The Maher Method of Effective Bladder ControlSM
Urinary Incontinence (UI)
It is estimated that 13 Million people in the USA suffer from Urinary Incontinence (UI), an insidious medical condition that can seriously reduce your quality of life. Although, most people associate loss of bladder control to old age, it is not a normal or natural part of aging.
UI knows no bounds. It affects people of all ages, both male and female.
Facts about Urinary Incontinence
- Urinary Incontinence is a leading cause of admission to nursing homes.
- The prevalence of Urinary Incontinence increases with age.
- Urinary Incontinence is NOT a normal consequence of age.
- Between 17-55% of older women report having experienced Urinary Incontinence at some point
compared with 12-42% of younger women.
- Urinary incontinence is estimated to cost the economy over $95 million annually.
- Millions are spent every year on disposable products for adults.
Since few people report continence issues such as stress incontinence to their health care providers these figures are probably grossly under estimated.
A recent study has shown that Physical Therapy is effective in treating stress incontinence in as many as 80% of cases.
The Maher Method of Effective Bladder Control
The Maher Sports and Wellness Centre is one of a few rehabilitation practices in the nation to offer multi-modality urinary incontinence treatment.
The Maher Method focuses on pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation — an essential and effective way to help regain bladder control and quality of life.
The Maher Method utilizes a multifaceted evidenced based practice approach to treat individuals with urinary incontinence. This approach uses Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI)in combination with EMG, guided imagery, whole body vibration (WBV), individualized therapeutic exercise interventions, electrical stimulation, behavioral modification techniques, and toileting to facilitate psychomotor learning. (Psychomotor learning refers to learning skills that involve physical movement ("motor") as well as a mental ("psycho") component.
The visual style of learning which occurs with RUSI imaging is one of the three sensory learning styles along with auditory and kinesthetic.
The Maher Method of Effective Bladder Control utilizes all learning styles in an effort to empower individuals regain control of their bladder function.
Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI)
Ultrasound imaging is widely recognized in the field of obstetrics and other medical fields for the examination of internal organs.
Using a medical imaging tool called a Sonogram, we get an inside look at the pelvic floor muscles at work. As a result, our patients get a targeted, personalized approach to care with a success rate exceeding the national average.
Using RUSI, patients can see their pelvic floor muscles contracting and relaxing. The benefit of this technology is that the Patient and physical therapist can see how pelvic floor muscle activation affects the bladder and other muscles, which normally co-contract with these muscles.
Click here to find out more about Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a process for the re-education and training of patient's control mechanisms based on visual and auditory muscle pressure sensor readings.
Biofeedback is especially beneficial to individuals who have difficulty isolating their pelvic floor muscles during pelvic floor muscle retraining.
Click here to find out more about Biofeedback.
Therapeutic Exercise
Specific exercises and weight training address the integrity of pelvic floor muscles and synergistic muscles.
Pelvic floor muscle training is an effective treatment for adult women with stress or mixed incontinence, and consistently better than no treatment or placebo treatments.
Whole Body Vibration (WBV)
Whole body vibration works by producing a vibration through which energy is transferred to the body. This causes a stretch reflex that changes between 30-60 times a second depending on which frequency is determined to be appropriate.
The special vibrating platform stretches the muscles, which activate Tonic Vibration Reflexes. Because the Power-Plate vibrates at 30 to 50 times per second, these involuntary muscle contractions happen at the same speed.
In conventional training a maximum of 40% of the muscle fibers per muscle are recruited. The Power-Plate vibrations recruit between 95% and 97% of the muscle fibers. This also means that the deeper posture and stabilizing muscles, such as the spinal muscles and the pelvic floor muscles are recruited.
Click here for more information on additional benefits of whole body vibration (WBV)
Electrical Stimulation
Mild electrical pulses stimulate muscle contractions in the pelvic floor muscles. Studies have shown that transvaginal electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor is an effective and safe treatment for women with urinary incontinence without sphincter deficiency, with reduction in the frequency of urinary leakage.
Behavioural Training
This approach teaches people to resist the urge to void and gradually expand the intervals between voiding thus regaining bladder control.
Education
Patients and their families should know that incontinence is not inevitable or shameful but is treatable or at least manageable.
Dr. Ruth Maher uses an innovative approach to treat urinary incontinence to help patients achieve the highest degree of independence in physical function and movement. Dr. Maher received a clinical doctorate in physical therapy from Simmons College in Boston and has international experience in Ireland and China.