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Can a cycling bike seat cause urine leakage or loss of bladder control?

Will riding a bike on an uncomfortable bike saddle lead to loss of bladder control or urinary incontinence? After riding on a bike seat for two months that caused my butt and pelvic area to be painful, I've started noticing that I've lost bladder control and have begun uncontrollably leaking urine. It's especially prevalent at night when I lay down to go sleep or whenever I sit down (such as driving in a car). I've stopped riding the bike, but not sure if it was causing my urine leakage?



2 Answers

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Yes, unfortunately riding with bike seat that is uncomfortable (or improperly fitted to your bum / body) can cause urinary inconsistency. If it was painful to ride a bike / spin bike after a few minutes then your bike seat is bad, and can damage the nerves around your pelvic floor muscles (perineum). If you're out of shape, recently started bike riding or recently had an injury or surgery that left you unable to walk or bed ridden, then an uncomfortable bike seat and weak pelvic floor muscles and /or abductor muscles can exscabate the symptoms of urinary or stress inconsistency. 

You need to reverse the damage already done. It can take as long as 4 months (or even up to 1 year or more). The first thing you absolutely need to do is to stop riding the bike. Switch to walking or running as this will help develop muscles around the pelvic floor that you don't use while seated on a bicycle. If you've recently lost a lot of muscle due to an injury or some other reason, it may be related more to muscle loss in the pelvic floor area that is causing your problem. In this case, you'll want to start weight training, and focus on deep squats, squat holds and deadlifts.

If and when you start riding again, make sure you get a different saddle that has a cutout for your taint (Selle Italia saddles), and one that is correctly sized to your sit bones. A stiffer saddle can actually be better than a softer saddle because you are less prone to shift around.  However, if you want a softer saddle you might want to check out the Selle SMP Extra Saddle or the wider SMP TRK (or SMP TRK Lady Saddle). Also make sure your bike seat and bike is properly setup for you, by your local bike shop.  Along with that, get some padded bike shorts.


Here are things you need to start doing everyday:

  1. Stop bicycle riding, start walking or running (Start strength training: Squats, Leg Presses, Lunges, Deadlifts). If you need to ride a bike, stand up to pedal (a shorter stem will help make standing pedaling easier).
  2. Start doing deep squats, and deep squat holds to strength the pelvic floor muscles.
  3. Avoid sex for a 3 to 4 weeks.
  4. Stretch (mobilize) your groin and hip flexors, pelvic floor and hamstrings (Pike Stretch). Both static and resistive stretching. (daily)
  5. Perform Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing (daily)
  6. Even if you don't experience pain, you may have a Pelvic Floor Disorder (check out Heal Pelvic Pain (for stretches and exercises) or Headache in the Pelvis
  7. Some say to do Kegel exercises to strength the pelvic floor muscles, however, this could tighten up the pelvic floor muscles more and not be affective. There's a number of variations to Kegel exercises and many Pelvic Floor exercises.
  8. Get a seat cushion cutout that takes pressure off the soft tissue of the prostate / perineum.
  9. Buy some Depend Shields or Guards liners to help keep your underwear dryer.
  10. Start doing core and lower back exercises to strengthen the back
  11. Strengthen hip flexors / abductors / adductor muscles
  12. Soft tissue massage / mobility - work on your lower back, stomach and hamstrings / legs. Use a foam roller and lacrosse ball.
  13. Start strength training 3 days a week like Strong Lifts 5x5: Squats, Deadlifts
  14. Drink a little less, especially before bed.
  15. Don't drink alcohol or caffeine, as this can make symptoms worse.
  16. Men should sit down when going pee and drain out all urine. Press on the perineum to get excess urine out that may others leak out.
  17. Use a squaty potty.
  18. Do NOT take baths (bathtub).
  19. Get checked by urologist for Urinary Tract Infection or Prostatitis, as you may need antibotics to get rid of UTI

Over time, you should start feeling an improvement if you do all of the above. The urge to go pee constantly will begin to subside and you'll leak less and less urine. It just takes time, especially if your muscles are weak.  You could start feeling improvenment in 2 weeks, or it may take many months (6 months or more). 

A bike seat can inflame the prostate in men.  It may also lead to a urinary tract infection, so you'll also want to see a Urologist to ensure you alright and to get a perscription for an antibotic to get rid of UTI.

 



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I just had a prostate removal surgery and waited 6 weeks before riding. Before I road, my bladder control was great. After, i leak constantly. I hope this answer works for me.

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