Feeling like urine is left behind
You feel unfinished soon after going, and trying again brings only a little more.
You finish, but it feels unfinished. The stream may start slowly or stop and start, and you go back again soon after. Incomplete emptying is a symptom with more than one possible source. True retention, from causes like prostate changes, medication or nerve conditions, needs your doctor’s evaluation.
Once your doctor has ruled those out, poor coordination is a frequent source. To empty, the bladder contracts while the pelvic floor and sphincter relax at the right moment. Tight or poorly timed pelvic floor muscles can resist the flow. Sensitive nerves can also make a small amount of leftover urine feel like a lot.
My approach to emptying problems combines dry needling, a form of acupuncture, with electroacupuncture. The pudendal nerve travels through Alcock’s canal, a narrow tunnel in the fascia of the obturator internus. When that muscle and the levator ani tighten around it, I needle them so the nerve has space. The sacral nerves from S2 to S4 tell the bladder when to contract. If their signaling is off, electroacupuncture, fine needles near those nerves with a gentle current, aims to help improve it.
Most people have had urine tests, a bladder scan or imaging, and sometimes medication to relax the outlet or calm urgency. These are essential for ruling out infection and blockage. They don’t measure pelvic floor timing, trigger points or nerve sensitivity. Medication may help some people without changing how the pelvic floor releases. A PT may have worked on your emptying already, yet needling is outside what PTs and chiropractors can offer under New York rules.
I ask how your stream starts and ends, how often you go back, and about bowels, training, stress and medications. Then the exam:
On emptying problems I work alongside urology and pelvic floor PT. If my findings hint that your urologist should recheck something, I’ll tell you and forward what I saw.
Both can be true. Pelvic floor timing can play a part, but new or worsening symptoms should be checked by a doctor first. My exam looks at the muscle and nerve side, and I work alongside your urologist on the rest.
Yes. Standard tests rule out infection and major blockage. They don’t measure pelvic floor timing, trigger points or nerve sensitivity, which can all create a strong unfinished feeling.
I don’t manage acute retention or emergencies. Get urgent care if you can’t urinate or your lower belly is swollen and painful. The same goes for fever, blood in your urine, or new numbness or weakness in your legs or between your legs. Once urology has ruled out urgent causes, I can work on the pelvic floor side.
It can help when tight muscles and irritable nerves are part of the picture. Releasing the obturator internus and levator ani eases guarding and gives the pudendal nerve more room in its canal. Electroacupuncture at S2 to S4 supports the bladder’s cue to contract. When more than one of these is at work, which is common with emptying problems, I use them together.
It depends on how long you’ve had symptoms and how much guarding is present. Most people start with closer visits, then space them out as emptying becomes more consistent. I reassess regularly using things like how easily your stream starts.
Possibly. Some medications can affect how the bladder contracts or how the sphincter relaxes. Heavy training with breath holding and bracing can also keep the pelvic floor guarded. If a medication may be involved, it’s worth raising with the doctor who prescribed it.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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118 W. 72nd St, Rear Lobby, New York, NY 10023
Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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