An estimated one-third of all women experience it at some
point and few are willing to talk about it, but urinary incontinence
affects more than 15 million Americans and 1.5 million Canadians.
Now, thanks to the innovative patent of a pelvic floor muscle
trainer for at-home use, women can take control of the problem.
Professor Emeritus Ken Pinder (Department of Chemical and
Biological Engineering) and School of Nursing PhD candidate
Diane Sawchuck have developed a patent for a device used to
strengthen pelvic floor muscles. It consists of a pneumatic
bulb for insertion into the vagina, a series of pelvic floor
strength training exercises, and a visual display for monitoring
progress and offering biofeedback.
The invention is manufactured and marketed as Myself®
by DesChutes Medical Products in Bend, Oregon. It is the first
USFDA-approved, over-the-counter solution for improving female
bladder control and is now available at pharmacies in the
U.S., Canada and Europe and is also available online.
Although often underreported, urinary incontinence is extremely
common, with 500,000 new cases reported annually. Bladder
control problems range from stress incontinence (triggered
by activities such as sneezing, laughing and coughing) to
urge incontinence (a frequent sense of needing to urinate).
Both can plague a woman of any age. Urinary incontinence most
commonly affects women who are pregnant, mothers, menopausal,
overweight, smokers and/or athletes.
An estimated US$20 billion (CAD$27.4 billion) is spent annually
on surgery, prescription drugs and/or absorbent pads to manage
urinary incontinence, a condition that can affect quality
of life, often leading to social isolation. Despite the negative
effects of urinary incontinence, only about half of those
suffering from it have discussed it with their physician.
“It’s amazing the number of women who admit to
me that they have stress incontinence when I speak about the
device, even in social settings,” said Pinder. “I
suggest they see their doctor, but they say they’ve
been too embarrassed to bring it up with him.”
The Canadian Continence Foundation Clinical Practice Guideline
for Adults states that pelvic muscle exercises are strongly
recommended for women with urinary stress incontinence. Pelvic
floor muscles can be strengthened like any other skeletal
muscle — with a series of flex and relax exercises (commonly
known as Kegels). But unlike doing bicep curls, it can be
difficult to perform pelvic floor exercises properly because
you cannot see the muscles. Also, guidelines for how to do
these exercises vary.
“After surveying many doctors, I found there was little
consistency on whether Kegel exercises are recommended, and
indeed the type of exercise program recommended,” said
Sawchuk. “One advantage of using the Myself® pelvic
muscle trainer is that it provides a series of exercise cycles
and monitors progress.”
The UBC School of Nursing is celebrating its 85th Anniversary
by hosting "Honouring our Elders," a gala event
this June. Please help us reclaim our history by reconnecting
with alumni who may have changed their names or moved over
the years. For event information, please visit: www.nursing.ubc.ca.
-30-
