Reclaiming Control: How We Can Help Prevent Urinary Incontinence from Impacting Your Independence
By Dr. Beth Meneley, DAOM, L.Ac., Founder of Evolved Menopause
Urinary incontinence is often treated as an embarrassing secret—a topic we shy away from discussing. But the truth is, incontinence is a major health concern for women, particularly as we age. In fact, it’s one of the leading reasons women end up moving into nursing homes. When incontinence becomes unmanageable, it significantly impacts a person’s quality of life, independence, and dignity. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. At Evolved Menopause, we’re committed to providing effective, integrative solutions to help women regain control, stay strong, and keep living life on their own terms.
Today, I want to share some of the powerful tools we use to address urinary incontinence and support pelvic floor health, including Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), our HI FEM Pelvic Floor Tone Machine, Maya abdominal massage, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, vaginal probiotics, and topical estrogen creams.
The Role of Urinary Incontinence in Loss of Independence
Urinary incontinence can be incredibly disruptive. When a woman begins to experience leakage, she may alter her activities, avoiding social events and reducing physical movement to minimize the risk of an accident. This can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, increased isolation, and a decline in muscle strength, all of which make the situation worse. Over time, as the issue progresses, managing incontinence can become overwhelming, requiring help from caregivers and ultimately leading some women to consider moving to a nursing home for support.
But incontinence doesn’t have to rob you of your independence. Understanding the underlying causes—and treating them—is key to taking back control.
Our Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Urinary Incontinence
At Evolved Menopause, we take a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to addressing urinary incontinence by focusing on the pelvic floor muscles, uterine health, and hormonal balance. Here’s how our methods can help:
1. Strengthening the Pelvic Floor with HI FEM Technology
The pelvic floor muscles act as a supportive hammock for the bladder, uterus, and bowels. When these muscles weaken, they can no longer effectively hold the bladder in place, leading to leakage. At our center, we use a HI FEM Pelvic Floor Tone Machine that delivers High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HI FEM) energy to the pelvic floor, providing deep muscle contractions that are much stronger than what you could achieve through traditional Kegel exercises.
The result is a strengthened pelvic floor, improved bladder control, and reduced urinary leakage. This treatment is non-invasive, and the results are often noticeable within a few sessions. You will even notice a nice butt lift as those muscles are become stronger and more firm :-).
2. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
Hormones play a major role in pelvic floor health. As women age, estrogen and progesterone levels decline, which weakens pelvic tissues, reducing elasticity and decreasing the strength of the muscles supporting the bladder. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) helps to restore these hormone levels, making pelvic floor muscles stronger and improving tissue elasticity.
Estrogen in particular helps to keep the tissues around the bladder and urethra healthy, thick, and flexible. By restoring estrogen levels with BHRT, we can help improve pelvic floor muscle strength and reduce incontinence. Many women notice a significant improvement in bladder control once their hormonal balance is restored.
3. Maya Abdominal Uterine Massage and Self-Care Techniques
Maya Abdominal Massage is an incredible tool that supports uterine health and strengthens the ligaments that hold the uterus in place. When the uterus is out of alignment—whether tilted forward or backward—it can put pressure on the bladder, contributing to incontinence. By repositioning the uterus through abdominal massage and self-care techniques, we can help relieve that pressure, improving both uterine alignment and pelvic floor support.
Maya abdominal massage also promotes circulation to the pelvic area, helping to nourish tissues, reduce stagnation, and improve flexibility. Self-care at home, including massage over the uterus with castor oil, can support tissue healing and improve ligament strength over time, providing long-term benefits for bladder control.
4. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Tissue Repair
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is another powerful tool for treating urinary incontinence, particularly when there is tissue damage or scarring affecting bladder function. By delivering 100% oxygen under increased pressure, HBOT helps promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation to damaged areas.
For women who have experienced trauma to the pelvic region—whether from childbirth, surgery, or age-related degeneration—HBOT can help heal the tissues that support the bladder and improve pelvic floor strength. This therapy is non-invasive and highly effective at enhancing the body’s natural healing processes.
5. Vaginal Probiotics and Topical Estrogen Creams
A healthy vaginal microbiome is crucial for bladder health. Vaginal probiotics, particularly those containing Lactobacillus crispatus, can help maintain an optimal vaginal environment that supports pelvic health. These probiotics help balance pH levels, reduce harmful bacteria, and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can exacerbate incontinence.
In addition to probiotics, using a topical estrogen cream can further support vaginal and urethral health. Estrogen cream helps to thicken the vaginal walls, improve blood flow, and restore moisture, making the tissues more resilient and less likely to contribute to incontinence. This is especially important for postmenopausal women, whose vaginal tissuesoften become thin, dry, and weak without adequate estrogen.
Combining Therapies for Comprehensive Support
While each of these therapies is powerful on its own, combining them can lead to even more significant improvements. For instance:
BHRT helps restore hormone levels, while the HI FEM machine strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.
Maya abdominal massage helps reposition and align the uterus, which takes pressure off the bladder, while vaginal probiotics and topical estrogen keep the tissues healthy and resilient.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps to heal tissues that may have been damaged, reducing inflammation and promoting the overall strength of the pelvic area.
Taking Back Control
Urinary incontinence can make you feel like you’ve lost control over your own life—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By addressing the underlying causes, strengthening the pelvic floor, supporting hormone levels, and healing damaged tissues, we can help you regain control, independence, and confidence.
At Evolved Menopause, we take a holistic approach to urinary incontinence because we believe that your health—and your quality of life—deserve more than a one-size-fits-all solution. We’re here to empower you, support you, and guide you on your journey to recovery.
Schedule a consultation today to learn more about how we can help you address urinary incontinence with our integrative therapies and restore your independence, confidence, and vitality.
