Urinary leakage can affect exercise, work, travel, sleep, intimacy, and everyday confidence. Although incontinence is common, it should not automatically be accepted as an unavoidable part of childbirth or aging.
At Gentle Chiro in Beaverton, OR, we offer non-invasive treatment options intended to support pelvic floor function, bladder control, and neuromuscular coordination. Depending on your symptoms and evaluation, your care plan may include Pelvic Wave Therapy, transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency treatment, or a combination of supportive approaches.
Our focus is especially relevant for people experiencing stress urinary incontinence, which causes leakage when pressure is placed on the bladder during activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, running, or jumping.
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. It is a symptom rather than a single disease, and it can have several possible causes. Understanding the type of leakage you are experiencing is an important first step because different forms of incontinence may require different treatment approaches.
Common types include:
At Gentle Chiro, we do not assume that every bladder-control concern comes from the same problem. We begin with a careful discussion of your symptoms and health history to determine whether our non-invasive services may be appropriate or whether evaluation by another healthcare provider is needed.
You may be experiencing stress urinary incontinence if leakage commonly happens when you:
Some people also begin limiting water, avoiding exercise, wearing pads every day, or planning activities around restroom access. These adjustments may make the problem less visible, but they do not address the factors contributing to the leakage.
Pelvic Wave Therapy is Gentle Chiro’s primary non-invasive service for supporting pelvic floor muscle activation and neuromuscular control.
The treatment uses Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation technology to stimulate the nerves and muscles of the pelvic floor. During a session, you remain clothed and sit on a specially designed treatment chair. Magnetic pulses prompt repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions without requiring an internal probe or surgical procedure.
These contractions are intended to help the pelvic floor muscles become more responsive, coordinated, and capable of supporting the bladder during activities that increase abdominal pressure.
Pelvic Wave Therapy may support:
Some people have difficulty identifying or properly contracting their pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic Wave Therapy creates involuntary muscle contractions, allowing the targeted muscles to activate without relying entirely on the patient’s ability to perform an exercise correctly.
Stress incontinence may occur when the pelvic floor cannot produce or maintain enough support during a sudden cough, sneeze, jump, or lift. Repeated stimulation is intended to improve the muscles’ ability to respond to those demands.
Bladder control requires more than strength alone. The pelvic floor must contract at the right time and coordinate with the surrounding muscles.
Treatment is performed while the patient remains clothed. There are no incisions or injections, and patients can typically return to their usual activities afterward.
Transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency, or tPRF, is a non-invasive therapy that delivers controlled energy pulses through a handheld probe placed on the skin near a targeted nerve pathway.
Unlike Pelvic Wave Therapy, tPRF does not primarily work by creating strong pelvic floor muscle contractions. Its intended role is to influence irritated, overactive, or poorly communicating nerve pathways.
Bladder control depends on communication among the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor muscles. When an evaluation suggests that abnormal nerve signaling may be contributing to pelvic floor dysfunction or bladder-control symptoms, Dr. Dennis may consider tPRF as part of a broader care plan.
The goals may include supporting:
tPRF should not be described as a stand-alone cure for stress urinary incontinence. It is not appropriate for every patient or every type of leakage. Its use depends on the individual’s symptoms, medical history, examination findings, and whether Dr. Dennis identifies a reasonable nerve-related component.
Gentle Chiro currently uses tPRF as an evaluation-based service for nerve-related symptoms and notes that it may be considered for incontinence-related nerve dysfunction when appropriate.
Pelvic floor function involves both muscles and nerves. Pelvic Wave Therapy focuses more directly on activating and conditioning the pelvic floor musculature, while tPRF may be used to support the nerve pathways involved in pelvic control.
When clinically appropriate, combining the two services may allow the care plan to address different parts of the neuromuscular system:
Not every patient will require both services. Your recommendations will be based on your individual presentation rather than a standardized package.
Urinary leakage becomes more common with age, but it should not automatically be dismissed as normal or untreatable. An evaluation can help identify the type of incontinence and whether conservative treatment, medical care, or another approach may be appropriate.
Stress incontinence causes leakage during movement or activities that place pressure on the bladder. Urgency incontinence involves a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by leakage before reaching the bathroom. Some people experience both, which is called mixed incontinence.
Pelvic Wave Therapy is intended to activate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles involved in supporting the bladder and urethra. It may help some patients improve muscle control and reduce stress-related leakage, but individual outcomes vary.
Pelvic Wave Therapy uses magnetic stimulation to create pelvic floor muscle contractions. tPRF uses a handheld device to deliver pulses through the skin near targeted nerve pathways. Pelvic Wave primarily addresses muscular activation, while tPRF may be considered when nerve signaling appears relevant.
Not necessarily. Some patients may be candidates for Pelvic Wave Therapy alone, while others may have muscular and nerve-related findings that support a combined approach. Recommendations are made after an evaluation.
Yes. Men can experience stress incontinence, urgency incontinence, mixed symptoms, or leakage following prostate treatment. The underlying cause should be evaluated before a treatment plan is recommended.
Pelvic floor weakness and stress incontinence may continue after childbirth. Once the patient has received appropriate postpartum clearance and treatment precautions have been reviewed, non-invasive pelvic floor care may be considered. Treatment should not begin based solely on the presence of leakage without reviewing the patient’s recovery and health history.
Pelvic floor exercises may be helpful, but they must be performed correctly. Some patients contract the wrong muscles, hold their breath, or create excessive abdominal pressure. Your broader plan may include exercises or referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist when appropriate.
There is no single treatment schedule for every patient. The recommended frequency and number of visits depend on the type and severity of symptoms, medical history, response to treatment, and therapies included in the plan.
No. Treatment responses vary, and no responsible provider can guarantee that urinary leakage will completely resolve. Our goal is to determine whether our non-invasive services are appropriate and provide a personalized plan based on your needs.
Urinary leakage can be frustrating, but you do not have to avoid movement, laughter, exercise, or everyday activities without exploring your options.
At Gentle Chiro, Dr. Dennis and our team provide private, respectful evaluations for adults experiencing bladder-control concerns. Depending on your needs, we may recommend Pelvic Wave Therapy, tPRF for a possible nerve-related component, supportive exercises, or coordination with another healthcare provider.
Call or text (503) 512-9591 or book an appointment with Gentle Chiro in Beaverton, OR, to discuss your symptoms and learn whether our non-invasive approach may be appropriate for you.
