Women's Pelvic Health
Leaking when you sneeze, laugh, lift or exercise is common, but it isn't something you just have to live with. Pelvic floor physical therapy is a first-line treatment, and you can start without a referral.
Yes, physical therapy can help bladder leaks. Major guidelines, including those from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), recommend supervised pelvic floor muscle training as a first treatment for stress and mixed urinary incontinence in women, before medication or surgery. At ARI Physical Therapy in Bakersfield, that training is done one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist.
Stress incontinence is leaking when pressure in your belly rises suddenly: coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting or jumping. It usually means the pelvic floor muscles aren't closing off the bladder fast or firmly enough at that moment.
Urge incontinence (often called overactive bladder) is a sudden, hard-to-hold need to urinate, sometimes with leaking on the way to the bathroom, and often going more frequently than usual.
Mixed incontinence is a combination of both, and it's very common. Physical therapy addresses both parts.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports the bladder and helps keep it closed. Pregnancy and childbirth, the hormone changes of menopause, a long-term cough, constipation and straining, heavy lifting, and high-impact exercise can all change how well those muscles work. Sometimes they are weak. Sometimes they are tight and overworked, which can also cause leaking and urgency. Often the timing and coordination is the problem, not strength alone.
That's why Kegels on your own don't always work. Many women do them incorrectly, and a woman whose pelvic floor is already tight can feel worse doing more squeezing. An evaluation tells you which of these you're dealing with.
Your first visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes. We talk about your symptoms, bladder habits, pregnancies, activity and goals, then assess how your pelvic floor and core muscles contract, relax and coordinate. Your therapist explains every step first, and you decide what you're comfortable with.
Pelvic floor muscle training done correctly, with feedback, plus bladder retraining and urge-control techniques if urgency is part of the problem, breathing and core coordination, and safer ways to lift and exercise.
Short daily exercises and habits between visits. Pelvic floor training works gradually: guidelines recommend at least three months of training before judging the result, and many women notice a change sooner.
Physical therapy is a good place to start for everyday leaking. See your doctor before starting, or alongside therapy, if you have:
Go to an emergency room if you suddenly lose control of your bladder or bowels together with back pain, or numbness in your groin or inner thighs.
Pelvic floor care at ARI is for women, and it is always one-on-one at our Bakersfield clinic: 8200 Stockdale Hwy, Suite B2, in the Town & Country Village center next to Trader Joe's. Our clinic director, Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, has postgraduate pelvic rehabilitation training from the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. We accept most private insurance plans and Medicare, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Hindi.
Ready to feel better?
Talk to a licensed physical therapist at ARI, one-on-one. Request an evaluation and we'll get back to you, usually within one business day.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have symptoms, a licensed clinician should evaluate you.
Clinically reviewed by Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist · Reviewed September 2026