Meet the Experts

Dr. Barbara Montford

President of the Dade County Medical Association

Videos

Kegel Exercises and Incontinence

Dr. Barbara Montford, President of the Dade County Medical Association, says the best way to do kegel exercises is when you are having sex and you do not want your partner to penetrate you quickly, you contract the vaginal muscles, the pelvic floor muscles. She points out it is important that you isolate the muscles, by not contracting your thigh muscles and your abdominal muscles too.

Causes of Incontinence

Dr. Barbara Montford, President of the Dade County Medical Association, explains incontinence can happen because of a failure to store, where the bladder is the container and you are not able to store the urine. She says this is because the bladder muscle is just not strong enough, or the surrounding musculature is not strong enough. She points out the importance of the the levator muscles in the pelvic floor, which control passage of gas and urine.

Urinary Incontinence: Treatment

Dr. Barbara Montford, President of the Dade County Medical Association, says the urinary incontinence treatment depends on the problem. She explains if the problem is stress urinary incontinence, you need to increase the support of the pelvic floor and to know what is going on in the bladder. She points out surgery is the treatment in case of cystocele or rectocele. The first one happens when the bladder drops down into the vagina, and a rectocele happens when the rectum bulges into the vagina.

Female Incontinence

Dr. Barbara Montford, President of the Dade County Medical Association, says urinary incontinence is a true health epidemic, because one out of three women will be affected by it at some point in their lifetime. She explains urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. There is urge urinary incontinence where you have the urge to get to the bathroom and do not have enough time, and there is a the stress incontinence that happens when someone who is very active and there is urine leakage into their underwear.

Stress and Female Incontinence

Dr. Barbara Montford, President of the Dade County Medical Association, says incontinence can lead to social isolation. "You can have women who are so wet that they really are housebound. They don't want to go out in the community, they feel they smell like urine." She explains with the stress urinary incontinence, you want people to be active, but they don't want to be active if every time they move around they are wetting their pants. Incontinence can be socially isolating and changing condition for patients.

DISCLAIMER: The information and opinions expressed in the programs on this channel and website are intended to address specific questions asked or situations described in each particular program, are for educational purposes only, and are not designed to constitute advice or recommendations as to any disease, ailment, or physical condition. You should not act or rely upon any information contained in these programs without seeking the advice of your personal physician or a qualified medical provider. If you have any questions about the information or opinions expressed, please contact your doctor or other medical professional.

A service of

in partnership with

A service of South Florida PBS

in partnership with