Do you routinely go to the bathroom before you leave your house, even if you don’t really have to? Do you encourage your kids to pee before getting into the car? Are you emptying your bladder before meetings, a movie, or a workout ‘just in case’?
While the “just in case” pee may seem like a smart thing to do, it is a bad habit for your bladder. Peeing when you don’t feel the immediate need to do so, trains your bladder to empty when it isn’t full yet.
If you regularly pee “just in case” it may cause bladder signaling dysfunction. Emptying your bladder before it is full on a regular basis, sends a signal to the brain that the bladder needs to be emptied when it is only partially full. This can cause the bladder to shrink in size and may lead to changes in urge and increased frequency of using the washroom. The “just in case” pee could be the reason you need to pee all the time?!
Most people should go the washroom 5-8x/day or every 2-3 hours. If you are over the age of 50, getting up to go once in the night to pee is also considered typical.
If you are going to the washroom >8x day, find yourself doing the “just in case” pee before you leave the house, or are experiencing urinary urgency you may benefit from an assessment with our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist!
Book today and get started on the road to better bladder health!
