Incostress is worn inside the vagina, where it naturally places pressure against the urethra (the tube that allows loss of urine from the bladder). This gentle pressure controls the involuntary loss of urine by closing the urethra and restores the natural anatomical position of the bladder, thus preventing stress incontinence.
The ergonomic shape of Incostress allows the pelvic floor muscles to be gently exercised against it while it is in place. The resistance provided by the Incostress can add benefit to pelvic floor contractions.
Incostress is neat, petite and discreet. It is reusable, and is cleaned simply by washing in clean water. IncoStress is environmentally friendly, and could save the environment thousands of trees being used for incontinence pads.
Incostress can be used every day or just as the occasion demands (for example, during sport or exercise). It can be left in place in the vagina for up to 8 hours, after which it should be removed, washed and not inserted again for a minimum of one hour.
Incostress can be used safely for six months after the opening of the packet, after which a new unit should be purchased. At an average cost of $11 per month, it is a much more economical buy for most women than using incontinence pads.
Read Incostress Instructions for more information (PDF 150KB)
Incostress is designed specifically to help control stress incontinence. If you suffer from other types of incontinence, you should talk to your doctor, continence physio or continence service about whether Incostress is suitable for you.
At present Incostress is available in one size, that is suitable for most women. However some women may find that the Incostress is too small to sit correctly within the vagina, so that it exerts pressure on the urethra. Michelle Kenway, specialist physiotherapist describes the problem this way on her website (www.pelvicexercises.com.au):
"Some ladies who have had pelvic floor damage from very large babies, forceps deliveries and breech births, have a larger vagina. It is fairly easy for you to test your vaginal size simply by inserting one or two lubricated fingers into your vagina. If you can feel the inside walls of your vagina sitting against your finger or two fingers, you can usually manage to use the smaller or larger cone. Women with a larger vaginal vault (more than two finger spaces), sometimes cannot feel a (..) 25mm diameter sized [device] and/or they report that it falls out of their vagina."
For these women, a product such as Contiform, which comes in a range of sizes, may be more appropriate. (Contiform will be available soon).
Background
Incostress was designed and developed by UK nurse Gaynor Morgan, initially in response to her mother's stress incontinence problem. Gaynor went on to win the a gold medal for innovation in the medical category at the British Innovation and Technical awards, and founded a UK company for the worldwide distribution of Incostress. Read more...
Clinical trials of Incostress were carried out at Singleton Hospital, South Wales, UK at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology. As a result a percentage of patients were removed from the waiting list for surgery, a percentage of patients are still using IncoStress with success.
Specifications
IncoStress® is made from a medical grade non- allergenic silicone, it holds CE0120 certification. It is manufactured by C&G Medicare Ltd in the UK, and is GST exempt in Australia.
Available in one size: Diameter 25mm at widest, body length 63mm, tail length 45mm
Incostress is manufactured from medical grade materials but not under guarenteed sterile conditions and we therefore recommend cleaning before initial use.
