Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 100,000 people in UK. It affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of signs and symptoms including problems with movement, balance and vision.

It’s most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s and 30s, although it can develop at any age. It’s about two to three times more common in women than men.

Bladder problems in MS

Bladder dysfunction, which occurs in at least 80 percent of people with MS, happens when MS lesions block or delay transmission of nerve signals in areas of the central nervous system (CNS) that control the bladder and urinary sphincters.

An overactive bladder that is unable to hold the normal amount of urine, or a bladder that does not empty properly and retains some urine in it can cause symptoms including:

Frequency and/or urgency of urination

Hesitancy in starting urination

Frequent night time urination (nocturia)

Incontinence (the inability to hold in urine)

Inability to empty the bladder completely

Pelvic floor therapy in Management and treatment of Urinary Incontinence:

Pelvic floor physical therapy is often prescribed for people with overactive bladder symptoms, and targets the group of muscles attached to the pelvic bone and sacrum that play an important role in healthy bladder and bowel function. The therapy uses pelvic floor training, biofeedback, neuromuscular stimulation to reduce urinary urgency and frequency, and loss of bladder control. It works by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, improving muscle control, and promoting muscle relaxation as needed for urination.

Recent clinical studies have used exercise of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles in combination with ES of these muscles with skin electrodes.

The majority of patients (78 to 85%) reported improvements in their bowel and bladder function, but there is agreement that multiple sclerosis patients do need daily home ES treatments.

At TensCare we have a range of electrotherapy Pelvic Floor Exercisers used to help treat all forms of incontinence.

Products such as the Elise, itouch Sure,Perfect PFE, iEase, Sure Pro and Viva can see such an evidently common problem treated in one discreet, affordable and easy-to-use solution.

If you would like to hear more about our range of pelvic floor exercisers, please visit our website www.tenscare.co.uk

References:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/multiple-sclerosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Bladder-Dysfunction