Overactive Bladder & How Pelvic Osteopathy May Help.

Rebecca Malon
7 days ago
3 min read

🔍 What Is Overactive Bladder & The Role of Pelvic Osteopathy.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a condition that causes a group of urinary symptoms, often without any underlying infection or disease.

Common signs of OAB include:

✅ Urgency – a sudden, strong urge to urinate
✅ Frequency – needing to urinate more than 8 times in 24 hours
✅ Nocturia – waking multiple times a night to urinate
✅ Urge incontinence – involuntary leakage associated with urgency (in some cases)

OAB affects both men and women, and becomes more common with age, pregnancy, childbirth, or pelvic floor dysfunction. However, many people experience symptoms without realising what’s causing them — or that effective treatment exists.

🧠 What Causes OAB?

While OAB is often linked to overactivity of the bladder muscle (detrusor), several underlying biomechanical or neurological factors may contribute, including:

Pelvic floor dysfunction (tight or weak muscles)
Poor bladder habits (e.g., going “just in case” too often)
Spinal misalignment or nerve compression (especially in the lower back)
Postural imbalances affecting the pelvis and sacrum
Stress or anxiety, which can heighten bladder sensitivity
Hormonal changes (e.g., menopause or postpartum)
Trauma to the sacrum

👐 How Can an Osteopath Help?

As osteopaths, we take a whole-body approach, recognising the complex relationship between the spine, nervous system, pelvic organs, and muscles. Our goal is to identify and treat any dysfunctions that may be contributing to your bladder symptoms.

🦴 Our Osteopathic Approach May Include:

1. Releasing Pelvic Floor Tension

Chronic bladder urgency is often linked to overactive or tight pelvic floor muscles. We use hands-on techniques and internal techniques (if fully consented to and deemed appropriate at the time) to help release muscular tension, improve blood flow, and restore balance.

2. Improving Pelvic and Spinal Alignment

Altered biomechanics of the lumbar spine, sacrum, or pelvis can impact the nerve supply to the bladder. Gentle mobilisations and soft tissue work can reduce mechanical stress and improve neural function.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing & Core Coordination

Your breath and pelvic floor work together. Improving diaphragm movement can calm the nervous system, support the vagus nerve and help regulate bladder signals.

4. Visceral Osteopathy

This involves gentle manual techniques on the bladder, lower abdomen, and surrounding fascia to reduce tension, improve organ mobility, and support function.

5. Education on Bladder-Friendly Habits

We provide practical, personalised advice on:

Bladder retraining techniques
Fluid intake and timing
Avoiding bladder irritants (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, acidic foods)
Toileting posture and pelvic awareness

🤰 OAB During and After Pregnancy

OAB is especially common in women during pregnancy and the postnatal period, due to:

Hormonal changes affecting tissue elasticity
Physical pressure from the growing uterus
Birth trauma or changes to the pelvic floor

Pelvic osteopathy offers gentle, pregnancy-safe care to support pelvic alignment, ease muscle strain, and promote healing after birth.

🧘‍♀️ Why a Holistic Approach Matters

OAB isn’t just a bladder issue — it’s often a nervous system and musculoskeletal issue too. That’s why combining osteopathy with breathwork and lifestyle education often leads to the best results.

📞 When to Seek Help

Book an appointment if you’re experiencing:

Frequent or urgent urination
Night-time bladder waking
Urinary leakage or incontinence
Discomfort in the pelvic or lower abdominal region
Anxiety or distress related to bladder control

You’re not alone — and there’s help available.

🌿 Ready to Feel More in Control?

Overactive Bladder is common, but it doesn’t have to be your “new normal.”At Freya Health, we offer individualised osteopathic care to help you move freely and regain confidence in your daily life.

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