Advanced Treatments · Pelvic Floor & Bladder
Understand the types and causes of bladder leakage and your treatment options, including Emsella, a non-invasive pelvic floor treatment offered by Concordia Aesthetics in the same building on Concordia Avenue.
Urinary incontinence means any involuntary leakage of urine. It affects people of all ages, and more women than men, but the type of leakage matters more than how often it happens, because each type has a different cause and responds to different treatment.
Stress incontinence is leakage that happens when pressure on the bladder suddenly increases: when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift something heavy, jump or exercise. It usually means the pelvic floor muscles and the tissues that support the urethra are not holding firmly enough under strain. It is the most common type in women, particularly after pregnancy and childbirth, and it can also affect men after prostate surgery.
Overactive bladder causes a sudden, strong need to urinate that is hard to put off. Many people with it go to the bathroom more than eight times a day or get up several times at night. When the urge leads to leakage before you reach a toilet, it is called urge incontinence. It happens when the bladder muscle contracts before the bladder is full.
Many people have mixed incontinence, a combination of stress and urge symptoms. Less common types include overflow incontinence, where the bladder does not empty fully and leaks small amounts often, and functional incontinence, where the bladder works normally but a physical or mobility problem makes it hard to reach a toilet in time.
Incontinence is a symptom with an underlying cause, and many of those causes can be treated or improved. The most common contributors include:
More than one factor is often involved, and understanding which ones apply to you helps you choose the right treatment rather than simply managing leakage with pads.
Many people wait years before seeking help for bladder leakage, often out of embarrassment or because they assume it is a normal part of aging. It is not. Consider treatment if leakage or urgency:
See a doctor the same day if bladder symptoms come with blood in the urine, pain or burning, fever, or pain in your back or side. Go to the nearest emergency department or call 911 if you suddenly lose control of your bladder or bowels, especially with numbness in the groin or weakness in the legs.
Treatment usually starts with the simplest, lowest-risk options. The right approach depends on the type of incontinence you have, how much it affects you and your other health conditions.
Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, strengthen the muscles that support the bladder and close the urethra. They are a first-line approach for stress incontinence and also help with urgency, but they need to be done correctly and consistently for several months.
A pelvic floor physiotherapist assesses the pelvic floor directly and builds an individual exercise program. It is a good option if you are unsure whether you are doing the exercises correctly or are not seeing progress.
For urgency and overactive bladder, bladder training gradually lengthens the time between bathroom trips. It works best alongside practical changes: cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, spacing fluids through the day, treating constipation, stopping smoking and losing weight where needed.
Prescription medications can reduce urgency and frequency in overactive bladder, and persistent or complex cases may need a urologist or urogynecologist. These are arranged through your family doctor.
Emsella is a non-invasive pelvic floor treatment. You sit fully clothed on a chair that uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles, with no needles or incisions, and you can return to normal activities right after a session. It is used for stress incontinence, urgency and overactive bladder, and is available for women and men.
Emsella is offered by Concordia Aesthetics, Suite 210, in the same building as Concordia Medical Centre. It is paid privately and is not covered by Manitoba Health.
Your first step is to contact Concordia Aesthetics by phone at (204) 560-8115 or through their contact page. At your consultation, the team will:
Before your consultation, keeping a bladder diary for three days helps. Write down what you drink, when you urinate, and when any leakage or strong urge happens, and bring a list of your current medications.
No. It becomes more common with age, but it is not a normal or inevitable part of getting older, and it can often be improved with treatment.
No. Emsella is paid privately. Some extended health plans may cover part of the cost, so check with your insurer. Concordia Aesthetics can explain pricing at your consultation.
No. You can contact Concordia Aesthetics directly at (204) 560-8115 or through their contact page to book a consultation.
Yes. Emsella is available for women and men. In men, incontinence is most often linked to an enlarged prostate or to prostate surgery.
You sit fully clothed on the Emsella chair and feel tingling and strong pelvic floor muscle contractions during the session. There are no needles or incisions, and most people return to normal activities right away.
Concordia Aesthetics is at 1100 Concordia Avenue, Suite 210, Winnipeg, in the same building as Concordia Medical Centre.
