Bladder and bowel condition treatment options

Your doctor may recommend the following approaches first:

Behavioral changes can include lifestyle changes and pelvic floor training. 

• Lifestyle changes – adjusting fluid intake and diet can significantly improve symptoms. Caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods may be contributing to discomfort.
• Bladder training exercises – relearn the bladder’s natural rhythm through techniques designed to increase control and reduce urgency
• Sphincter and pelvic floor exercises – exercises such as Kegels may help strengthen the pelvic floor

• Prescription medications may relax bladder muscles, reduce spasms, and improve control
• Alpha-blocker medications (for men with an enlarged prostate) may relax the muscles in the bladder neck and prostate, helping to improve urine flow and reduce symptoms of retention
• Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications

If you were not satisfied with the results, there are advanced options that may provide lasting relief.

This minimally invasive therapy uses electrical pulses to regulate the nerves that control the bladder and bowel. This therapy may help restore normal communication with the brain, which can result in symptom improvement for people with OAB, urinary retention, or bowel incontinence.

Botulinum toxin can be injected directly into the bladder muscle to help reduce involuntary contractions associated with OAB.

A process where the patient inserts a temporary catheter through the urethra to fully drain urine from the bladder at regular intervals throughout the day, which may help ease symptoms of urinary retention.

Surgical intervention may be recommended when other treatments do not provide relief.

• For urinary retention, surgical treatment options can include procedures to improve urine flow such as prostate surgery, urethral dilation, or bladder neck reconstruction. 
• For bowel incontinence, surgical sphincter repair may be an option.