Incontinence and low back pain questions and answers

Callers swamped the phone lines during last weekend's Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline to ask questions about low back pain and incontinence. The following are questions e-mailed by Deseret News readers, and the answers provided by our experts. For an appointment, call 801-507-2050.

Low back pain was addressed by Jake Magel, a physical therapist and director of the Intermountain Orthopedic and Spine Therapy Clinic at Intermountain Medical Center.

Q. I currently walk some two miles, five days a week. Could you suggest some exercises that would help with low back pain?

A. Unfortunately, this is very difficult to do without an examination. Not all back pain is the same and without understanding your problem it is not possible to give you any exercises. I recommend you contacting your local physical therapist.

Q. Can physical therapy or exercise help with a bladder prolapse problem? I am an active 77-year-old and have had this for a couple of years. I also have some herniated discs in my lower back. Surgery needs to be last option as I have some other health issues.

A. Pelvic floor exercise will help support the bladder. but will not fix the prolapse. If you are active and have a feeling of "falling out" when you are upright, I recommend you look into a device called a pessary, which will hold your bladder in place. Ask your gynecologist about other options.

Q. I have read many articles in the newspaper about this new Utah Spine and Disc Clinic. I had some friends that went to one of the seminars and had a free evaluation. The doctor told them that he could help. They told me that it was going to cost several hundred dollars for the work. Do you know anything about this? And should we be careful about places like this? I have already had one lower back fusion in the early '90s and may have to have another one.

A. The best scientific evidence supports manual therapy, exercise and, in some specific cases, lumbar traction for low back pain. I have seen this advertisement but don't know what they are selling. We should be wary of anyone who claims to have all the answers when it comes to low back pain.

Q. Do physical therapy patients on Medicare need a referral from PC doctor? How can I get an appointment for the physical therapy treatment?

A. Yes, you should get an MD referral for a PT visit if you are a Medicare patient. If you are a non-Medicare patient, you don't need a physician's referral in Utah to see a physical therapist.

Questions about incontinence were answered by Susan McLaughlin, a physical therapist at Intermountain Orthopedic and Spine Therapy.