If you’ve been having problems like urine incontinence, fecal incontinence, and laxity in your vaginal tissues, your doctor might suggest trying Kegel exercises. These exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles so you have better control over them.
Both men and women can do these moves in the privacy of their homes and at any time, all through the day. Kegel exercises merely involve clenching and releasing your muscles 10 to 15 times, about three times daily. Although this solution seems simple and effective, getting the results you want may not be that easy.
Here’s why:
Learning Kegel Exercises Takes Practice
For the routine to work, patients must first identify and learn to control the right muscles. And, that takes a lot of practice. Your doctor might suggest that you try to stop the flow of urine midstream and restart again. Once you identify the right muscles, begin by doing the exercises in a lying position. After some amount of repetitions, you can do them at any time, even when you’re sitting down or standing. You can also train the muscles discreetly while seated at your desk in the workplace. The main downside of using this method to find the muscles is that you might end up being unable to empty your bladder properly. As a result, you risk getting urinary tract infections.
Not All Patients Can Train the Proper Muscles
When learning Kegel exercises, your therapist will explain that you must relax the muscles of the abdomen, thighs, back, sides, and buttocks, and only clench the pelvic muscles. You must also breathe freely. The issue is that every patient has a unique muscular structure and nervous system. The kind of repetitions that work for one patient may not work for the next. Although you will get results, the improvements may not happen easily.
You Could Develop Pain in the Back and Abdomen
When training with a therapist, he will likely warn you about the possibility of getting back or abdominal pain. If that happens, it could be a sign that you’re targeting the wrong muscles. Stop doing the Kegel exercises and look for guidance on how to do them correctly. Doctors also warn you not to overdo it. Too many repetitions could tire out the muscles so they cannot perform like they’re supposed to, normally.
Adopt Tools to Help You Find the Right Muscles
Several tools are now available to help you train the pelvic muscles. For instance, inserting and holding a vaginal cone using the pelvic muscles. Or, holding gas inside the rectum and not allowing it to escape. You could also consider using Biofeedback training where the doctor inserts a probe inside the vagina and then tells you to do the exercises. The device will signal when you’ve identified the right muscles and are performing correctly.
A simpler solution to the problem is getting the EMSella therapy that inflicts high-intensity electromagnetic energy into the pelvic area and induces the muscles to heal naturally by contracting. The therapy is non-invasive and only involves sitting in the chair for about 20 minutes as you allow the energy to work on you. Research has shown that the treatment works and is successful in helping patients with their incontinence and other related problems. Ask your doctor about being a good candidate for the therapy.
