Is there such a thing as a “small bladder”?
by Emily Burmester, Pelvic Health Physio @Project Physio
As a pelvic health physio, I hear the phrase “I have always had a small bladder” nearly every day. Women often use it to explain why there have to go to the toilet multiple times on a car trip, or why the go for a wee before a meeting. However, a “small bladder” might not be the reason for these things, and it might not even be a real thing at all. Let me tell you why……
What happens when the bladder is working normally….
Our bladder is like an empty balloon and the wall of the ballon made up of a muscle. Over time urine drips into the bladder and it starts to fill. As this happens, there is a sensation of needing to wee that should gradually build up over time. Once it is almost full, the bladder sends a message to the brain saying “hey I’m nearly full”. This causes a message from the brain down to the wall of the bladder making the bladder wall contract which in turn allows you to empty your bladder.
When it isn’t working quite so well…
Our brain and bladder are very clever, especially as women hahah! So if we urinate when our bladder is only half full “just in case”, our bladder learns this. So the next time the bladder is only half full, the brain/bladder says “hey last time I was this full, I went for a wee, so I must need to go again”. As this continues to happen the bladder/brain learns a new threshold for when it should be emptying, and you never actually reach the maximum capacity of the bladder.
Another example is putting your keys in the door, or getting in the shower. If you usually wee when getting home or in the shower, your bladder learns this too. Your body is always looking for ways to be more efficient so it learns that getting home or showering are places to go for a wee, and so it will always do this and the pattern becomes even more reinforced.
So it’s not actually a “small bladder”
The bladder isn’t actually smaller, it’s that the capacity at which you get the sensation that it is full is reduced. For some women, this doesn’t cause them any issues. For others it can be really limiting if you are always planning a toilet stop, or getting stressed if you need to go at inappropriate times.
The good news….
The great news is there are lots of things we can do to change this and improve the function of the bladder. Pelvic health physio is your first port of call to look at your fluid intake, pelvic floor muscles, bladder and bowel. In most cases you can get some really positive results. So if you have any concerns, or would like to improve your bladder/brain connection, book in with your pelvic health physio.
Some quick tips for your bladder health….
Normal weeing should be between 5-7 times per day for average fluid intake
A normal wee should last around 12-15seconds (certainly not 3seconds)
Never push your wee out, relax and let it flow
Try not to do “just in case wees”, ask yourself do you actually need to go before
Being constipated really impacts your bladder function
