine would turn out to be sterile and they wouldn't put me on antibiotics. Unfortunately, for a long time they wouldn't give me any answers, either.

Nuggie's Auntie · 05-13-14, 06:06 PM

Wow, that's great, Colleen! I used to be a camel before I had kids/turned 40. Maybe I'll try your suggestion to see if I can revive my inner camel.

sugarhound · 05-13-14, 07:52 PM

I have severe IC and have had it most of my life. I have tried everything including drugs, DMSO, holding my urine etc. If I have more than five ounces of urine in my bladder, my pain is so bad my teeth chatter. I had a biopsy taken showing that I have mast cells, meaning that I most likely have an allergy to my urine (common with IC). I am pleased that you are able to improve your IC with 'retraining' but it's not typical of most sufferers according to my doctor.

The only thing that has worked for me is menstrual pads and acceptance. I just tell myself that it's not as bad as having many other diseases and it won't die from it.

I sure would love to know what it is like to be able to sleep an entire night without getting up five or six times to use the bathroom

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05-13-14, 01:34 PM
eyefit VF Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: wisconsin	Not OT: bladder retraining and jumping jacks So, a few months ago I started a thread discussing my problems with interstitial cystitis as well as stress/urge incontinence. I had just stumbled upon the idea of bladder retraining at that time to help control the painful flares of IC. Around that time, I started with learning to hold it as long as possible to let my bladder fill as much as possible before voiding. I've been working on going longer and longer between bathroom visits and have had major success with decreasing my problems with IC flares and pain. I still avoid coffee, caffeine and other acidic food triggers and try to manage my reaction to stress to manage this problem as well. However, the bladder retraining philosophy has been a revelation. Anyway, this leads to how this is not off topic. My ability to do jumping jacks and several other jumping moves like it (including jumping on the rebounder) always led to embarrassing problems with leakage. There. I said it! Well, today my friends, I finally managed to do some jumping jacks with NO incontinence! I couldn't believe it! Then it dawned on me that I haven't been having problems when I use the rebounder lately, either...or at least not as much. I'm so excited! I just wanted to share this concept with anyone else that has these problems in case it might be something you want to try. When I did the research, I realized that by voiding every time I felt the urge, I was making my problems worse by teaching my bladder to hold smaller and smaller amounts of urine...leading to a vicious cycle. I hope that this post can help someone else out there with these problems!! __________________ Colleen

05-13-14, 02:19 PM
catcrazy Join Date: Apr 2010	Thanks awesome advice, will try this starting now. I would love to do any kind of jumping moves!

05-13-14, 03:09 PM
SpiritSong Join Date: Aug 2010	More magazine just did an article on this very topic and I was surprised how my habits were affecting my bladder. I've been caught without bathroom access a few times in my life, and I think I developed a phobia of not being able to go when I needed to, so I go whenever I feel the slightest urge. I guess it is time for me to start some bladder retraining myself. (I was wondering why some of the other women in the office pee like race horses while I just manage a five to ten-second trickle.) __________________ Amy

05-13-14, 03:30 PM
eyefit VF Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: wisconsin	Oh that's interesting SpiritSong! Do you have a link to the More article? Here's a few links about bladder training: http://www.womensbladderhealth.com/p...ertraining.pdf http://www.ichelp.org/page.aspx?pid=368 http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/bladder_training/ http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.iuga.or..._btraining.pdf What's so funny about this is that I always thought it was detrimental to hold it and not go as soon as I felt the urge. I think it may be one of those urban myths or something that I heard somewhere. It seems so counterintuitive when you are having a painful IC flare to hold off. It trains your bladder and brain to down-regulate the urge to void signal so although it seems unbearable at first over time it does get much easier. I started to realize that when I was having an IC flare, it felt SO much better if I held off and let the bladder fill. When I did finally void it didn't hurt nearly as much as if I went and there was only a small amount of urine passing. __________________ Colleen

05-13-14, 04:11 PM
cristinalatina Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Belfast, UK!	Colleen, are you sure you're not in danger of a uti with this practice? Just a friendly question! I know bladder issues (had incarcerated uterus due to urinary retention when pregnant, it was so painful even with catheter in that I chose to give birth drug free to avoid the chance of it happening again! so I do understand ) __________________ "It's not what happens to you in life that matters, but how you deal with it" ~Tracy Hogg, the Baby Whisperer

05-13-14, 04:18 PM
Stephanie_B Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: North Texas	I had multiple kidney and bladder procedures growing up and we WERE told go ASAP with an urge. Fast forward 30 years where I was CONSTANTLY up every 60-90 minutes no matter when I stopped liquids and I don't really drink caffeine and talked to a doctor, lo and behold it was outdated. I am so glad and sleep much better too. It took about six months to undo 30+ years though. __________________ Stephanie_B If you can't do it today what makes you think you will do it tomorrow? DISCLOSURE: I had a professional relationship with a seller or producer of fitness videos or products. For details, please see my profile.

05-13-14, 06:06 PM
Nuggie's Auntie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: I love that dirty water...	Wow, that's great, Colleen! I used to be a camel before I had kids/turned 40. Maybe I'll try your suggestion to see if I can revive my inner camel.

05-13-14, 07:52 PM
sugarhound Join Date: Mar 2005	I have severe IC and have had it most of my life. I have tried everything including drugs, DMSO, holding my urine etc. If I have more than five ounces of urine in my bladder, my pain is so bad my teeth chatter. I had a biopsy taken showing that I have mast cells, meaning that I most likely have an allergy to my urine (common with IC). I am pleased that you are able to improve your IC with 'retraining' but it's not typical of most sufferers according to my doctor. The only thing that has worked for me is menstrual pads and acceptance. I just tell myself that it's not as bad as having many other diseases and it won't die from it. I sure would love to know what it is like to be able to sleep an entire night without getting up five or six times to use the bathroom