Affecting more than 13 million Americans -mostly the elderly and women-incontinence is simply the inability to control urination. Incontinence may be induced by stress (coughing, laughing, sneezing), overflow (constant leaking of urine), or the inability to hold urine, with the sudden urge to urinate. The underlying causes of incontinence include hormonal deficiencies in women, chronic urinary tract infections, an enlarged prostate or weakened or damaged nerves from prostate surgery in men, and even some medications. Exercise, lifestyle modifications, biofeedback, and self-training are often prescribed, in combination with medications and external devices such as absorbent underwear, catheters, or urethral plugs.

In Chinese medicine, incontinence is often attributed to weakness of kidney energy. The vital energy in the kidney-bladder network is depleted because of aging, and this depletion is hastened in individuals with chronic degenerative diseases, excessive strain, excessive sexual activity, and sometimes in women from pregnancy.