Anne was worried about the side effects, so Kostiner suggested the InTone device.Īfter getting over her surprise at the sight of the device, Anne went along with it. Kostiner initially prescribed medication-which can calm an overactive bladder, but sometimes comes with uncomfortable side effects such as dry mouth and constipation. It got so that the urgency was uncomfortable, and so she finally talked to her doctor. But for others, it can affect day-to-day activities, such as being afraid to go to a store because you might not reach the bathroom quickly enough.įor Anne, her incontinence was causing her to have to get up multiple times a night to use the bathroom. Sometimes, incontinence is just mildly bothersome-enough that a woman needs to use a panty liner. Up to two-thirds of women never mention their incontinence to their doctors, and two-thirds don’t use any treatment or product to help, such as the use of pads or Kegel exercises, which women tend to do incorrectly even after being taught how, according to InControl Medical. One in four new mothers experience some leaking following vaginal childbirth, and one in six new mothers have it following cesarean section, according to the National Associate for Continence. There are several types of incontinence-urge, characterized by the sudden, intense need to urinate stress, loss of urine when the bladder is stressed from coughing, sneezing, laughing or other exertion overflow, the inability to empty your bladder and mixed, more than one type of incontinence. She was referred to Kostiner by her family doctor after complaining about what’s referred to as urge incontinence-the feeling of always having to urinate, even if you’ve just used the bathroom. “It literally puts the power of healing in the patient’s hands,” Kostiner says.Īnne, one of Kostiner’s patients, has been using InTone since December. It’s meant to be used at least six days a week at first, and then one to two times a week (or less) as part of a maintenance program. InTone works like this: Voice commands lead the user through inserting the device and then through a 12-minute session that forces the pelvic muscles to contract and release. Two of the women have had almost complete resolution of their problems after just using it a short time, he says. Kostiner has four patients currently using InTone. It literally puts the power of healing in the patient’s hands. Kostiner, whose practice is based at Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group in the New Town area of Williamsburg, is one of only a handful of physicians in the Hampton Roads area certified to prescribe InTone-others are located at Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates of Hampton and at Gynecology Specialists in Chesapeake, according to InControl Medical’s website, where patients can search for doctors who are prescribing the device. InControl Medical, the Wisconsin-based medical company that created InTone, pledges to refund the cost of the device-$595, if not covered by insurance-if a woman doesn’t see results. It’s available only by prescription and is backed by a 90-day guarantee. It even comes with a silky purple pouch for storage purposes-and it’s hard not to giggle a little when you see it.īut doctors and users say InTone works, all the while lessening the need for surgery and medication. Realistically, it’s large, purple and looks like something purchased from an adult toy store. The clinical way to describe it is as a vaginal probe-it’s hand-held and inflates to fit any woman. You just have to get beyond what it looks like. There’s surgery, medication, physical therapy, stimulation of the nerves that control the bladder and old-fashioned Kegel exercises-the practice of squeezing and releasing pelvic floor muscles to tighten them.Īpproved by the Federal Drug Administration in February 2012, InTone is a medical device that combines biofeedback and electrical muscle stimulation to help women strengthen their pelvic muscles.īasically, it does the Kegel exercises for you, in the privacy of your own home. There are, however, ways to deal with incontinence. It’s hard for some women to come to grips with it.” Geoffrey Kostiner, a urologist practicing in Williamsburg, Va. “The problem is probably understated because of embarrassment,” says Dr.
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