What behavioral therapy technique helps patients with urge incontinence manage symptoms?

Bladder training is a behavioral therapy technique specifically designed to help patients with urge incontinence manage their symptoms effectively. This technique involves progressively increasing the time between voiding, allowing the bladder to hold larger volumes of urine and reducing the urgency and frequency of urination. Patients are encouraged to schedule bathroom breaks and gradually extend the intervals before they feel the need to urinate.

The process helps retrain the bladder and can significantly improve control over urination, thus decreasing episodes of incontinence. This approach is evidenced by research showing that bladder training can lead to improvements in quality of life for individuals experiencing urge incontinence.

While pelvic floor training focuses on strengthening the muscles that support the bladder and may aid in managing incontinence, it does not specifically target the urge aspect as directly as bladder training does. Medication management can also play a role in the treatment of urge incontinence, but it is separate from the behavioral adaptations promoted by bladder training. Dietary changes might help some individuals eliminate irritants but do not address the underlying behavioral factors contributing to urge incontinence.