Kegel Exercises
Many women suffer from weakness of the pelvic muscles. Weakness of pelvic muscles will eventually lead to loss of support for bladder, uterus and other pelvic organs. This will cause prolapsed of the pelvic organs through the vagina. This is called pelvic utero-vaginal prolapse. This may cause symptoms ranging from minor pelvic discomfort to embarrassing urine leaks.
The first major insult to pelvic muscles is during the time of pregnancy and delivery. During labour the pelvic muscles are stretched and this leads to loss of tone. As a result of this, contraction of pelvic muscles becomes difficult and painful. Pelvic muscles are also further damaged by wrong labour practices and after menopause when the estrogenic stimulus to the muscles is lost. A crossection of the pelvis is given below for your understanding.
Since child birth is inevitable for women, should all women suffer from pelvic muscle weakness? Well there is no clear cut answer to this question. Most women will have some form of pelvic muscle weakness in the weeks following delivery, however most recover. Even then quite a few women are never able to regain adequate strength in their pelvic muscles.
There are exercises which can strengthen the pelvic muscles. Kegel exercises are one such way to strengthen the pelvic muscles. The Kegel exercise can be done anytime of the day, and you can do it while doing other tasks like cooking or feeding your baby. You can also do it on the commute home. It can be done discreetly and is rather easy to do, once you learn which muscles to target and how to do this exercise.
Firstly, empty your bladder. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder will further weaken your muscles and also cause UTI. Once you have emptied your bladder, sit or lie down and insert a finger into vagina. Fell the muscles around you, and try to contract the pelvic muscles. The action required is the same action as required to hold urine or bowels. When the pelvic muscles contract, the finger inside the vagina will fell the contracting muscles and the pelvic floor will lift up. Keep the muscle contracted for 10 sec and then relax. This step can be repeated for 10 times at a stretch. It is advisable to do this exercise for at least three times of 10 contractions each. If it can be done more number of times, it will be better.
The first time one does this exercise, they are taught to insert a finger into the vagina to get a feel of the exercise, but once you have mastered the technique, it will not be necessary to insert a finger into the vagina. Then this can be done discreetly during everyday activities.
Kegel exercises should be started as soon as possible after delivery. However many women may find these exercises painful at the start. Soaking the vagina and pelvis in warm water for a few minutes prior to the exercise will soothe the pain and allow exercises.
If done correctly, results can be expected in 8-12 weeks. Most women derive benefit from these exercises. Some women are cured of their incontinence, while in others, the progression may be stopped. Very few women do not derive much benefit from these exercises. These women mostly have suffered from severe birth trauma and that is probably the reason why Kegel exercises do not work on them.
Health care workers may be of help to those women who have difficulty with this exercise. Doctors sometimes places a electrode in the vagina or skin around the vagina, when women contract the pelvic muscles, a feedback is give to them about how correctly they contracted the pelvic muscles. With trial and error women can then narrow down the correct technique. Doctors can also implant a electrode in the pelvic muscles. When this electrode discharges, it causes the muscle to contract, which the women will perceive it as a twitch. With training women can be taught to contract the pelvic muscles with out need for external stimulation. Women can also use a Kegel's perineometer, an instrument which is inserted in to the vagina. The transducer is connected to a barometer which indicates the pressure developed with each contraction of the pelvic muscles.
To derive maximum benefit from this exercise, women must make it a routine part of their lives. This way they will be able tone up the pelvic muscles and control incontinence. This will also lead to enhanced sexual pleasure for the women and her partner.