Do you push when you pee? Are you supposed to push when you pee? These are all good questions! 

When I ask my patients if they push while peeing, oftentimes, they will say they’re not sure or that they don’t think so. Then, when I see them for their next appointment a week later, they had a revelation that they indeed are pushing when peeing. 

In this article, we review why forcing urine out is bad, and how to solve the issue.

Is It Bad to Push While You Pee?

The reality is that pushing when you pee is not a good habit for your health. This movement pattern puts extra, unnecessary pressure on the pelvic floor. 

When doing this multiple times/day every day, all that pressure can add up over time.

Why do people push when they pee? 

There are a few reasons someone may push when they pee. 

One reason people force out urine may be due to a bad habit. This can stem from trying to hurry up and spend less time in the bathroom for various reasons. 

It could also be due to tight pelvic floor muscles and having trouble relaxing to let the urine flow out freely and fully. It might also be due to prolapsing of the bladder, causing difficulty when trying to fully empty.

How is pushing when peeing bad for your health? 

The extra pressure put on your pelvic floor can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. The cumulative weeks, months, and years of this extra stress can lead to prolapsing of the bladder, meaning that the bladder descends down from its normal position. This stress on the pelvic floor can also lead to leakage when coughing, laughing, sneezing, and exercising.

How Can I Solve This Issue?

The solution is to simply stop pushing when you pee! 

Focus on relaxing your muscles and letting the urine come out naturally. This will decrease your risk of the negative effects that can come from excessive pushing. 

If you are still having difficulty emptying your bladder without pushing, pelvic floor physical therapy is likely your next step. 

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Pelvic floor PT is a specialized therapy used to help relieve pain and discomfort used for a wide range of different health conditions that stem from dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles.

If you are struggling with pushing when you pee and want to solve this problem, speak to one of our pelvic floor therapists in Columbia today!