Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) or known also as Kegel exercise has been acknowledged as one of the most effective and safest methods in managing stress urinary incontinence (SUI), medical experts say, mentioning results of various clinical trials. Along with lifestyle and behavioral changes, this approach has in fact been regarded as the first-line therapy for this very common pelvic floor disorder.

In searching for a solution to women’s urinary incontinence, Dr. Arnold Kegel, an American gynecologist, was able to develop these exercises. He came up with this method of treatment after observing that urinary incontinence in women happens after the pelvic floor muscles were stressed during pregnancy and child birth.

The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for holding up the bladder and the urethra and are located between the legs, which run from the pubic bone at the front to the base of the spine at the back. By supporting these organs, these muscles allow the woman to control the release of urine. Pelvic floor disorders such as SUI and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) may result if these muscles, which provide support to the different organs, are weakened or damaged due to various causes.

Restoring the strength of the pelvic floor muscles in order to provide the necessary support to the pelvic floor organs particularly the bladder and the urethra is the objective of Kegel exercises. A woman who has been practicing these exercises may also be able to tighten properly the pelvic floor muscles before the abdomen is exposed to pressure when coughing, laughing, jumping, and other activities that may trigger the leakage of urine.

Advantages of pelvic floor muscle training include its simplicity and that it may be done at any time of the day without the need for special equipment. To benefit from these exercises, a woman is only required to set aside a few minutes every day, which may even be broken down to two or three sessions. Even when sitting down while watching television, lying in bed, or in a standing position, these exercises may effectively be practiced. These exercises may even be performed while working in the office or when stuck in traffic during the rush hours.

Identifying the right muscles, doing the proper way of contracting these muscles, and alternating between slow and fast contractions, are the important things to remember when doing Kegel exercises. While this may be learned on your own, it would be best to have the guidance of a therapist or from your healthcare provider. There are a number of online sources that you may choose form should you decide to learn on your own.

Learning Kegel exercises has proven to have helped countless women who have been diagnosed with SUI. This has allowed them to be spared from more drastic measures such as vaginal mesh surgeries. Severe complications as a result of using these mesh implants have been experienced by thousands of women.

Serious injuries have resulted from these adverse effects, which have prompted these women to file vaginal mesh lawsuits against various mesh manufacturers. Defendants in these lawsuits have been placed at over 30 companies, including Neomedic which has vaginal mesh lawsuits pending before eight federal courts.

References:

netdoctor.co.uk

mayoclinic.com

umich.edu