Urinary Incontinence

Worrying about leaking urine can affect far more than your physical health.

You might avoid running, jumping or going to the gym. You may plan journeys around toilets, worry about coughing or sneezing, or feel anxious about having an accident when you're away from home.

Urinary incontinence is common, but it isn't something you simply have to put up with.

At Core Physiotherapy, I provide personalised physiotherapy to help you understand the reasons behind your bladder symptoms and work towards better bladder control.

My approach combines pelvic floor rehabilitation, core strengthening, exercise, education and hands-on treatment where appropriate, with your individual lifestyle and goals at the centre of your care.

Take Back Control of Your Bladder

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How Can Women's Health Physiotherapy Help?
Understanding Why You're Leaking

Urinary incontinence can happen for different reasons.

Your pelvic floor, abdominal muscles, breathing, bladder habits and movement patterns can all play a role.

Physiotherapy can help with:

Stress urinary incontinence
Urinary urgency
Urge-related leakage
Pelvic floor weakness
Poor pelvic floor coordination
Core weakness
Leakage when coughing or sneezing
Leakage when lifting
Leakage during exercise
Leakage when running or jumping
Needing to rush to the toilet
Bladder symptoms following pregnancy or birth
Loss of confidence around exercise and everyday activities

My aim is to help you understand your symptoms and develop practical strategies to improve your bladder control.

Our Holistic Approach

Looking Beyond the Bladder

Urinary incontinence isn't just about the bladder.

We look at the whole picture to understand what might be contributing to your symptoms.

I will consider:

Your bladder symptoms
When and how leakage occurs
Urinary urgency
Your pelvic floor
Core strength
Breathing and pressure management
Your hips and pelvis
Movement patterns
Your exercise habits
Pregnancy and birth history
Previous surgery or injuries
Your daily activities
Your lifestyle
What you want to get back to

This allows us to create a treatment plan that is about you, rather than simply treating a symptom.

What Do We Do?

Assessment, Treatment & Rehabilitation

Your first appointment is about understanding what's happening.

I will talk about:

When your symptoms started
When you experience leakage
How often it happens
What triggers your symptoms
Your bladder habits
Your exercise and activity
Pregnancy and birth history where relevant
Previous injuries or surgery
How your symptoms affect your everyday life
What you'd like to achieve

I may then assess:

Pelvic floor function
Core function
Breathing
Strength
Movement
Hip and pelvic function
Functional activities

I will explain what we've found and work with you to decide on the most appropriate treatment.

Conditions We Can Help With

Stress Urinary Incontinence

Leakage When You Cough, Sneeze, Laugh or Exercise?

Stress urinary incontinence is leakage that occurs when pressure through your abdomen increases.

You may notice leakage when:

Coughing
Sneezing
Laughing
Lifting
Getting out of a chair
Running
Jumping
Exercising
Playing sport

This can happen when the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles aren't effectively managing pressure and supporting bladder control.

A physiotherapy assessment can help identify what may be contributing to your symptoms.

Treatment may include pelvic floor muscle training, coordination work, pressure management, core rehabilitation and progressive exercise.

Urinary Urgency

Do You Suddenly Need the Toilet?

Urinary urgency can make you feel like you need to find a toilet immediately.

You may experience:

A sudden strong urge to urinate
Difficulty delaying the urge
Frequent trips to the toilet
Waking frequently during the night
Worrying about being too far from a toilet
Occasional leakage before reaching the toilet

Urgency can become disruptive and may affect work, travel, exercise and social activities.

I will look at your individual symptoms and help you understand strategies that may improve bladder control and confidence.

Pelvic Floor Weakness

Your Pelvic Floor Plays an Important Role

The pelvic floor muscles help support the pelvic organs and contribute to bladder and bowel control.

When the pelvic floor isn't functioning effectively, you may experience urinary leakage or reduced bladder control.

You may notice leakage:

When you cough.
When you sneeze.
When you lift.
When you exercise.
When you run.
When you jump.
When you're tired.

But pelvic floor problems aren't always simply about weakness.

Some people may have difficulty coordinating, contracting or relaxing their pelvic floor muscles.

That's why I assess your individual function rather than simply giving you a standard list of exercises.

Core Weakness & Bladder Control

Your Pelvic Floor Doesn't Work Alone

Your pelvic floor works together with your abdominal muscles, diaphragm and other muscles around your pelvis and trunk.

Together, they help manage pressure within your abdomen during movement.

If you're experiencing core weakness following pregnancy, childbirth, injury or a period of reduced activity, we can help you progressively rebuild strength and control.

Your programme may include:

Breathing control
Deep abdominal activation
Core strengthening
Pelvic floor coordination
Hip strengthening
Functional movement
Lifting exercises
Progressive resistance training

The goal is to build a stronger, more coordinated system that supports your everyday activities and exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence means involuntary leakage of urine. It can happen for different reasons, including stress incontinence, urgency and problems with pelvic floor function.

What is stress urinary incontinence?

Stress urinary incontinence is leakage that occurs when activities such as coughing, sneezing, lifting, running or jumping increase pressure through the abdomen.

Can physiotherapy help urinary incontinence?

Yes. Pelvic floor muscle training is an important treatment for urinary incontinence, and physiotherapy can provide individual assessment, instruction and progression of pelvic floor rehabilitation.

Can urinary urgency be treated with physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy can be part of managing urinary urgency. Your physiotherapist can assess your symptoms and provide appropriate bladder and pelvic floor strategies.

Can I still run if I have urinary leakage?

You may be able to return to running with appropriate rehabilitation. I will assess your symptoms, strength and ability to tolerate impact and help you gradually build back towards running.

Can pelvic floor muscles be too tight?

Yes. Pelvic floor problems aren't always caused by weakness. Some people have difficulty relaxing or coordinating their pelvic floor, which is why individual assessment is important.

Do I need an internal pelvic floor assessment?

Not necessarily. An internal assessment is only considered when clinically appropriate and would always require your informed consent.

Is urinary leakage after having a baby normal?

Urinary leakage can occur during pregnancy and after birth, but you don't have to simply accept it. Pelvic floor rehabilitation can help address appropriate bladder symptoms.

Take Back Control

Stronger Pelvic Floor. Better Bladder Control. More Confidence.

You don't have to avoid exercise.

You don't have to organise your day around toilets.

You don't have to feel embarrassed about leakage.

At Core Physiotherapy, I combine pelvic floor rehabilitation, core strengthening, hands on physiotherapy, exercise and a holistic approach to help you regain confidence and control.

Take a look at our resources page to find out more information or to seek further help.