Edinburgh Sports Injury Clinic

male incontinence

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There are certain conditions which affect mainly women. Breast Cancer and urinary incontinence are 2 of these. They, however, are not exclusive to women.
One cause of urinary incontinence in men is prostrate surgery/ treatment. Regaining pelvic floor control for a man can be difficult as it is often a form of exercise that they have never experienced before. We have found the use of the Real Time Ultrasound invaluable for this. It is so much easier to do an exercise correctly when you can see the muscle working.

 
In the words of one of our patients :

“I have a pelvic floor! I had a green laser prostatectomy that left me urinary incontinent. My visits to ESIC have taught me the basics of pelvic floor exercises. This has resulted in a great lessening of the condition. I feel that I will be completely normal in a few months. The exercises and tuition I have received have been first class. The explanations behind my treatment have been clear and very sympathetic.
My pelvic floor is responding well! I would recommend all men with urinary incontinence discover their pelvic floor”.

Robert, age 72

Edinburgh Sports Injury Clinic

Concussion in Sport

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Concussion is an alteration to how your brain normally works. It is caused by a blow or jolt to the head, which in turn causes the brain to shake inside the skull. Whether and athlete is suffering from concussion or not is a question which commonly occurs in contact sports. Direct contact with the head however is not always required for concussion to occur. A force applied to the body producing a whiplash effect, as in a rugby tackle, can have the same results as a direct blow to the head sustained in a boxing match.

 

If concussion is suspected during competition or training, the athlete should be removed from play and medical attention should be sought immediately. The athlete may initially appear well with symptoms arising in the first 24-48 hours following the incident. Should this be the case, medical attention should be sought at that time, regardless of the assessment which took place at the time of the incident.

 

There are many symptoms of concussion, with lack of consciousness being only one of them. These symptoms include:- headaches, dizziness, sickness, drowsiness, loss of balance and coordination, weakness, numbness, slurred speech, loss of memory, change in emotional state, behavioural changes, confusion, seizures and visual disturbances.

 

If concussion is suspected or diagnosed then the athlete should be carefully monitored. They should not be left alone, allowed to drive or drink alcohol. They may use paracetamol for a headache (under advisement) but no aspirin or anti inflammatory medication. They should rest and avoid all strenuous activity.

 

With rest, most people fully recover from concussion. Some may take a few hours, others several weeks. Sport should not be commenced until all symptoms of concussion have gone and the player has been checked out by a doctor. Return to activity should be gradual and monitored.