The Anatomy of the "Just-In-Case" Pee and Why It Matters
Have you ever used the bathroom "just in case" before leaving the house, even if you didn’t really feel the urge to go? Or maybe you’ve squeezed harder when peeing, worrying about leaking or needing to return to the toilet shortly after? These habits might seem harmless, but they can disrupt your bladder’s natural function and contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction over time. Let’s dive into the anatomy behind these common behaviors and how simple techniques like lateral costal breathing, jaw relaxation, and foot positioning can support your bladder’s health.
Understanding the "Just-In-Case" Pee
Your bladder is controlled by a complex interplay of muscles and nerves. At the center of this system is the detrusor muscle, a smooth muscle responsible for contracting and emptying the bladder. When you’re not ready to pee, your pelvic floor muscles and the internal urethral sphincter work together to keep urine contained.
When you’re in the habit of peeing “just in case,” you’re essentially training your brain and bladder to overreact to small volumes of urine. Over time, this can create a feedback loop where your bladder signals the need to empty more frequently than necessary. This miscommunication can lead to urgency, frequency, and even contribute to overactive bladder symptoms.
The Squeeze Reflex and Its Impact
For many, the act of peeing is accompanied by extra squeezing—a habit formed by a fear of leakage or a desire to fully empty the bladder quickly. This action engages the pelvic floor muscles and can interfere with the detrusor’s natural function. Instead of allowing the bladder to contract and empty on its own, squeezing can create unnecessary tension in the pelvic floor, leading to incomplete emptying or over-reliance on these muscles.
Over time, this habitual recruitment of the abdominal muscles to squeeze while peeing can teach your body to rely on those muscles during voiding. This can have unintended consequences: when you engage your abdominals for daily activities like lifting, laughing, or exercising, your body may mistakenly recruit your pelvic floor in a similar way. This over-recruitment can lead to leaking during these activities because your body has been trained to associate abdominal engagement with bladder emptying. Retraining your system to rely on natural bladder contractions instead of muscular squeezing is key to breaking this cycle.
The Role of Breathing, Jaw Relaxation, and Foot Position
Your body is an interconnected system, and your bladder doesn’t function in isolation. Here’s how simple adjustments can help:
Lateral Costal Breathing: The diaphragm and pelvic floor work in tandem, forming part of the body’s core stabilization system. When you breathe deeply into the sides of your ribs (lateral costal breathing), you create gentle movement in the diaphragm, which encourages the pelvic floor to relax and the detrusor to contract naturally. This type of breathing can reduce tension and improve coordination between these systems.
Try this: Sit comfortably with your hands on your lower ribs. Inhale deeply, feeling your ribs expand outward. Exhale slowly, allowing your ribs to return to their resting position. Practice this for a few minutes to calm your nervous system and support bladder function.
Relaxing Your Jaw: The jaw and pelvic floor share a fascinating connection. Clenching your jaw often mirrors tension in the pelvic floor. By consciously relaxing your jaw, you can promote relaxation in the pelvic floor, making it easier for the detrusor to do its job.
Try this: As you breathe, let your jaw hang slightly open. Avoid clenching your teeth. Notice how this subtle shift helps ease tension throughout your body.
Using Foot Support and Toilet Posture: Sitting with your feet elevated slightly on a stool or stack of books mimics a squatting position, which is the body’s natural posture for optimal bladder emptying. This position relaxes the pelvic floor and aligns the bladder for complete voiding without strain. Another great option is to sit upright with your knees slightly higher than your hips, which also supports pelvic floor relaxation and bladder alignment.
Try this: Place a stool under your feet when you sit on the toilet. Lean forward slightly, resting your elbows on your knees. This position helps relax the puborectalis muscle, which acts like a sling around the urethra and rectum. By relaxing this muscle, you create a smoother path for urine to flow. Alternatively, if leaning forward feels unnatural, sitting upright with your knees raised above your hips achieves a similar effect by promoting pelvic floor relaxation and using gravity to assist bladder emptying.
Both positions are helpful, but they’re not mandatory—find what feels most comfortable and effective for you.
Building Better Habits for Bladder Health
Breaking the cycle of "just-in-case" peeing or over-squeezing takes time and mindful practice. Here are some tips to get started:
Trust Your Bladder: Resist the urge to go unless you genuinely feel the need. This helps retrain your brain-bladder connection.
Create a Relaxing Ritual: Use the breathing and relaxation techniques above to make bathroom visits less stressful.
Strengthen Without Straining: Incorporate pelvic floor exercises and movements that balance strength and relaxation.
By understanding the anatomy of your bladder and adopting supportive practices, you can improve your bladder’s function, reduce urgency, and protect your pelvic floor. Your body already knows how to work in harmony—sometimes, it just needs a gentle reminder.
I f you would like to work with me to resolve your pelvic floor issues - get in touch: abby@hypopressivescotland.com
