Incontinence is a common problem, which concerns older people as well as young people. There are various causes of incontinence, often it is a combination of several factors.
Electrical stimulation can be applied with the following types of incontinence:
- Stress incontinence means that not all muscles of the pelvic floor are fully functionable. When pressure rises (e.g. through sneezing, coughing, laughing or physical exertion) the loss of urine will occur even without micturition. The weak pelvic muscles can result from weakness of the connective tissue, births or prostats surgery.
- Urge incontinence means that the muscles of the pelvic floor that are closing the bladder and urethra function well. But involuntary movements of the bladder occur. This hyper active bladder muscle makes micturition uncontrollable since the pressure of the bladder increases strongly so that the resistance of the healthy muscular closing system will collapse – even if there is only a little urine in the bladder. Possible causes are disorders of the superior nervous system.
- A mixed form of stress and urge incontinence is caused by weakness of the pelvic muscles combined with a hyperactive bladder.
- Faecal incontinence means a disorder of the function of the sphinkter anus externus. A controlled discharge of bowel contents is not possible anymore. The causes for this disorder are manifold.
