INCONTINENCE
Treatment Options
If you are diagnosed with incontinence by your doctor, treating it can involve following a care pathway.
Relief from incontinence could involve different treatments over time. This usually means starting with conservative treatment options and progressing along a care pathway that works for you.
Below is an overview of the treatment options available to help manage urinary or bowel incontinence.
STEP 1: Lifestyle changes
If underlying causes have been ruled out, the following treatments are proposed as first-line therapy.¹
- Diet and exercise: Changes may include decreasing your caffeine intake and getting more exercise.
- Bladder retraining: This involves going to the bathroom on a schedule.
- Pelvic floor strengthening: This can be accomplished through Kegel exercises, which involve repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor.
- Dietary modification: Changes may include adjusting fibre intake or eliminating troublesome foods.
- Bowel retraining: This step aims to improve bowel sensation, coordination, and strength.
STEP 2: Medications
Oral medications may be the next step after lifestyle changes. Different medications treat different types of incontinence. Most medications require prescription from a healthcare professional. These medications can help control symptoms but may have side effects.
STEP 3: Advanced incontinence solutions
Advanced incontinence solutions are available if other treatment options don’t work for you. Talk to your doctor about checking your eligibility.
1. Bladder injections: These injections can help relax the bladder muscle, and may reduce unwanted bladder contractions. This treatment is not permanent and will need to be repeated over time.
2. Percutaneous tibial neuromodulation (PTNS): PTNS works by sending gentle electrical impulses through a nerve near the ankle. Treatment typically requires multiple sessions and ongoing maintenance.1
3. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM): Sacral neuromodulation is a treatment option that is indicated to treat bladder incontinence.
1. Anal sphincter repair: Repairs damaged anal sphincter muscles to help improve bowel control and reduce leakage.2
2. Colostomy: Creates an opening in the abdomen (a stoma) to divert the bowel, allowing waste to be collected in a bag outside the body when other treatments are not suitable or have not been successful.2
3. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM): Sacral neuromodulation is a treatment option that is indicated to treat bowel incontinence.
Find a bladder or bowel specialist
If you think you have incontinence or just want to know more about your symptoms, you can start by speaking with your regular doctor using your symptom quiz answers.
References
1 Bharucha AE, Knowles CH, Mack I, et al. Faecal incontinence in adults. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2022;8(1):53.
2 Mayo Clinic. Fecal incontinence: Diagnosis and treatment. Updated November 27, 2024. Accessed September 2, 2026.