Constipation Can Contribute to Urinary Incontinence

Did you know constipation can contribute to urinary leakage, urgency or frequency?

Seems wild I know, but your bladder and rectum both sit snuggled into your pelvis. If there’s increased pressure from the rectum being full, it puts pressure on the bladder and can contribute to leakage.

Often, kids that still wet the bed after they’ve been potty trained are having leakage due to the pressure from the rectum and likely have some constipation issues.

It can also contribute to pain with sex. If there’s more weight on the pelvic muscles, they can become overactive to provide support and stability. When a muscle is overactive it can be tight and painful. To alleviate this, you can try (though not forcefully) to have a bowel movement before intimacy and stretch the pelvic muscles.

The good news is constipation is something we can really improve with pelvic floor physical therapy and some small behavior and lifestyle changes! If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone.